Summary: The song has been around for a hundred years, but it never grows old. It (purportedly) comes from the Irish, but virtually every immigrant community has made it their own. "Danny Boy" is the subject of a new documentary by producer Patricia Moore and director James Maycock. Danny Boy: The Ballad That Bewitched The World features actor Gabriel Byrne, author Malachy McCourt, rocker Larry Kirwan, songwriter Rosanne Cash, and many others, all recounting stories both personal and historical about the myriad incarnations of this timeless song. Whether it's Elvis singing the song to himself in Germany during the Second World War, or Johnny Cash claiming a part of his Southern lineage, or Harry Belafonte identifying with the themes of love and loss -- Danny Boy has been interpreted and re-interpreted so many times since its publication (by an English lawyer) in 1913 that it has its own internal history. In a conversation with host John Schaefer, Maycock, Moore, and Malachy McCourt talk about what they discovered in researching the film; the song's latter day meaning in the wake of 9/11; and debate whether, in fact, anyone at all ought to try singing the thing without advanced vocal training... Here is the beautiful instrumental version of The Londonderry Aire heard in the conversation: And here is the trailer for Maycock's film:
