Is Danny Boy overplayed, or played at the wrong moments? Sure, but I would ask those who are now bored with it to give it another chance. To find that version that is out there, or do one yourself for that matter, that makes it special. There are plenty times when the national anthem is hard to sit through. We know it and probably heard it done better, but then you hear someone belt it out and you get that feeling in your gut and say "that's how it should sound"-at least according to you.

I think it is a great song, and the lyrics being added later don't take away from it at all. It can be about whatever you want it to be in the end. The fact that an Englishmen wrote the now famous lyrics should not be imortant but I realize it may be harder for some to let that little bit of fact slip by.

I would recommend a hard to find documentary done by PBS call Danny Boy: In Sunshine or in Shadow. It goes through the history of the song from the Londenderry Aire music to the later addition of the lyrics. There are some good impromptu reditions done by Ronnie Drew-that should make the hair on your neck stick up-and Shane McGowan among others. And they dont seem to mind singing the "Englishman's" words.