Chris Hadfield recorded “Danny Boy” in space on Saint Patrick’s Day 2013.
Hadfield was commander of Expedition 35 aboard the International Space Station, where he became famous for sharing music, photographs, and demonstrations from orbit. On March 17, he wore green, photographed Ireland as the station passed overhead, and released his recording of the traditional Irish ballad.
“Danny Boy” is often mistaken for Hadfield’s better-known space performance, David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.” That video came later, in May 2013, and became a viral music video filmed aboard the ISS. Hadfield also recorded “Jewel in the Night,” an original song released in December 2012, so “Danny Boy” was not the first song he recorded in space.
The song itself predates Hadfield by decades: its familiar melody is associated with the traditional tune “Londonderry Air,” while the lyrics were written by English lawyer and songwriter Frederic Weatherly. Hadfield’s recording connected the Irish diaspora’s best-known ballad with one of the most memorable space missions of the 21st century.