Mabes Tells A Story With Her Poetic Single “Danny”
British singer-songwriter Mabes brings to life the story of a couple separated by war in her new release, “Danny.” Heavily inspired by her admiration of Laura Marling’s folk-poetry style, “Danny” is brimming with earnest honesty, with an undeniable country twang and subtle pop influences.
The poignant track is sung from the perspective of Danny’s love interest waiting at home, and captures the heart-wrenching essence of love and yearning. Acoustic guitar and Mabe’s refreshing vocals take listeners through Danny’s story from beginning to end. We’re told that “Danny had the fullest laugh / Danny had the fullest heart,” and that “Danny had to go away / said he was gonna get paid.” After this hopeful introduction, the chorus details Danny’s reassurances, only to foreshadow that he made promises he ultimately couldn’t keep: “But Danny liked to lie, cause he said I’d never say goodbye.”
The subsequent verses tell listeners how he “left me wondering if he’d ever come home again / said he’d come home again”. We hear how he was away for roughly a year, that they spoke on the phone. Then one day a letter arrives to end the waiting, and “now Danny’s just a dream at night / and he sings a lullaby,” which brings us full circle in the story of their love and loss.
Reminiscent of artists such as John Mayer, Joni Mitchell, and Carole King, the up and coming artist confides that the new song stems directly from her admiration of Laura Marling’s ability to tell a story from another perspective: “I wanted to…create a character, something [she] does so well.” Continuing, she shares, “when I was younger, I would see many wars reported on the news. I always wondered how people in the armed forces and their families coped with the reality of the job.”
Listen to “Danny” below to hear their story unfold:
