The Londonderry Air, or Danny Boy, is one of my favorite songs. This morning, I heard a child who comes to my home for lessons playing it in the bedroom, and decided to look up what the lyrics to the Londonderry Air were like. I know Danny Boy well, by the way.
Londonderry is associated with the Irish War of Independence. That alone may make one realize that the song’s content is quite weighty. Danny Boy is clearly a song of departure for war, and the Londonderry Air turned out to be similar.
1. A mother mourns the son she raised, who has gone to a great conflict and left her alone.
2. She sees the road leading her son away and the dark, empty house, then finds solace in the rising lark and the memory of Wolfe Tone.
The most interesting link I found about these origins and lyrics was Donadona Laboratory No. 010: Danny Boy. It is well worth reading, so I recommend starting there. The page also contains in-depth research on other songs, including Donna Donna and La Cucaracha, so I recommend it.