Danny Boy

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Danny Boy is also the stage name of Chicago native Daniel Ray, a contemporary African-American soul singer. For the Scottish comedian, see Danny Bhoy.

"Danny Boy" is a love song from a woman to a man, providing one of many lyrics set to the tune of the Londonderry Air. It was written in 1910 by Frederick Weatherly, an English lawyer, and set to the tune in 1913. The first recording was made by Ernestine Schumann-Heink in 1915. Weatherly gave the song to Elsie Griffin, who made it one of the most popular in the new century. Weatherly later suggested in 1928 that the second verse would provide a fitting requiem for the actress Ellen Terry.

The song is widely considered an Irish anthem, and the tune is used as the anthem of Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games, even though the song's writer was not Irish, and the song was and is more popular outside Ireland than within. It is none-the-less, widely considered by Irish Canadians/Americans, to be their unofficial signature tune.

It is frequently included in the organ presentation at Irish-American funerals. Though the song is supposed to be a message from a woman to a man, the song is actually sung by men as much as, or possibly more often than, women. It has also been interpreted by some listeners that the song is a message from a parent to a son, with the singer saddened that the son has gone to war, or left Ireland forever in the Irish diaspora.

The lyrics:

Oh Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling

From glen to glen, and down the mountain side

The summer's gone, and all the roses falling

'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide

But come ye back when summer's in the meadow

Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow

'Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow

Danny Boy, oh Danny Boy, I love you so

And when ye come, and all the flowers are dying

And I am dead, as dead I well may be

Ye'll come and find the place where I am lying

And kneel and say an Ave there for me

And I shall hear, though soft you tread above me

And all my grave shall warmer, sweeter be

For you shall bend and tell me that you love me

And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me

A television documentary, 'In Sunshine or In Shadow', about the origins and history of the song was produced by Julian Lloyd in 1995 (broadcast on ITV in the UK and PBS in the US).

[edit] Recordings

Deirdre Shannon's version of the song returns it to its simplistic best on her album Deirdre Shannon.
Harry Connick Jr's character Daniel sings Danny Boy at a talent show in the movie Life Without Dick.
Harry Connick Jr. as a cast member in the 1990 world war 2, aviation film, Memphis Belle, sings the song at a dance. It becomes the principal music score theme of the film, particularly prominent in the harrowing ending minutes, and the final ending credits.
Conway Twitty recorded a rockabilly version of this song.
Ray Price had a top 10 hit on Billboard magazine's Hot Country Singles chart in 1967, and is an example of his Nashville Sound output.
Johnny Cash recorded a version of this song on American IV: The Man Comes Around. Cash recorded an earlier version of this song on his 1965 album "Orange Blossom Special."
Roy Orbison did an acclaimed rendition of this on his 1972 Memphis album.
Judy Garland [1] recorded "Danny Boy" several times, once for her film Little Nellie Kelly 1940 and again for her "Miss Showbusiness Album" on Capitol Records 1955 and sang it live during her concerts in Dublin's famed Theatre Royal and at her now legendary New York Palace Theatre show. Her last recording of the song was in 1962 in London, again for Capitol Records "The London Sessions".
Irish actress Maureen O'Hara recorded a version of the song on her Maureen O'Hara Sings her Favourite Irish Songs album in 1962 on Columbia Records.
G4 recorded the song on their Act 3 CD on the White Rabbit label released Nov 2006
Welsh singer, Charlotte Church recorded the song on her "Voice of an Angel" Album in 1999 on the Sony label.
Connie Francis recorded it on her "Connie Francis Sings Irish Favorites" album (1962) on the MGM Label.
Cher recorded it in 1969 on her "Jackson Highway Album"
The British label Chandos has released a recording of Percy Grainger's setting of this tune for wind band as part of its series of the complete works of that composer.
This was also known to be one of Elvis Presley's favorite songs. Elvis also made his own recording of the song, which was played at his funeral. He sang it in 1976.
Jackie Wilson recorded two different versions of this song. It was his mother's favorite song.
The Pogues ,an Irish rock band, recorded a version of the song which appears on the soundtrack Straight to Hell
Jazz pianist Bill Evans recorded a piano solo rendition of the song in 1962. It appears on the album "Time Remembered" and as a part of "Bill Evans: The Complete Riverside Recordings". A gently swinging interpretation was recorded in 1994 by pianist Hank Jones and bass player Charlie Haden, issued on their album "Steal Away".
Daniel O'Donnell, Easy listening artist from Ireland.
The King's Singers, a cappella version on the album Watching the White Wheat (1985)
Harry Connick Jr's 1999 grammy nominated big-band record Come By Me, has a voice and piano take on this song.
Joan Baez recorded the song as part of a medley, pairing it with Stephen Foster's "I Dream of Jeannie", on her 1975 album Diamonds & Rust.
Maureen Tucker of The Velvet Underground recorded the song for her album Dogs Under Stress.
Irish tennor Joe Feeney has performed the song numerous times, both on The Lawrence Welk Show (on which he was a regular from 1957 to 1982) and in a 1964 recording.
The Poxy Boggards recorded this song on their 2006 release, Whiskey Business.
Pop singer Sinéad O'Connor performed the song, adding a third (albeit political) verse, on whistler and pipist, Davy Spillane's album, The Sea of Dreams.
Singer Diana Krall performed the song with The Chieftains, in their album Tears of Stone (RCA - 1999)
Singer Eva Cassidy recorded an exceptionaly moving performance of the song, which appeared on the album Imagine, issued in 2002.
Singer Jim Reeves recorded "Danny Boy" and he used to perform this as the last song on his concerts
Calypso singer Harry Belafonte recorded a version
Carly Simon recorded "Danny Boy" for her 1990 album My Romance
The song is often used at funerals. It is parodied in the comedy Saved by the Bell at the funeral for Slater's lizard.
Hip Hop Irish-American Band House of Pain recorded a version of this song in their homonym album. "Danny Boy" is also the stage name of a member this group, who also is the founder of and raps in the East-Coast Hip-Hop group "La Coka Nostra."
Ruby Murray recorded it on her When Irish Eyes Are Smiling album in the late'60s, re-released on CD in 1997.
Carmel Quinn recorded a poignant version of the song on her Carmel Quinn at Carnegie Hall album for Columbia/EMI 1970
Willie Nelson recorded a version of "Danny Boy" on "One From The Road," released in 1979, and was re-released on a compilation, "Stardust/Honeysuckle Rose/One From The Road."
The song is the opening track on the eponymous debut album by young British singer Declan Galbraith.
Performed by Irish-/Scottish-Canadian vocalist John McDermott during every performance, and the song he is most known for.
Irish Tenor, Dennis Day, sang it several times as a regular on the Jack Benny television program.
Irish tenor Ronan Tynan's rendition plays while photographs of several of the New York City firefighters who perished in the September 11, 2001 attacks are shown in the closing minutes of the documentary film 9/11.
Bing Crosby recoded it for his "Top O' the Morning" Album re-released in 1996 on the MCA label
Judy Collins sang it at her "Live at Wolf Trap" Concert released on DVD/CD in 2000
Jazz duo Stian Carstensen (button accordion) and Iain Ballamy (tenor saxophone) recorded a version in which their instruments metamorphose into the sound of an accordion on the album The Little Radio.
Recited by Barney Gumble upon the closing of Moe's Tavern, due to excessive health code violations.
Sung by Dr. Zoidberg at Bender's fake funeral in "A Pharaoh to Remember".
Canadian fiddler and singer, Natalie MacMaster recorded the song on her "Yours Truly" Album in 2006 on the Foreign Media/KOCH Entertainmentlabel.
Glenn Miller did an instrumental version of the song in 1940.
My Friend The Chocolate Cake recorded a chamber pop version for their 1991 album "My Friend The Chocolate Cake" (rereleased 1995).
Sung by Eugene's father in Random Shoes, an episode of Torchwood.
Sung by the Irish-American character Maureen McBain in the classic spaghetti western Once Upon a Time in the West, by Sergio Leone, even though the movie was set before the song was written.
A recurring theme throughout The Adventures of Lano and Woodley, appearing as a jazz song and a campfire song, among others.