N.Y. pub bans ‘Danny Boy’ on St. Patrick’s

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:34 pm

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23490201/

NEW YORK - It's depressing. It's not usually sung in Ireland for St. Patrick's Day. And its lyrics were written by an Englishman who never set foot on Irish soil.

Those are just some of the reasons a Manhattan pub has given for banning the song "Danny Boy" for the entire month of March.

"It's overplayed, it's been ranked among the 25 most depressing songs of all time, and it's more appropriate for a funeral than for a St. Patrick's Day celebration," says Shaun Clancy, who owns Foley's Pub and Restaurant, just off Fifth Avenue opposite the Empire State Building.

Flogging Jason · Post by **Flogging Jason** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 9:36 pm

In all the years I've listened to Irish music, played whistle, and(in recent years) been singing I've never learned nor played Danny Boy. I'll be performing on Patty's Day and if, by some coincidence, it get's requested I'll be more than happy to tell them to "bugger off with that kitchy stereotypical nonsense".

Never really cared much for the tune anyway.

s1m0n · Post by **s1m0n** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 11:50 pm

It's still one of the world's great melodies. The Irish Free State should have commissioned new words--2 in Irish and 1 in English--and declared it the new national hymn back in 1922; at a stroke they'd have reclaimed it from the english, and created an irish name for that doesn't sound like derriere.

Very few national anthems have good tunes. The French (La Marseillaise) have the best are the clear winners, although I gather the melody was actually written by an italian.

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 1:45 am

Thank God!

That tune has nothing in common with traditional Irish airs (it doesn't sound even remotely close to the tune it's supposedly drawn from)...either the woman who claimed it made it up herself or had truly abysmal transcription skills. The words are pure music hall...as Irish as minstrel show stuff is African American.

I wouldn't shed a tear if the very knowledge of that turkey fell off the edge of the earth. I do not and will not play it.

Redwolf

missy · Post by **missy** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 4:35 am

I put "Danny Boy" and it's "relationship" to Irish in the same category as "Rocky Top" and it's relationship to blue grass.

As in NO relationship.

(apologies to any U of T fans....

)

s1m0n · Post by **s1m0n** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 4:37 am

missy wrote:I put "Danny Boy" and it's "relationship" to Irish in the same category as "Rocky Top" and it's relationship to blue grass.

The tune is Irish, and is considerably older than the words.

I.D.10-t · Post by **I.D.10-t** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 6:14 am

Good national anthems are a bit different than a good tune. It should be accessible to the population, not every on has a seven register voice range, so the song should be limited in range. Garrison Keiller often mentions that the Star Spangled Banner should be sung in the key of G to make the high note less troublesome (I always wonder how the tune was sang as a British drinking song). It should be short, so that the population can pay attention, and don't furrow their brow waiting for the words “play ball”. This is why Francis Scott Key's poem was chopped down to a quarter of it's length, gutting it's meaning leaving only questions and no answers. Color guard from around the world are thankful that they don't have to dip the flags for the extended period. Like a Flag, I think a good anthem should be simple, to make it easily recognizable, and slightly abstract to make it timeless. Granted, all those traits are not mutually exclusive, I just don't know if "Danny Boy" qualifies.

But that's just my opinion.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anyone have the name (and perhaps a MP3) of the tune Danny Boy was based on?

missy · Post by **missy** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 6:38 am

s1m0n wrote:
missy wrote:I put "Danny Boy" and it's "relationship" to Irish in the same category as "Rocky Top" and it's relationship to blue grass.
The tune is Irish, and is considerably older than the words.

Not as it's currently played in the US.

Oh - and ID, I thought that was "Gentlemen, Start your engines" not "Play Ball"!!

StevieJ · Post by **StevieJ** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 6:45 am

I.D.10-t wrote:Anyone have the name (and perhaps a MP3) of the tune Danny Boy was based on?

I don't know if it's any older than Danny Boy, but there is a song sung in Irish to the same air called Maidin i mBéarra.

Wasn't the air collected by Bunting at the 1792 harpers' gathering in Belfast?

Edit: For the answer to this and other questions, see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Londonderry_Air

Doug_Tipple · Post by **Doug_Tipple** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 7:19 am

The fact is that "Danny Boy" is one of the world's most beloved songs. As I have mentioned before, the great 20th century composer and violinist, Fritz Kreisler, considered the melody to "Danny Boy" the most beautiful melody that he had ever heard. Whether it ought to be played in an Irish pub in NYC on St. Patrick's Day, I can understand why some people would take the point of view that it shouldn't. However, I probably would be more inclined to be responsive to the wishes of the general public.

For history about the tune check out
http://www.buywell.com/booklets/4769238.pdf

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 7:33 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fUldi9NxZ0

CHasR · Post by **CHasR** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 7:48 am

I only play it for money

taity · Post by **taity** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 8:16 am

i love it. to me music that gives u feeling is worth more than other folks thoughts if u like it play it

sbfluter · Post by **sbfluter** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 9:24 am

Recently there was a thread in the whistle forum with a link to a YouTube video of some guys playing Danny Boy on a slide potato. I thought that was wonderful.

I really hadn't given Danny Boy much thought, didn't really know how it went, but after the slide potato version it was in my head. I have to admit, I like the tune. I decided I'd learn it just for myself.

I guess I'm a very bad person. This probably proves I'm a hopeless musician, too. Oh well!

BillChin · Post by **BillChin** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 9:56 am

Doug_Tipple wrote:The fact is that "Danny Boy" is one of the world's most beloved songs. As I have mentioned before, the great 20th century composer and violinist, Fritz Kreisler, considered the melody to "Danny Boy" the most beautiful melody that he had ever heard. Whether it ought to be played in an Irish pub in NYC on St. Patrick's Day, I can understand why some people would take the point of view that it shouldn't. However, I probably would be more inclined to be responsive to the wishes of the general public.

For history about the tune check out
http://www.buywell.com/booklets/4769238.pdf

I'm with Doug. It is a beautiful melody with haunting words. Perhaps it isn't Irish and doesn't belong in the pub. Still a great song though.