Say whatever you want about Chicago or New York but for me the place I'd most like to be on St. Patrick's Day is Savannah, Georgia. Not only do they have the 2nd biggest St. Patrick's Day celebration in the u.S. but Savannah is one of the most scenic cities in the South & their gun control laws are much more tolerable than either NYC or Chicago. I really can't think of enough good things to say about Savannah & the only bad one that comes to mind is that you don't want to be downwind of the paper mill on a hot summer's day.
In any case since this is yet another Theraflu induced post I can't resist pointing you to this vid of Danny Boy sung by Chef, Animal & Beeker. I should point out this Wikipedia entry on Danny Boy as it contains some info that I found interesting (for instance that the song was written by an Englishman) as well as the lyrics to the tune. I've always thought it was a sweet song & when done right could be very endearing. Here's the late Chet Atkins doing the tune (while I'm not crazy about the western swing treatment it gets later on, the arrangement as Chet plays the tune by himself is superb). For the traditionalists here's a vid of a very nice arraignment (although the vid isn't synced with the audio just so ya know) done by Celtic Woman.
& what St Patrick's Day would be complete without a cute furry carnivore pic? I'll include that as well as the lyrics to Danny Boy in the extended entry.
"Oh Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side
The summer's gone, and all the roses falling
'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow
'Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow
Oh Danny Boy, oh Danny Boy, I love you so
And when ye come, and all the flowers are dying
And I am dead, as dead I well may be
Ye'll come and find the place where I am lying
And kneel and say an Ave there for me
And I shall hear, though soft you tread above me
And all my grave shall warmer, sweeter be
For you shall bend and tell me that you love me
And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me"
Of course you realize that "Danny Boy" is a Scots song, don't you. Now, I do love my Scots cousins, I have more than a measure of their blood mixed with my Irish blood and they are great poets and minstrels. The Irish are not great pipers, nor do we have glens nor great mountains as do they. Ach, I'm trying to shout down the ocean. Yeah, "Danny Boy" is one of the greats and it does bring a tear to my eye.
Posted by: Russ at March 19, 2007 05:27 PM