DESCRIPTION:
Whiskey in the Jar, played on banjo at the Aristocrat Pub Open Mic Night, March 25th, 2014.

Whiskey in the Jar is a famous traditional Irish folk song. It tells the story of a man who steals money from a Colonel and takes it home to his wife or lover. She betrays him and and he is captured and taken to jail, but he manages to escape. It's the most widely performed traditional Irish tune.

Whiskey in the Jar originated around 400 years ago in Ireland and at some point made its way to America. Lyrics to the song can be found in various poems and writings in Ireland over the past few centuries.

It has been sung in various forms through the years, often with the story changing slightly in different versions. The song gained wide exposure internationally in the 1960s when it was recorded by the Irish folk band, The Dubliners. Irish band Thin Lizzy then recorded another popular version in 1972. Metallica brought Whiskey in the Jar back to popularity in 1999 with their heavy metal version of the song.

The Grateful Dead had rehearsal recordings of the song from 1993, and had intended to include it on their fourteenth studio album- which was never finished. A recording of the Dead rehearsing Whiskey in the Jar was included in the 1999 box set, So Many Roads (1965-1995). It was also recorded by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman.

The version and lyrics that I played were from the Grateful Dead / Jerry Garcia.