- Written by
- [Traditional]
- Language
- English
- Comments
-
This is a tale of an Irish highwayman who robs an English military or government official but is later betrayed by his wife or sweetheart. The song's exact origins are unknown but it is thought to have originated in the 17th Century. Several similarities with another folksong suggest it might have once been specific to the crimes of Patrick Flemming, an Irish highwayman circa 1650, who maimed and killed many travellers before being executed. He was caught because his weapon had been intentionally dampened so it would malfunction.
Different versions of the song are set in various places throughout Ireland and the names of characters also change; the official can be a Captain Farrell or a Colonel Pepper and the highwayman’s companion Molly or Jenny. The details of the betrayal can also differ, such as handing him over to the authorities, hiding his weapon or switching his ammunition. In some cases, he ends up in prison; in other cases, he escapes with his brother and they both hide in the mountains.
Despite its violent content, the song is delivered as a light-hearted celebration of debauchery and is usually a communal sing-along.
At some point in the colonial period, the song was carried to the United States where it was popular for its irreverent attitude toward British officials. Some American versions deal with American characters in American settings such as the Ozarks or Appalachians.
The 1967 release by the Dubliners brought the song to a wide audience and the 1972 arrangement by Thin Lizzy, with Eric Bell's distinct guitar line mimicking Uilleann pipes, has been very influential. - Licensing
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Versions
Kilgary Mountain [Whiskey in the Jar] written by [Traditional] English
Kilgary Mountain [Whiskey in the Jar] written by [Traditional] instrumental
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Whiskey in the Jar | Phil Coulter | 1993 | ||
| i | Whiskey in the Jar | The Boys of County Nashville (CMH Studio Artists) | September 9, 2008 | ||
| i | Whiskey in the Jar | Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star | April 26, 2011 | ||
| i | Whiskey in the Jar | Yoga Pop Ups | May 17, 2011 | ||
| i | Whiskey in the Jar | Midnite String Quartet | January 28, 2014 | ||
| i | Whiskey in the Jar | Lullaby Baby Trio | June 22, 2015 | ||
| i | Whiskey in the Jar | Music Box Mania | January 27, 2017 | ||
| i | Whiskey in a Jar | The Cat and Owl | July 12, 2019 |
Toulat se po hvězdách written by Petr Rada Czech
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toulat se po hvězdách | Miroslav Donutil | 1998 | First release |
Gi' mig "whiskey in the jar" written by Lars Lilholt Danish
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gi' mig "whiskey in the jar" | Lars Lilholt Band | February 11, 2008 | First release |
Dag dikke olifant written by Joost Nuissl, Harry van Hoof Dutch
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dag dikke olifant | Willem Duyn | 1979 | First release |
Kauas vuorten taa written by Kari Pesonen Finnish
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kauas vuorten taa | Bablo | 1992 | First release |
Humppamaratooni written by Janne Hurskainen, Toppo Koponen, Lassi Kinnunen, Jouni Vento Finnish
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humppamaratooni | Eläkeläiset | 1997 | First release |
Kannu vaakunaa written by Juice Leskinen Finnish
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kannu vaakunaa | Pate Mustajärvi ja Agents | 2000 | First release |
Pannaan poika porisemaan written by Moog Konttinen Finnish
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pannaan poika porisemaan | Moog Konttinen | 2019 | First release |
Mâche ta chique written by Maurice Fanon, Jean-Michel Rivat French
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mâche ta chique | Joe Dassin | 1965 | First release |
William und der Klabautermann written by Elke Martens German
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William und der Klabautermann | Elke Martens | 1995 | First release |
Skärsliparsång written by Stefan Demert Swedish
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skärsliparsång | Jeja Sundström & Stefan Demert | 1981 | First release |
Nu tar mæ oss n kask written by Lars Persa Swedish
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nu tar mæ oss n kask | Lars Persa | 2006 | First release |
Ballad om vassa tänder written by Bo Göran Svensson Swedish
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballad om vassa tänder | Bo Göran Svensson | 2018 | First release |
Le wisky de papa written by Eddy Marnay, Lina Boccara French (not verified yet)
Svikefulle Mari written by Lillebjørn Nilsen Norwegian (not verified yet)
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Svikefulle Mari | Lillebjørn Nilsen | July 7, 2003 | Unverified |
Rum-Buddel-Rum (Whiskey in the Jar) written by Klaus Büchner, Paul Koch German (not verified yet)
Whisky plnej džbán written by Jan Vyčítal Czech (not verified yet)
Benny written by Václav Koubek Czech (not verified yet)
| Title | Performer | Release date | Info | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benny | Václav Koubek & the Hogs | 2007 | Unverified |