Whisky You're The Devil
Liam Clancy Lyrics


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Now brave boys, we're on the march
Off to Portugal and Spain
Drums are beating, banners flying
The Devil at home will come tonight
So it's go, fare thee well
With a too da loo ra loo ra doo de da
A too ra loo ra loo ra doo de da
Me rikes fall too ra laddie-o
There's whisky in the jar


Oh, whisky you're the devil
You're leading me astray
Over hills and mountains
And to Amerikay
You're sweetness from the Bleachner
And spunkier than tea
Oh whisky you're my darling drunk or sober


The French are fighting boldly
Men are dying hot and coldly
Give every man his flask of powder
His firelock on his shoulder
So its go, fare thee well
With a too da loo ra loo ra doo de da
A too ra loo ra loo ra doo de da
Me rikes fall too ra laddie-o
There's whisky in the jar


Oh, whisky you're the devil
You're leading me astray
Over hills and mountains
And to Amerikay
You're sweetness from the Bleachner
And spunkier than tea
Oh whisky you're my darling drunk or sober


Says the old wan do not wrong me
Don't take me daughter from me
For if you do I will torment you
When I'm dead my ghost will haunt you
So its go, fare thee well
With a too da loo ra loo ra doo de da
A too ra loo ra loo ra doo de da
Me rikes fall too ra laddie-o
There's whisky in the jar


Oh, whisky you're the devil
You're leading me astray
Over hills and mountains
And to Amerikay
You're sweetness from the Bleachner
And spunkier than tea
Oh whisky you're my darling drunk or sober


Oh, whisky you're the devil
You're leading me astray
Over hills and mountains
And to Amerikay
You're sweetness from the Bleachner




And spunkier than tea
Oh whisky you're my darling drunk or sober

Overall Meaning

Liam Clancy's song Whisky You're The Devil portrays the love and influence of whiskey in the life of a soldier. The lyrics begin by describing a group of soldiers marching off to Portugal and Spain for war. Drums are beating, and banners are flying, a sign of bravery and courage. However, the song takes a different turn as it focuses on the devil found in whiskey. The chorus "Oh, whisky you're the devil, you're leading me astray" is repeated several times throughout the song. The whiskey seems to be a source of temptation that can lead one off course, taking them over hills and mountains and even to Amerikay. The lyrics suggest that whiskey is sweet and spunkier than tea and is a luring force in one's life, whether sober or drunk.


As the song progresses, we learn that the soldiers are not the only ones to fall under the spell of whiskey. The old woman warns not to take her daughter away, or she will torment the offender even after death. The lyrics suggest that the old woman's love for her daughter is the only thing she holds dear and that someone taking it away would lead to consequences. Once again, whether soldier or civilian, the devil in whiskey can affect anyone.


Overall, Liam Clancy's Whisky You're The Devil is a fun and catchy song that highlights the influence of whiskey in people's lives. It portrays whiskey as a luring temptation, leading people astray and causing them to lose their way. It's a song about the love and sometimes addiction to whiskey, which has been around for centuries.


Line by Line Meaning

Now brave boys, we're on the march
We are setting off to fight in Portugal and Spain


Off to Portugal and Spain
We are headed to these countries for war


Drums are beating, banners flying
There is a lot of excitement and preparation for the battle


The Devil at home will come tonight
We will have a good time tonight when we return home


So it's go, fare thee well
We are leaving now, goodbye


With a too da loo ra loo ra doo de da
A silly parting phrase


Me rikes fall too ra laddie-o
Some unintelligible words sung for effect


There's whisky in the jar
We have some whiskey in a jar with us


Oh, whisky you're the devil
Whiskey is leading me astray


You're leading me astray
Whiskey is making me do things I shouldn't


Over hills and mountains
I have traveled far because of whiskey


And to Amerikay
I went all the way to America because of whiskey


You're sweetness from the Bleachner
Whiskey tastes good and is refreshing


And spunkier than tea
Whiskey is more exciting than tea


Oh whisky you're my darling drunk or sober
I love whiskey whether I am drunk or not


The French are fighting boldly
Our enemies are fighting fearlessly


Men are dying hot and coldly
Soldiers are dying in battle


Give every man his flask of powder
Give every soldier their gunpowder


His firelock on his shoulder
Each soldier will carry their gun


Says the old wan do not wrong me
An old woman warns not to harm her daughter


Don't take me daughter from me
She pleads for her daughter's safety


For if you do I will torment you
If anything happens to her daughter, she will make things difficult for them


When I'm dead my ghost will haunt you
She will continue to be a problem even after she dies




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDREW DAVID RANKEN, CAIT O'RIORDAN, JAMES THIRKHILL FEARNLEY, JEREMY MAX FINER, PETER SPIDER STACEY, SHANE PATRICK LYSAGHT MACGOWAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

danoverboard

I couldn't tell you how excited I was once I found out my bar had this in their jukebox. I'm slowly turning it into my bars songs.

David Issel

50 years ago, when I was a young child, my father used to play this record at home. He even took me to a Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem concert when they came through California. Neither of us is Irish... or drink... but, how can you not love this music?!

wesley de lucca Lucca

I love your culture, Irish culture. And I come from south Brazil kkkk.

Celtic Craps

One of my favorites. I absolutely LOVE this song and it's spirit. You can't help but to tap your foot and find a lightened heart.

Pie CatLady

I don't drink whiskey any more, but oh can those Clancy boys make it sound like fun!

David Freeman

Because it is then you start to get really sick

J Cappello

David Freeman Hah! Never gotten sick from Whiskey..however, I have gotten sick from Whiskey AND beer

Pat1974

infectious little tune! gets stuck in my head at work all the time.

TheOneLovin

Forget conflict, violence and hate for just 2 minutes and 16 seconds. Enjoy the fair tales and wonderful spirit of this song and band of brothers!

Gaming Collection

Hell yea brotha

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