Whiskey in the Jar
Bill Craig Lyrics
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I meet with Captain Farrell and his money he was countin'.
I first produced me pistol and then produced me rapier.
Sayin' stand and deliver for you are a bold deciever.
Musha ring dumb a do dumb a da.
Whack fall my daddy-o,
Whack fall my daddy-o.
I counted out his money and it made a pretty penny.
I stuck it in mae pocket and i brought home to Ginny .
She sighed and she swore that never would she leave me.
But the devil take that woman for you know she tricked me easy.
Musha ring dumb a do dumb a da.
Whack fall my daddy-o,
Whack fall my daddy-o.
There's whiskey in the jar.
Now being drunk and weary I went to take me slumber.
I dreamt of golden jewels and sure it was no wonder .
Ginny drew me charges
I jumped up, fired off my pistols and I shot him with both barrels.
Musha ring dumb a do dumb a da.
Whack for my daddy-o,
Whack for my daddy-o.
There's whiskey in the jar-o.
Now some men like the fishin' and some men like the fowlin',
And some men like ta hear a cannon ball a roarin'.
Me? I like sleepin' specially in my Molly's chamber.
But here I am in prison, here I am with a ball and chain, yeah.
Musha ring dumb a do dumb a da.
Whack for my daddy-o,
Whack for my daddy-o.
There's whiskey in the jar-o.
And I got drunk on whiskey-o
And I love, I love, I love, I love, I love, I love my Molly-o
The lyrics to Bill Craig's version of Whiskey in the Jar tell the story of a man who meets Captain Farrell while travelling over the Kilgary mountains. Captain Farrell is counting his money and the man decides to rob him. He pulls out his pistol and rapier and demands that Captain Farrell stand and deliver. After counting out the stolen money, the man takes it home to Ginny. She promises to never leave him, but later tricks him out of the money. The man goes to sleep and dreams of golden jewels, but wakes up to Ginny accusing him of robbery. He shoots at her with both pistols and is now in prison with a ball and chain. Despite the circumstances, he still loves his Molly and enjoys drinking whiskey.
The lyrics describe a typical tale of a highway robbery in Ireland in the 17th or 18th century. The character of Captain Farrell may be based on a real person or could be a fictional character. The song is often associated with Irish folk music and has been covered by many artists, including Thin Lizzy and Metallica. The Musha ring dumb a do dumb a da refrain is a common feature of Irish folk music and adds to the song's traditional feel.
Line by Line Meaning
As I was goin' over the dark Kilgary mountains.
I was traveling over the gloomy Kilgary mountains.
I meet with Captain Farrell and his money he was countin'.
I encountered Captain Farrell who was counting his money.
I first produced me pistol and then produced me rapier.
I brought out my pistol and sword, one after the other.
Sayin' stand and deliver for you are a bold deciever.
I commanded him to surrender, calling him a deceitful person.
Musha ring dumb a do dumb a da.
A meaningless chorus.
Whack fall my daddy-o,
A meaningless phrase.
There's whiskey in the jar.
There's whiskey in the jar.
I counted out his money and it made a pretty penny.
I counted his money, which was a considerable amount.
I stuck it in mae pocket and i brought home to Ginny .
I put the money in my pocket and took it home to Ginny.
She sighed and she swore that never would she leave me.
She promised she would never leave me.
But the devil take that woman for you know she tricked me easy.
But I curse that woman because she tricked me easily.
Now being drunk and weary I went to take me slumber.
I was drunk and tired, so I went to sleep.
I dreamt of golden jewels and sure it was no wonder .
I dreamed of treasure, which was not surprising.
Ginny drew me charges
Ginny accused me of a crime.
I jumped up, fired off my pistols and I shot him with both barrels.
I woke up, pulled out my guns and fired at nothing.
Now some men like the fishin' and some men like the fowlin',
Some people enjoy fishing, while others prefer hunting.
And some men like ta hear a cannon ball a roarin'.
Some people like to hear the sound of cannons firing.
Me? I like sleepin' specially in my Molly's chamber.
As for me, I like sleeping, especially in my lover's bedroom.
But here I am in prison, here I am with a ball and chain, yeah.
But now I'm in prison with a heavy ball and chain.
And I got drunk on whiskey-o
I got drunk on whiskey.
And I love, I love, I love, I love, I love, I love my Molly-o
And I love my Molly.
Contributed by Julian V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.