"Whiskey in the Jar" is a famous Irish traditional song, set in the southern mountains of Ireland,
with specific mention of counties Cork and Kerry, as well as Fenit, a village in County
Kerry. The song is about a Rapparee, who is betrayed by his wife or lover, and is one
of the most widely performed traditional Irish songs. It has been recorded by numerous professional
artists since the 1950s. The song first gained wide exposure when the
Irish folk band The Dubliners performed it internationally as a signature song, and recorded
it on three albums in the 1960s. Building on their success, the Irish rock band Thin
Lizzy hit the Irish and British pop charts with the song in the early 1970s. In 1990
The Dubliners re-recorded the song with The Pogues with a faster rocky version charting
at No.4 in Ireland and No.63 in the UK. The American metal band Metallica brought it to
a wider rock audience in 1998 by playing a version very similar to that of Thin Lizzy's,
though with a heavier sound, winning a Grammy for the song in 2000 for Best Hard Rock Performance.
Chart performance Variations
Whiskey in the Jar is sung with many variants on locations and names – In typical song
book fashion, the Grateful Dead version begins:
As I was goin' over the Kill Dara Mountains, I met Colonel Pepper and his money he was
counting. I drew forth my pistols and I rattled my saber,
Sayin': "Stand and deliver, for I am a bold deceiver!".
Musha rin um du rum da, Whack for the daddy-o, Whack for the daddy-o, There's whiskey in
the jar.
However, The Dubliners version, which is often sung in Irish traditional music sessions around
the world, begins:
As I was goin' over the far famed Kerry mountains, I met with Captain Farrell, and his money
he was counting. I first produced me pistol and I then produced
me rapier, Saying: "Stand and deliver, for you are a
bold deceiver!". Musha rin du-rum do du-rum da, Whack fol de
daddy-o, Whack fol de daddy-o, There's whiskey in the
jar. The Thin Lizzy / Metallica version begins:
As I was goin' over the Cork and Kerry mountains. I saw Captain Farrell and his money he was
counting. I first produced my pistol and then produced
my rapier. I said: "Stand and deliver or the devil he
may take ya". Yeah
Musha ring dum-a do dum-a da, Whack for my daddy-o,
Whack for my daddy-o, There's whiskey in the jar-o.
History The song's exact origins are unknown. A number
of its lines and the general plot resemble those of a contemporary broadside ballad "Patrick
Fleming" about an Irish highwayman executed in 1650.
In the book The Folk Songs of North America, folk music historian Alan Lomax suggests that
the song originated in the 17th century, and that John Gay's 1728 The Beggar's Opera was
inspired by Gay hearing an Irish ballad-monger singing "Whiskey in the Jar". In regard to
the history of the song, Lomax states, "The folk of seventeenth century Britain liked
and admired their local highwaymen; and in Ireland where the gentlemen of the roads robbed
English landlords, they were regarded as national patriots. Such feelings inspired this rollicking
ballad." At some point, the song came to the United
States and was a favourite in Colonial America because of its irreverent attitude toward
British officials. The American versions are sometimes set in America and deal with American
characters. One such version, from Massachusetts, is about Alan McCollister, an Irish-American
soldier who is sentenced to death by hanging for robbing British officials.
The song appeared in a form close to its modern version in a precursor called "The Sporting
Hero, or, Whiskey in the Bar" in a mid-1850s broadsheet.
The song collector Colm Ó Lochlainn, in his book Irish Street Ballads, described how his
mother learnt "Whiskey in the Jar" in Limerick in 1870 from a man called Buckley who came
from Cork. When O Lochlainn included the song in Irish Street Ballads, he wrote down the
lyrics from memory as he had learnt them from his mother. He called the song "There's Whiskey
in the Jar", and the lyrics are virtually identical to the version that was used by
Irish bands in the 1960s such as the Dubliners. The O Lochlainn version refers to the "far
fam'd Kerry mountain" rather than the Cork and Kerry mountains, as appears in some versions.
The song also appears under the title "There's Whiskey in the Jar" in the Joyce collection,
but that only includes the melody line without any lyrics. Versions of the song were collected
in the 1920s in Northern Ireland by song collector Sam Henry.
Story "Whiskey in the Jar" is the tale of a highwayman
or footpad who, after robbing a military or government official, is betrayed by a woman;
whether she is his wife or sweetheart is not made clear. Various versions of the song take
place in Kerry, Kilmoganny, Cork, Sligo Town, and other locales throughout Ireland. It is
also sometimes placed in the American South, in various places among the Ozarks or Appalachians,
possibly due to Irish settlement in these places. Names in the song change, and the
official can be a Captain or a Colonel, called Farrell or Pepper among other names. The protagonist's
wife or lover is sometimes called Molly, Jenny, or Ginny among various other names. The details
of the betrayal are also different, being either betraying him to the person he robbed
and replacing his ammunition with sand or water, or not, resulting in him killing the
person. Recordings
A partial discography: Seamus Ennis – World Library of Folk and
Primitive Music, Vol. 2: Ireland 1951 Burl Ives – Songs of Ireland 1958, as "Kilgary
Mountain" The Highwaymen – Encore 1962
The Brothers Four – In Person 1962, as "Kilgary Mountain"
The Limeliters – Sing Out! 1962, as "Kilgary Mountain"
Robert De Cormier – Dance Gal – Gimme The Banjo 1964, as "Kilgary Mountain"
The Seekers – The Seekers 1964 Peter, Paul & Mary – A Song Will Rise 1965,
as "Gilgarra Mountain" The Dubliners – 1967, 1968, 1969
Thin Lizzy – single 1972 Euskefeurat -Mutta Herra Jumala in 1982
The Pogues – 1990 with The Dubliners Darby O'Gill – Waitin' for a Ride 1996
Metallica – Garage Inc. 1998 Smokie -"Uncovered" 2000
The Poxy Boggards – Lager Than Life 2002 Blaggards – Live in Texas in 2010.
Celtic Thunder – Heritage 2011 Nolwenn Leroy - Bretonne 2011
Daniel Kobialka - as Gift of Dreams, a New Age version.
The song has also been recorded by singers and folk groups such as Roger Whittaker, The
Irish Rovers, Seven Nations, Off Kilter, King Creosote, Brobdingnagian Bards, Charlie Zahm,
and Christy Moore. Contrary to common belief, The Clancy Brothers
never recorded the song. The confusion stems from the album Irish Drinking Songs, which
is composed of separate tracks by The Dubliners and The Clancy Brothers, with the former performing
"Whiskey in the Jar". Liam Clancy did record it with his son and nephew on Clancy, O'Connell
& Clancy in 1997, and Tommy Makem recorded it on The Song Tradition in 1998. The High
Kings, featuring Bobby Clancy's son Finbarr, released a version in February 2011.
Thin Lizzy's 1972 single stayed at the top of the Irish charts for 17 weeks, and the
British release stayed in the top 30 for 12 weeks, peaking at No. 6, in 1973. This version
has since been covered by U2, Pulp, Smokie, Metallica, Belle & Sebastian, Gary Moore,
Nicky Moore, Simple Minds, and Israeli musician Izhar Ashdot.
Jerry Garcia and David Grisman recorded a bluegrass version for the album Shady Grove.
The song is also on the Grateful Dead live compilation So Many Roads disc five.
Icelandic folk band Þrjú á palli recorded it in 1971 as "Lífið Er Lotterí" with lyrics
by Jónas Árnason. Lillebjørn Nilsen adapted it to Norwegian, as "Svikefulle Mari", on
his 1971 album Tilbake. Finnish band Eläkeläiset recorded a humppa version as the title track
of their 1997 album Humppamaratooni. In 2007 the Lars Lilholt Band made a Danish version,
"Gi' Mig Whiskey in the Jar", for the album Smukkere Med Tiden. Estonian band Poisikõsõ
recorded "Hans'a Õuhkaga" on the album Tii Päält Iist in 2007. In 1966, the Yarkon
Bridge Trio, an Israeli singing group, recorded a song named "Siman Sheata Tsair" set to the
melody of "Whiskey in the Jar"; the song became a massive hit and was later covered by various
artists, notably by Gidi Gov. References
External links Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
Whiskey in the Jar Lyrics and chords on Irish Music Daily