Danny Boy

Album: Rufus Wainwright (1998)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Not the Irish folk song, this "Danny Boy" is part of Rufus Wainwright's self-titled debut album. Danny is a real person Wainwright fell for, and also the subject of his song "Baby." As Rufus sings, Danny broke his heart, but it wasn't his fault.

    Danny had the complication of being a drug addict and also being straight (Wainwright is gay). Rufus says their affair was limited to "lying around and kissing," but Danny still burrowed into his heart. It was a painful memory, but one that gave Rufus impetus for two songs.
  • Speaking with Songfacts in 2020, Wainwright said that Danny survived his addiction and moved back to his hometown of Nova Scotia, where he started a family.
  • Running 6:12, "Danny Boy" was produced by Jon Brion, who played the guitar and organ on the track. Rufus played a tack piano, and the drums were handled by session legend Jim Keltner.

    Like much of Wainwright's work, it's influenced by opera music, especially the dramatic and quasi-tragic lyric.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Justin Timberlake

Justin TimberlakeFact or Fiction

Was Justin the first to be Punk'd by Ashton Kutcher? Did Britney really blame him for her meltdown? Did his bandmates think he was gay?

Prince

PrinceFact or Fiction

Prince is shrouded in mystery, making him an excellent candidate for Fact or Fiction. Is he really a Scientologist? Does he own an exotic animal?

Paul Williams

Paul WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

He's a singer and an actor, but as a songwriter Paul helped make Kermit a cultured frog, turned a bank commercial into a huge hit and made love both "exciting and new" and "soft as an easy chair."

Mac Powell of Third Day

Mac Powell of Third DaySongwriter Interviews

The Third Day frontman talks about some of the classic songs he wrote with the band, and what changed for his solo country album.

Who Did It First?

Who Did It First?Music Quiz

Do you know who recorded the original versions of these ten hit songs?

Dennis DeYoung

Dennis DeYoungSongwriter Interviews

Dennis DeYoung explains why "Mr. Roboto" is the defining Styx song, and what the "gathering of angels" represents in "Come Sail Away."