"If you can't get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance"
-George Bernard Shaw


Monday, April 5, 2010

"Oh Danny Boy"

For this Month's Blog Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture, we are challenged to write about a favorite Irish Blessing or Poem.  (Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture Challenge ) My Grandpa's favorite song was the very famous and familiar song "Danny Boy".  Although it is not a poem or a blessing in the traditional sense, this is one of my very favorite Irish things.  Every time I listen to the song it reminds me of my Grandpa who died in 2002.  I can hardly ever listen to the song without a few tears in my eyes.  I miss my Grandpa so much.
The song was written by Frederick Weatherly.  Acoording to one website that I read on Brobdingnagian Bards the song was written around the begning of the 20th century.

The words are:

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 flowers are dying
'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.
And if you come, when all the flowers are dying
And I am dead, as dead I well may be
You'll come and find the place where I am lying
And kneel and say an "Ave" there for me.

And I shall hear, tho' soft you tread above me
And all my dreams will warm and sweeter be
If you'll not fail to tell me that you love me
I'll simply sleep in peace until you come to me.

I'll simply sleep in peace until you come to me.

To hear the music to this song click Here.

You can also download on MP3 of Danny Boy by Clicking on the image below from Amazon.com

2 comments:

  1. I have loved this song for years. Wasn't it actually a war time song? Good post.

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  2. You know Hummer, I really don't know. It has just also been a song very near and dear to my heart because of the special bond it gives me with my grandpa.

    ReplyDelete