“Danny Boy”
It has been put forth that “Danny Boy” is a song associated with the concept of an individual going off to war. This is based on the assumption that Danny is indeed a boy, i.e. a young man who is old enough to partake of the battlefield and is now compelled for whatever reason compelled to join the army.
And that’s a cool way of looking at the narrative at hand. You see, that’s the clever thing about “Danny Boy. Even though it is considered an Irish folk anthem (something we will get into later), it has a history of being covered by diverse artists. And that may well be because, as strange as this next statement may sound, they lyrics come off as being ambiguous yet specific at the same time.
A Work of Art
It truly is a work of art, one that can truly be applied to a number of different settings without any lyrical modifications whatsoever, if one is able to get pass the strong emotional undertone of the song.
And the reason that this classic is able to get away with such general applicability, based on our theory, is because the lyrics are both literal and metaphorical at the same time. For instance, with Ireland or let’s say the UK in general in mind, we are introduced to the physical environment where the vocalist and Danny inhabit.
It is presented as a place, without necessarily being said, that is naturally beautiful. Danny and co. have access to valleys and mountains and are apparently afforded the blessing of being able to enjoy the different seasons in all their natural splendor.
But again, the different elements which make up this selfsame environment are also symbolic as presented. So for instance, the seasons represent life and death, in addition to representing the passage of time in general. And the reason that time is such an important factor in this song is because Danny boy is finna to set off for an unspecific, or let’s say unknown duration.
Narrator and Addressee
Now Danny is actually the addressee. And the singer is a loved one who is very close to him. Some people understand it to be one of Danny’s parents.
And if one is forced to try to deduce the relationship between these two characters, such an understanding would perhaps be more viable than any other theory. And why? That is because the implication is that the singer is older than the addressee. And that is because the vocalist seems to be heavily under the impression that when Danny does eventually return home, he will be dead.
Furthermore, in the first verse where the singer is in fact encouraging Danny to go off, he also understands that he can’t do the same. So it can be gathered that the reason he “must bide” while Danny “must go” is because unlike Danny, the vocalist is not at a stage in life where he cannot make a youth power move like that.
Where is Danny Boy really going to?
But if Danny is in fact going off to war, expressing such a sentiment wouldn’t really make sense. In other words, under such circumstances chances are the vocalist would be more concerned for Danny’s wellbeing than his own. But such is not the case. Rather, he appears fully confident that Danny will in fact make it back home.
And it is arguable that perhaps the singer is painting the picture as an exercise in positivity thinking, i.e. in the name of being optimistic concerning Danny’s welfare. But at the same time it should be noted that whereas this song may have become famous during World War I, it was actually written a few years prior. And all research considered, it may not have been war with the lyrics’ author had in mind.
But ultimately, trying to ascertain where Danny is setting off to boils down to one line, the very first one of the song. This is where it is revealed that it is actually “the pipes” which “are calling” out to him. And said “pipes” can easily be applied to some type of militaristic/compulsory understanding.
Is Danny headed to War?
All things considered, we don’t think Danny is someone who is going off to war per se. Or it may be so, if he considers such to be part of his destiny. That is to say that “the pipes are calling” reads like another way of putting forth an idea like Danny has reached a point in his life where he can no longer ignore the allure of the outside world which is beckoning him.
He is a young eagle whose time has come to fly out on his own. And such a sentiment would be why for instance this song has been understood as also alluding to the Irish diaspora.
Furthermore, even if one were to take it as pointing to the concept of Danny going forth to put his life at risk, remember that there are a number of careers out there outside of the military, such as say a policeman or fireman, where doing so is part and parcel of the job. So the point we’re trying to get to is simply that we have no definitive idea of where Danny is going or what he is going to do.
More about the Lyrics of “Danny Boy”
But all of the focus on Danny will not give us a comprehensive understanding of this song considering that there are actually two characters or more specifically two subjects of this narrative.
Danny gets center stage since, after all, he’s the one whom the tale is named after. But the singer also plays a very important role throughout. For he is the one who adds emotion to the story. He’s the one who is basically prophesying his own death, not being overly confident that he and Danny will ever meet again in the flesh.
And he’s the one gentling sentimental as a result. He even tells the addressee to visit his gravesite and express his love after the vocalist himself has already departed. This is some sentimental stuff, some would even say depressing stuff – the type that will inevitably evoke some type of emotional response. But then it’s like okay, how does Danny feel about the matter?
This, once again, brings us back to cleverness of the song. For on one hand you have the singer who has already seen the end of his life. For the most part he has already done what he has to do on the mortal plane and is not really trying to do anything more. But then there’s Danny, who is about to set off on his life’s journey.
And instead of the depressing disposition of the singer, he should rather be excited. Or let’s say that yes, Danny is leaving his loved one(s) behind, which is a sad moment. But if he is in fact an Irish diasporan for instance, then he is setting forth into the world with an unlimited outlook on the future. And accordingly he would also be more optimistic and stimulated than the vocalist is at the time.
In Conclusion
So in the end, we will close by saying that “Danny Boy” is a song of perspectives. It’s sort of like a role-playing game, for lack of a better analogy.
A listener’s viewpoint will depend on which of the characters he or she identifies with the most. There is a sense of loss but also a sense of hope. But considering that the vocalist, whom we can say is somewhat depressed, is in fact the one relaying the lyrics, the former takes precedence over the latter.
But ultimately, they’re both intertwined anyway. And that brings us back once again to the symbolism of seasons. One passes away, whereas another one is born anew. Summer leads to winter then back to summer again. And as Danny sets off to start a new life, the one he is leaving behind, as personified by the narrator, will likewise pass away.
Who wrote “Danny Boy”?
The writer of “Danny Boy” was actually an English gentleman by the name of Frederic Weatherly (1848-1929). On top of being a lawyer by profession he was also an author. He was actually a prolific author to the point of having been said to have authored thousands of songs.
“Danny Boy”, as we know it, is actually the result of what some people nowadays would refer to as a mixtape or informal production. The lyrics themselves were originally written to a different set of music, and that first version of “Danny Boy” failed to takeoff.
Then, a couple of years later, being prompted by his sister-in-law Frederic Weatherly set the lyrics to the instrumental of a different tune. And the name of that particular piece is “Londonderry Air”. It was after this move that this song began its ascent towards becoming one of the most well-known songs on the face of the globe.
And just to note, according to Weatherly’s great grandson, he went on to ruthlessly cheat said sister-in-law out of her associated royalties.
Londonderry Air
“Londonderry Air” is an instrumental dating back to at least 19th century Ireland. In fact it is a Irish folk song so old that its exact date origin is unknown. But anyhow, that is the process in which “Danny Boy” actually became associated with Ireland. In other words, there doesn’t appear to be anything overtly Irish in the lyrics, on top the fact that Frederic Weatherly himself wasn’t Irish.
In fact despite living in nearby England, he never actually set foot in Ireland itself. So it was him setting the lyrics to a traditional Irish melody which led to “Danny Boy” being adopted by the Irish. And the Irish adopted it in such a manner that it became the unofficial anthem of their diaspora (especially as far as Irish immigrants to North America are concerned).
Frederic’s Inspiration
Frederic Weatherly was 62 years old at the time he penned “Danny Boy”. And whereas there may not have been any war raging in Britain at the time, he did suffer his own personal tragedies which are said to have influenced the grievous tone of the song. And that was not only the passing of his father in 1910 but also the concurrent death of his only son.
Singers who have recorded “Danny Boy”
The first popular singer who is known to have rendered “Danny Boy” live was the late Elsie Griffin (1895-1989). Griffin, a singer from Bristol, did so on behalf of her homeland troops who were stationed in France during World War I. And since she apparently is the first professional to have sung it, then it can perhaps be said that all subsequent versions are technically covers of her original.
Then on top of that, the first artist to ever lay down a recording of this song also wasn’t from Ireland. Rather that would be Ernestine Schumann-Heink (1861-1936), who was actually German. And she did so in 1915.
This is one song those songs which have been covered (i.e. recorded by artists other than the original) more times than anyone can count. Indeed it has been recited by a number of big-name artists, compassing many different genres and ethnic backgrounds, throughout the years.
And some of the notably names on the list include:
- Judy Garland (1940)
- Bing Crosby (1941)
- Patti LaBelle (1964)
- Jackie Wilson (1965)
- Jerry Lee Lewis (1965)
- Johnny Cash (1970)
- Roy Orbison (1972)
- Elvis Presley (1976)
- Eric Clapton (1992)
- Sinead O’Conner (1998)
A Funeral Song
As noted earlier, this song has proven especially popular at funerals. In fact some Catholic churches took offense to such and accordingly banned it from funeral masses. One reason is because it isn’t actually religious in nature. And another is that it may cause people to get unconstructively overtaken by sentiment.
This song was played at the funeral of US President John F. Kennedy, who was of direct Irish lineage. And another big-name politician who had “Danny Boy” played at his funeral was US Senator John McCain (1936-2018). Senator McCain did in fact have Irish roots (as well as those from the UK in general).
