"Whisky in the Jar" is a traditional Irish song of unknown origin, one of many celebrating bandits and (in this case implicitly) resistance to the British. Folk versions were popularized in the 1960s by the Irish Rovers, in the UK, and the Highwaymen in the U.S. (not the supergroup with Willie Nelson, et al, the folk quartet with Stephen Trott, later of the Ninth Circuit), followed by rock versions from Thin Lizzy and Metallica. I'm not crazy about the latter, but they were obviously very popular leading to many covers. Regrettably, I can only find audio cuts of many of the major Irish bands. Oh well.
Audio only:
Audio only (featuring Stephen Trott, now a senior judge on the Ninth Circuit; I do not know if he was responsible for the phony brogue in the lead vocal).
This is a Scottish version, with Highland lyrics and a female protagonist:
This "Cajun" clip seems to combine the folk and rock versions:
This song goes by a number of names including "Kilgarry Mountain"
Limeliters:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2nkQQkjCU8
Jerry Garcia & David Grisman:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2nkQQkjCU8
Peter, Paul & Mary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNih8To1Izs
Celtic Thunder:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fHhjG_y1kM
UP THE IRISH !
Posted by: Jamie Collins | November 18, 2023 at 05:46 PM