Wow, I've been mishearing this song since I first heard it. I was convinced that 'Danny' was 'Daddy' for years, and thought that Mary and Dido's persona were sisters, with Mary being the younger sister who's just left her parents' (or, presumably, her single or widowed dad's) home to go travelling in India and doesn't call for a while, and her father misses her and can't get used to not having any daughters still in the house with him. Dido's persona consoles him and reminds him that she's still there for him while Mary's away on her journeys, and eventually he's able to come to terms with the fact that Mary's grown up and moved on.
But even with it being about Danny and not Daddy, I don't detect any ill will between any of the characters at all in this song, and I don't get the feeling that Mary didn't care about Danny. If they were romantically involved, I get the impression that it was a good breakup that was simply the result of Mary needing to move on and not wanting either of them to be tied down to the other while they're apart. But I don't think the song explicity states that that's the case- Danny could be a boyfriend, or he could be a friend or a housemate who misses Mary. I also don't think it necessarily implies anything sexual between Dido's persona and Danny (though that could be the result of another mishearing- Dido pronounces 'see' and 'say' in very similar ways)- just that she helps him to recover from his depression after Mary's departure. Sex may very well be a part of that, but I don't think it necessarily has to be understood that way, and it certainly isn't the only element.
Overall, I think there's something very mellow, happy and calming about this song. It gives the impression that Dido's persona and Danny aren't doing anything that Mary wouldn't smile at.
Wow, I've been mishearing this song since I first heard it. I was convinced that 'Danny' was 'Daddy' for years, and thought that Mary and Dido's persona were sisters, with Mary being the younger sister who's just left her parents' (or, presumably, her single or widowed dad's) home to go travelling in India and doesn't call for a while, and her father misses her and can't get used to not having any daughters still in the house with him. Dido's persona consoles him and reminds him that she's still there for him while Mary's away on her journeys, and eventually he's able to come to terms with the fact that Mary's grown up and moved on.
But even with it being about Danny and not Daddy, I don't detect any ill will between any of the characters at all in this song, and I don't get the feeling that Mary didn't care about Danny. If they were romantically involved, I get the impression that it was a good breakup that was simply the result of Mary needing to move on and not wanting either of them to be tied down to the other while they're apart. But I don't think the song explicity states that that's the case- Danny could be a boyfriend, or he could be a friend or a housemate who misses Mary. I also don't think it necessarily implies anything sexual between Dido's persona and Danny (though that could be the result of another mishearing- Dido pronounces 'see' and 'say' in very similar ways)- just that she helps him to recover from his depression after Mary's departure. Sex may very well be a part of that, but I don't think it necessarily has to be understood that way, and it certainly isn't the only element.
Overall, I think there's something very mellow, happy and calming about this song. It gives the impression that Dido's persona and Danny aren't doing anything that Mary wouldn't smile at.