Danny Boy

http://www.zerochan.net/1754237#full

It's been a while, hasn't it! Well, maybe not - it probably seems that way to me because of how much I'd been looking forward to writing. 

It's Week 9 of the first semester of my second year, and things have been accelerating to a dizzying speed. Deadlines come and go as quick as the buildings that fly past in the scenery outside the train windows, and after a while it kinda becomes something that you're uncomfortably accustomed to. I revel in times of peace and quiet alone, but even at those times my mind would sometimes restlessly search for another avenue of escape. 

I've been trying to set up a calming environment to help me settle myself, and one way is through music. I especially love slow, relaxed tunes that help conjure up images of calming scenes - like a quaint little cafe, a forest in summer or autumn time, or a rustic countryside cottage. Hence recently my attention was caught by "Danny Boy", a song with a tune of Irish origin and lyrics penned by an Englishman.

Dad has a CD with guitar instrumental covers of well-known songs such as Scarborough Fair and Greensleeves that he'd play sometimes on Sunday morning when we're all preparing to go to church. I'd always note the second track for its calming tune that is reminiscent of a countryside home, but never found out the title of the song much less knew there were lyrics to it. So this morning as I did the household chores I decided to play the CD and this time I found out about the name of the song, which is "Danny Boy".

When I searched up the song on the Internet, I found that there was the lyric, or sung version of it. I was a little apprehensive to hear that version of it since I knew the song as an instrumental first, and had the impression that putting words on a tune might diminish the expressiveness of the song emotionally since you'd be distracted by them. To my surprise, the lyrics really complemented the vibe of the tune well, and were beautiful words on their own.

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

It's you, it's 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 you come, and all the flowers are dying

If 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 grave will warm and sweeter be

For you will bend and tell me that you love me

And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me.

The song is originally based on the Irish tune "Londonderry Air", but became known as "Danny Boy" when an Englishman Frederic Weatherly wrote the lyrics to match the tune. It is essentially a love song, but the interpretations still vary with one speculating that the song is sung from the perspective of a parent seeing off their son who is leaving for war. Even though it ends with death - or ideas of death - the lyrics are unperturbed and quietly sweet, full of feelings of hope and longing.

It'll be nice to be so content and peaceful even in death; to not be afraid when the time comes for you, but to be filled with happy thoughts for others. Anyway! I decided to pick the cover done by Celtic Woman - their voices are so pure and angelic they are almost instrumental <3 As for the instrumental version, I can't find the one from the CD online, but my next favourite is the flute + harp instrumental of the song!