Home        Whiskey in the Jar    Songbook

Whiskey in the Jar

     C                           Am                                   

As I was going over the far fleet Kerry mountains,

                         F                    C                  Am        

I met with Capt. Farrell and his money he was counting,

    C                                        Am                                  

I first produced me pistol and I then produced me rapier,

                             F             C                Am   

Saying, stand and deliver for I am a bold deceiver,

 Chorus:

 G                                                    C                           

     Mush a ring duram ado, durum ada, Whack fol me daddio,

 Am                                       C        G        C 

Whack fol me daddio,  There’s whiskey in the jar.

I counted out his money and it made a pretty penny,

I put it in me pocket and I took it home to Jenny,

She sighed and she swore that she never would deceive me,

But the devil take the women for they never can be easy,

Chorus

I went into me chamber, all for to take a slumber,

I dreamt of gold and jewels, and for sure it was no wonder,

But Jenny drew me charges and filled them up with water,

Then sent for Capt. Farrell to be ready for the slaughter,

Chorus

‘Twas early in the morning, just before I rose to travel,

Up comes a band of footmen and likewise Capt. Farrell,

I first produced me pistol for she’d stolen away me rapier,

But I couldn’t shoot the water so a prisoner I was taken,

Chorus

If any one can aid me ‘tis me cousin in the army,

If I can find his station in Cork or in Killarney,

And if he’ll go with me, we’ll go roaming in Kilkenny,

And I’m sure he’ll treat me better than me only sporting Jenny,

Chorus

Now there’s some take delight in the carriages a rolling,

And others take delight in the hurly and the bowling,

But I take delight in the juice of the barley

And courting pretty women in the morning bright and early,

Chorus

Chorus  

***************************************

**********************************

    The song's exact origins are lost in the mists of history. Judging from the mention of a rapier it is likely that the lyrics date back to at least the late eighteenth century. In at least one version, the rapier is replaced with a sabre; the reference to the rapier could have originally referred to a rapaire ("half-pike" in Irish) and the highwayman could have been a rapparee - Irish irregular soldiers and bandits of the 17th and 18th centuries.

    In his book The Folk Songs of North America, noted folk music historian Alan Lomax suggests that the song originated in the seventeenth century. As evidence for this, Lomax cites the similarities between "Whiskey in the Jar" and John Gay's The Beggar's Opera, which dates to 1728. Lomax confidently suggests "Whiskey in the Jar" inspired "Beggar's Opera," meaning that by 1728, "Whiskey in the Jar" would have been widely distributed throughout the Celtic world. 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 (or Scotland) where the gentlemen of the roads robbed English landlords, they were regarded as national patriots. Such feelings inspired this rollicking ballad." Lomax points out the song is about a Robin Hood-like figure, who steals from the rich but keeps the money for himself.