And I will hear, though soft you tread above me,
And I will lurch, and rise like April rains:
Eleven years have passed, so say you love me,
And you and I alike will go in search of braaiiinnnssss…
I kind of doubt it’s about going off to war, if it’s happening when “The summer’s gone and all the roses falling”? Late fall when the plants are dying is a pretty odd time to be mustering troops for battle in pre-industrial northern Europe.
Of course, Mr. Dan is coming back someday, winter or summer, so he’s probably going on an extended journey. Is it possible that the sound of bagpipes is just elevator music for the highland/eirie-land ambience? Sound carries now that the leaves are gone, and all that…
(I always thought this was a Highlands song. Did not know until now it was specifically Irish. Musta been the bagpipes reference that confused me…)
PBS documentary. Haven’t seen it in a while but it stated that the song was about young men emigrating and leaving their mother’s behind.
I’m sure that apostrophe was simply misplaced. 
I always read it about lovers parting for an extended period of time, with the woman singing, but it could be about parents/children. It really doesn’t matter: it’s just about how uncertain this world is, and how whenever two people part for an extended period of time, they can’t be entirely sure they will see each other again.
Moving to Cafe Society from GQ.
Posters should note that this thread is nearly as old as the song itself.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
For all the people who think that the singer is a female (mother, lover of “Danny Boy”) . . . isn’t the song traditionally sung by a man?
No, I think they’re on to something 
Oh, bravo!
The rarely heard third verse follows the “going off to war” idea:
Is that third verse part of the original song, or a later addition? It certainly makes it pretty clearly about war, but it also doesn’t really seem to fit with the original (even if the original is also about war).
So’s is House Of The Rising Sun, but there’s no doubt it’s about a woman.
Benny Hill shout-out caught.
I always figured the pipe in the song refers to a fife, not a bagpipe. That would put a stronger military spin on it.
Many of the questions in this thread are answered in Malachy McCourt’s Danny Boy: The Legend of the Beloved Irish Ballad.
Originally written by Weatherly in 1910 to another tune and a hit in 1913 in it’s current form. Presumably then Eily Dear of 1918 is Weatherley’s attempt to suck more from Danny’s marrow.
All the militaristic verses are subsequent add-ons.
General opinion amongst students of the song is that it is about emigration but it doesn’t really matter.
I don’t know for sure but I get the feeling it’s a later addition.
Sinead O’Connor sings the first half of the third verse here in a lovely a capella version of the song:
Most zombie jokes are tired and weak. But this was pretty good. Kudos.
Sure’n, this line always brings a tear to me eye.
Best wishes,
hh