Danny Boy is an English Ballad written in 1910. It was originally set to a different melody by songwriter Frederic Weatherly, but he changed the lyrics to fit the tune Londonderry Air at the suggestion of his Irish-born sister in 1913. Even without the poignant lyrics, this melody stands as one of the most expressive and tuneful songs in Western music, and there have been many famous versions over the years by a wide variety of artists.