all of the irish people i have ever met have been incredibly bright, creative, wonderful people. a song that is (wrongly, unfortunately) associated with ireland and st.patrick's day is "danny boy" - one of the saddest, most baleful and romantic songs perhaps that has ever been dared to be written and recorded - over and over and over again. somehow, this misappropriation has been allowed to continue throughout st. paddy's day celebrations, for generations, and today seems a fitting day to point out the mistake, but to also revel in its significance at the same time.
about a decade ago, a very very very dear friend of mine introduced me to the singer, eva cassidy. eva had the one of the most amazing voices and talents of any singer of the 20th century and was taken far too soon from the world and the age of 33 by metastatic melanoma. but while she was on this world, she managed to record danny boy in her inimitable style with her impossibly heavenly voice. i can think of no better tribute to the spririt of the patron saint of beautiful ireland than the marriage of this woeful dirge to the splendid sound of eva's voice.
for safe measure, i've had two pints of guinness today. i hope that you had a chance to do at least as well :)
- g
(erroneous) song of st. patrick's day: danny boy, eva cassidy
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