| Whiskey in the Jar | |
|---|---|
| Composed | Circa 17th century |
| "Whiskey in the Jar" | |
|---|---|
| Single by the Dubliners | |
| from the album More of the Hard Stuff | |
| Released | 1968 |
| Genre | Irish folk music |
| Length | 3:01 |
| Label | Major Minor |
| Songwriter(s) | Trad. arr. the Dubliners |
| Producer(s) | Tommy Scott |
"Whiskey in the Jar" (Roud 533) is an Irish traditional song set in the southern mountains of Ireland, often with specific mention of counties Cork and Kerry. The song, about a rapparee (highwayman) who is betrayed by his wife or lover, is one of the most widely performed traditional Irish songs and has been recorded by numerous artists since the 1950s.
The song first gained wide exposure when Irish folk band the Dubliners performed it internationally as a signature song, and recorded it on three albums in the 1960s. In the U.S., the song was popularised by the Highwaymen, who recorded it on their 1962 album Encore.[1] Irish rock band Thin Lizzy hit the Irish and British pop charts with the song in 1973. In 1990, the Dubliners re-recorded the song with the Pogues with a faster rocky version charting at No. 63 in the UK. American metal band Metallica in 1998 played 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.