<P> There are various suggestions as to the true meaning of "Danny Boy". Some have interpreted the song to be a message from a parent to a son going off to a war or uprising (as suggested by the reference to "pipes calling glen to glen") or leaving as part of the Irish diaspora . </P> <P> The 1918 version of the sheet music included alternative lyrics ("Eily Dear"), with the instructions that "when sung by a man, the words in italic should be used; the song then becomes "Eily Dear", so that "Danny Boy" is only to be sung by a lady ". In spite of this, it is unclear whether this was Weatherly's intent . Indeed, the song has been covered by a diverse range of male singers, including Mario Lanza, Bing Crosby, Andy Williams, Johnny Cash, Sam Cooke, Elvis Presley, Shane MacGowan, Jackie Wilson, Daniel O'Donnell, Harry Belafonte, Tom Jones, John Gary, Jacob Collier and Harry Connick Jr, amongst many others . All used the original lyrics . </P> <Ul> <Li> "Danny Boy" is considered to be an unofficial signature song and anthem, particularly by Irish Americans and Irish Canadians . </Li> <Li> The song is popular for funerals; but, as it is not liturgical, its suitability as a funeral song is sometimes contested . In 1928, Weatherly himself suggested that the second verse would provide a fitting requiem for the actress Ellen Terry . </Li> <Li> On 13 April 2013, the South Korean girl group Girls' Generation released the concert album of the 2011 Girls' Generation Asia Tour album . Girls' Generation sang the song on CD 2, track number 7 . </Li> <Li> Figure skating world champion Javier Fernández skated an exhibition program to Danny Boy choreographed by David Wilson, which Fernández debuted in Boston following his victory at the 2016 World Figure Skating Championships . </Li> </Ul> <Li> "Danny Boy" is considered to be an unofficial signature song and anthem, particularly by Irish Americans and Irish Canadians . </Li>

Oh danny boy the pipes the pipes are calling lyrics