Metallica - Whiskey in the Jar: A successful remake or a new interpretation?

Metallica is one of the most influential rock bands of our time. Since their foundation in 1980, they have become well known all over the world.

The legendary metal band

Metallica has released the song Whisky in the Jar on the album Garage Inc. It is an album that consists exclusively of well-known artists, covered songs. It was launched on the market in 1998 and achieved good chart rankings. In America the album reached second place and in Germany it even reached number one.

A folk song converted to heavy metal

It is not known who wrote the original Whiskey in the Jar. It is certain that it is an Irish folk song and that it was written either in the seventeenth or eighteenth century. The text is about a bandit who takes gold in a robbery raid. However, the bandit who sings himself will be betrayed by his girlfriend. The title of the song arises because in the choruses, whiskey is sung in a jug. If you translate jar into German, it means jug. Metallica has made a heavy metal version of this folk song. The typical roaring guitars, the driving drums and James Hetfield's scratchy voice make this song a completely new version. In the music video the band plays in a house while a party is going on around them. There is a lot of celebration, guests have a food fight, drink a lot and then lie drunk on the floor or relieve themselves in the toilet. At the end of the video, the furnishings of the house are destroyed in a good, old Rock n Roll manner and a TV flies out of the window. It is a reinterpretation that fits very well into the band's own style. Although it's a cover, you might think that this song is from Metallica itself.

A frequently interpreted song

This song was not only covered by Metallica. Beer a few examples of which band have tried to play this song: The Dubliners, a well known Irish folk band, has been playing this song since 1990. This band was founded in 1962. Rednex, a pop band from the nineties or Thin Lizzy, a rock band from Ireland, are just a few more examples for musicians who liked the song so much that they decided to cover it. There is even a German version of the song, namely in the hit style. This strange version was interpreted by Klaus and Klaus.