![]() ![]() ![]() The song is based on the true story of Patrick Flemming, an Irish highwayman who was hanged near Dublin on April 24, 1650. The pop versions elide interesting details that aren’t present in earlier versions. It works as self-mythology in that it conflates the singer with a romantic outlaw, who - the lyrics imply - has turned to crime to satisfy his ultimately unfaithful lover. But the story they tell is a sketchy one, a first-person account of an Irish outlaw who robs a British official and is subsequently betrayed by a woman named Molly who is either his wife, girlfriend or favorite prostitute. The Thin Lizzy and the Metallica versions of the song are pretty nifty numbers, driven by sinewy guitar lines and exceptional vocal performances. charts and securing them their first appearance on the BBC’s Top of the Pops TV show. The version of “Whiskey in the Jar,” which dates from the mid-17th century, that most readers of this blog are likely to know is the 1998 version by Metallica, which is, in fact, a close cover of a version done by the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy in 1972 and released in 1973 by Decca.įrontman Phil Lynott reportedly wasn’t happy with the label’s decision to release the track as a single - he didn’t feel it was representative of the band’s sound or image - but it gave Thin Lizzy their first hit, reaching No.
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