This song is about a man who was the only survivor when a fishing boat was destroyed in a storm. When he got back to shore he never went back to sea again and he became very melancholy and he just tramped around the roads of Donegal. Whenever he was having a few pints he would retell the whole story of the disaster over and over again. His name was Danny, so they called him Donegal Danny.
Capo 2-th fret I[C] remember the night that[F] he walked[C] in From the[F] wintry cold and[C] damp A giant of a man in an[Am] oilskin coat And a bundle that[F] told he was a[G] tramp He[C] stood at the bar and he[F] called a[C] pint Then[F] turned and gazed at the[C] fire On a night like this to be[Am] safe and warm Is my[F] one and only de[G]sire [Chorus] So[C] here's to those that are[F] dead and[C] gone The friends that I loved[G] dear And[C] here's to you the I'll[F] bid you a[C]dieu Saying'[ Donegal[G] Danny's been[C] here me[Am] boys [F]Donegal[G] Danny's been[C] here. [2] Then in a voice that was hushed and low He said listen I'll tell you a tale How a man of the sea became a man of the road And never more will set sail I fished out of Howth and Killybegs Ardglass and Baltimore But the cruel sea has beaten me And I'll end me days on the shore [3] One faithful night in the wind and rain We sat sail from Killybegs town There were five of us from sweet Donegal And one from County Down We were fishermen who worked the sea And never counted the cost But we never thought when that night was gone That my fine friends would be lost [4] Then the storm it broke and broke our boat With the rocks about ten miles from shore As we fought the tide,we hoped inside To see our homes once more Then we struck a rock and hold the bow And all of us knew that she'd go down So we jumped right into the icy sea And prayed to God we wouldn't drown [5] But the raging sea was rising still As we struck out for the land And she fought with all her cruelty To claim that gallant men By Saint John's point in the early dawn I dragged myself on to the shore And I cursed the sea for what she'd done And vowed to sail her never more [6] Ever since that night I've been on the road Traveling and trying to forget That awful night I lost all my friends I see their faces yet And often at night when the sea is high And the rain is tearing at my skin I hear the cries of drowning men Floating over the sea [Use chorus after every verse]