When Danny Boy Goes Off To The Wars

Common Sense Commentary: Danny Boy, an Irish Catholic song, has always touched me deeply. The first time I remember hearing it, I knew little of Catholic religion or Irish terminology. I was a young Marine on my way to war, in 1950. I was, of course leaving my own father ... and mother behind. I knew I might never see them again. I might be killed or they might die, but I was hearing the song as if my father was singing it to me ... his Danny Boy. The melody was moving and the words stirred tears to my eyes. My father had, himself, when he was also young, left home and gone out into distant places to fight the battles of life. Now it was my turn to go and he must stay ... and maybe die before I returned. My tears were for him, my father, whom I loved so very much. At that time, I don't remember ever telling my father I loved him or hearing him say he loved me ... but he had shown it to me in a thousand ways ... and I knew he did.  Here are the words of the father to the his son, Danny Boy.


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.

The years passed. I returned from the Korean War a changed man with a wife and twin sons awaiting me. Then other children came into our home, and we loved each of them for their own personalities, talents and differences. Then, it seems suddenly, the two oldest boys were grown and "the pipes", or bugles, were "calling" them... instead of me... "and I must stay", and they "must go".  Each of our children left in their own turn and each time their mother and I suffered those losses though we knew they had to go ... sooner or later, and make their own lives ... but those were sad occasions for us, if not for them.  I remember the very hour Danny Boy suddenly changed from my father's song to me ... when I was leaving him, and it became my song to my own sons. The two oldest, the twins who were born while I was in Korea, were going into the military as I had done. After dropping the first one off at the bus station, I drove one block, pulled to the side of the street and wept with all my strength ... or weakness ... whichever it was.  Danny Boy had become my song to my children not my father's to me, and remained so for many years.  But, now, it has made another change. I am 83 and our twins are 62. When I hear Danny Boy now I think of my grandchildren who put their parents through the same pain when they left home.  But especially, I think of all the young Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who have volunteered themselves to the military service of our nation. They have heard the "pipes calling", and are leaving their fathers and mothers to train or fight for their country. They are laying their lives on the line for all of us, and some will never return. Some will come home with broken bodies or wounded minds. Others will return, having lost impatient wives or to the graves of their father or mother, their "summer gone and the flowers dying".  So whether you are the father or mother or the Danny Boy or Dana Girl; Whether you "must go" or you "must abide", those Danny Boy times will come into every life with separations, lost children or lost fathers and mothers, it may be, as Danny Boy's father ended the song, "I'll simply sleep in peace until you come to me".  May God grant that you will join your parents in heaven... or that your children will "come to you". RB

My daughter, Kaye, remembering my love for Danny Boy, sent this rendition of it to me, and inspired this post.

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