: '' Danny Boy is also the name of a comedian.''
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 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. 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 could be a message from a father to a son, with the father upset that the son has gone off to war or on some other long journey.
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,
:Oh Danny Boy, oh Danny Boy, I love you so!
:But 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 will warmer, sweeter be,
:For you will bend and tell me that you love me,
:And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me!
- 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.
- '', the last album he recorded before his death. 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.
- 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 Famed New York Palace Theatre show.
- Irish actress Maureen O'Hara recorded a version of the song on her ''Maureen O'Hara Sings her Favourite Irish Songs'' album in 1962.
- 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.
- Jackie Wilson recorded two different versions of this song. It was his mother's favorite song.
- 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 ''.
- 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 Sinead 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 Jim Reeves recorded "Danny Boy" and he used to perfom 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 ''
- This song is parodied is the comedy Saved By The Bell at Slater's lizard's funeral.
- Hip Hop Irish-American Band House Of Pain recorded a version of this song in their homonym album.
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