Metallica: Whiskey In The Jar

Whiskey In The Jar is a traditional Irish folk song
(hence, whiskey and not whisky in the jar!) with a fine pedigree. By the time Metallica covered the song, it had already been recorded quite a few times, although largely by folk bands such as The Pogues, Peter, Paul and Mary and The Seekers.

The song was first given a new rock arrangement by Thin Lizzy in 1972. In this version, it was covered by U2, Pulp, Smokie and Belle and Sebastian, before Metallica recorded it in 1998, earning themselves a Grammy for their effort.

So what is this illustrious song about? In short: love, betrayal, and murder. It is the story of a highwayman who robs someone called Captain Farrell, taking the proceeds of his nefarious deed home to his girlfriend. Said girlfriend turns out to have some morals and reports the highwayman’s crime to the authorities. But, when Captain Farrell arrives to make the arrest, the highwayman shoots him. Poor Captain Farrell. Not such a good day for him.

Here’s Metallica performing the song live in 1998. Pour yourself some of your favourite Irish tipple, and enjoy.

All done? Want to explore some more ways in which whisk(e)y has made it into popular culture? Click here to return from Metallica: Whiskey In The Jar to the Whisky In Popular Culture page.