WHISKEY IN THE JAR
Anno: 1700
Gruppo:
Testo e musica: (Anonimo) |Menu
As I was a goin' over the far famed Kerry mountains
I met with captain Farrell and his money he was counting
I first produced my pistol and I then produced my rapier
Saying "Stand and deliver" for he were a bold deceiver
Mush-a ring dum-a do dum-a da
Wack fall the daddy-o, wack fall the daddy-o
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
Mush-a ring dum-a do dum-a da
Wack fall the daddy-o, wack fall the daddy-o
There's whiskey in the jar
I went up to my chamber, all for to take a slumber
I dreamt of gold and jewels and for sure 't was no wonder
But Jenny drew me charges and she filled them up with water
Then sent for captain Farrell to be ready for the slaughter
Mush-a ring dum-a do dum-a da
Wack fall the daddy-o, wack fall the daddy-o
There's whiskey in the jar
'twas early in the morning, just before I rose to travel
Up comes a band of footmen and likewise captain Farrell
I first produced me pistol for she stole away me rapier
I couldn't shoot the water, so a prisoner I was taken
Mush-a ring dum-a do dum-a da
Wack fall the daddy-o, wack fall the daddy-o
There's whiskey in the jar
Now there's some take delight in the carriages a rolling
and others take delight in the hurling and the bowling
but I take delight in the juice of the barley
and courting pretty fair maids in the morning bright and early
Mush-a ring dum-a do dum-a da
Wack fall the daddy-o, wack fall the daddy-o
There's whiskey in the jar
If anyone can aid me 't is my brother in the army
If I can find his station in Cork or in Killarney
And if he'll go with me, we'll go rovin' in Kilkenny
And I'm sure he'll treat me better than my own a-sporting Jenny
Mush-a ring dum-a do dum-a da
Wack fall the daddy-o, wack fall the daddy-o
There's whiskey in the jar
I met with captain Farrell and his money he was counting
I first produced my pistol and I then produced my rapier
Saying "Stand and deliver" for he were a bold deceiver
Mush-a ring dum-a do dum-a da
Wack fall the daddy-o, wack fall the daddy-o
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
Mush-a ring dum-a do dum-a da
Wack fall the daddy-o, wack fall the daddy-o
There's whiskey in the jar
I went up to my chamber, all for to take a slumber
I dreamt of gold and jewels and for sure 't was no wonder
But Jenny drew me charges and she filled them up with water
Then sent for captain Farrell to be ready for the slaughter
Mush-a ring dum-a do dum-a da
Wack fall the daddy-o, wack fall the daddy-o
There's whiskey in the jar
'twas early in the morning, just before I rose to travel
Up comes a band of footmen and likewise captain Farrell
I first produced me pistol for she stole away me rapier
I couldn't shoot the water, so a prisoner I was taken
Mush-a ring dum-a do dum-a da
Wack fall the daddy-o, wack fall the daddy-o
There's whiskey in the jar
Now there's some take delight in the carriages a rolling
and others take delight in the hurling and the bowling
but I take delight in the juice of the barley
and courting pretty fair maids in the morning bright and early
Mush-a ring dum-a do dum-a da
Wack fall the daddy-o, wack fall the daddy-o
There's whiskey in the jar
If anyone can aid me 't is my brother in the army
If I can find his station in Cork or in Killarney
And if he'll go with me, we'll go rovin' in Kilkenny
And I'm sure he'll treat me better than my own a-sporting Jenny
Mush-a ring dum-a do dum-a da
Wack fall the daddy-o, wack fall the daddy-o
There's whiskey in the jar
Note
Whiskey in the Jar è il racconto in prima persona di un bandito che, dopo aver derubato un soldato o funzionario corrotto ("for I am a bold deceiver"), è tradito da una donna chiamata Jenny o Ginny; se questa sia la moglie o l'amante non risulta chiaro. Le varie versioni della canzone hanno vari scenari come Kerry, Kilmagenny, Cork, Gilgarra Mountain, Sligo e altre località sparse per tutta l'Irlanda. Il nome della voce narrante non è mai nominato. Gli unici personaggi con un nome sono infatti la donna traditrice, "Jenny/Ginny", e il funzionario anglo-irlandese, "Captain Farrell", nessuno dei quali può fornire alcun aiuto nella datazione della canzone. Il brano finisce con il desiderio espresso dal narratore di scappare dal posto dove è imprigionato per ritornare a condurre "la bella vita".Le esatte origini del brano sono oltremodo incerte. Considerando il fatto che in essa si parla di uno "spadino" (rapier) è probabile che il testo non sia stato realizzato dopo la fine del XVIII secolo. In almeno una versione lo spadino è rimpiazzato da una sciabola; il riferimento al rapier potrebbe originariamente aver voluto indicare un rapaire ("mezza picca" in irlandese) e il bandito avrebbe potuto essere un rapparee - banditi e soldati irregolari irlandesi del XVII e XVIII secolo.
Nel suo libro The Folk Songs of North America, il famoso storico della musica folk Alan Lomax ha ipotizzato che la canzone risalga al XVII secolo. A sostegno di tale asserzione Lomax ha evidenziato le similitudini tra Whiskey in the Jar e L'opera del mendicante di John Gay, che data 1728. Lomax ha ritenuto che Whiskey in the Jar ispirò Beggar's Opera: se ciò è vero Whiskey in the Jar era già diffusa nel 1728 nel mondo celtico. Riguardo alla storia della canzone, Lomax scrisse, "Gli strati popolari delle isole britanniche nel diciassettesimo secolo ammiravano i briganti locali; e in Irlanda (o Scozia) quando i gentiluomini della strada rapinavano i possidenti inglesi erano considerati patrioti. Questi sentimenti ispirarono questa allegra ballata