1

Whiskey in the Jar

This widely known Irish song was popular in the US in the 1960s under the name "Gilgary Mountain," and there is another version called "Music in the Air." This one is about betrayal and the Irish “water of life” (whiskey).

Listen to the song.

As I was going over the far-famed Kerry mountains

I met with Captain Farrell and his money he was countin’

I first produced my pistol, and then pulled out my rapier

Saying, Stand and deliver, for you are my bold deceiver[mdm1]

[Ch] With your ring dum-a-doo dum-a-da

Whack-fol the daddy-oh, whack-fol the daddy-oh

There's whiskey in the jar

He counted out his money, and it was a pretty penny [mdm2]

I put it in my pocket and I took it home to Jenny

She sighed and she swore that never would she leave me

But the devil take the women for they never can be easy

I went into my chamber all for to take a slumber

I dreamt of gold and jewels and for sure it was no wonder

For Jenny drew my charges and then filled them up with water[mdm3]

And sent for Captain Farrell to be ready for the slaughter

'Twas early in the morning, before I rose to travel

Up crept a band of footmen and sure with them Captain Farrell

I then produced my pistol, for she stole away my rapier

But I couldn't shoot the water so a prisoner I was taken

If anyone can help me it's my brother in the army

If I could learn his station be it Cork or in Killarney

And if he'd come and join me we'd go roving in Kilkenny

I know he'd treat me fairer than my darlin’ sportin’ Jenny

There's some take delight in the hurlin’ and the bowlin’[mdm4]

Others take delight in the carriages a-rollin'

But I take delight in the juice of the barley[mdm5]

And courtin’ pretty women when the sun is risin’ early

Now listen to the spoken version of the first verse, line by line, and study the phonetic transcription.

As I was going over the far-famed Kerry mountains

æz aɪ wəz goɪŋ ˈovɹ δə ˈfaɹfemd kεɹi ˈmaʊntənz Listen

I met with Captain Farrell and his money he was countin’

aɪ mεt wɪθ ˈkæptɪn ˈfæɹəl ænd hɪz ˈməni hi wəz ˈkaʊntɪn Listen

I first produced my pistol, and then pulled out my rapier

aɪ fɹst pɹəˈdust maɪ ˈpɪstəl ænd thεn pʊld aʊt maɪ ˈɹepiəɹ Listen

Saying, Stand and deliver, for you are my bold deceiver

seɪŋ stænd ænd dɪˈlɪvəɹ fɔɹ ju aɹ mai bold dɪˈsivɹ Listen

[Ch] With your ring dum-a-doo dum-a-da

wɪθ jɹ ɹɪŋ ˌdəməˈdu ˌdəməˈda Listen

Whack-fol the daddy-oh, whack-fol the daddy-oh

hwæk fɔl δə ˌdædiˈjo, hwæk fɔl δə ˌdædiˈjo Listen

There's whiskey in the jar

δεɹz ˈhwɪski ɪn δə ʤaɹ Listen

Here is the phonetic transcription of the remaining verses:

hi ˈkaʊntɪd aʊt hɪz ˈməni ænd ɪt wəz ə ˈpɹɪti ˈpεni

aɪ pʊt ɪt ɪn maɪ ˈpɔkɪt ænd aɪ tʊk ɪt hom tu ˈʤεni

ʃi saɪd ænd ʃi swɔɹ δæt ˈnεvɹ wʊd ʃi liv mi

bət δə ˈdεvɪl tek δə ˈwɪmɪn fɔɹ δe ˈnεvɹ kæn bi ˈizi

aɪ wεnt ɪnˈtu maɪ ˈʧembɹ ɔl fɔɹ tu tek ə ˈsləmbɹ

aɪ dɹεmt əv gɔld ænd ˈjuwəls ænd fɔɹ ʃʊɹ ɪt wəz no ˈwəndɹ

fɔɹ ˈʤεni dɹu maɪ ˈʧaɹʤɪz ænd δεn fɪld δεm ʊp wɪθ ˈwɔtɹ

ænd sεnt fɔɹ ˈkæptɪn fæɹəl tu bi ˈɹεdi fɔɹ δə ˈslɔtɹ

twəz ˈɹli ɪn δə ˈmɔɹnɪŋ biˈfɔɹ aɪ ɹoz tu ˈtɹævl

ʊp kɹεpt ə bænd əv ˈfʊtmən ænd ʃɹ wɪθ δεm ˈkæptɪn ˈfæɹəl

aɪ δεn pɹoˈdust maɪ ˈpɪstəl fɔɹ ʃi stol əˈwe maɪ ˈɹepjɹ

bət aɪ ˈkʊdnt ʃut δə ˈwɔtɹ so ə ˈpɹɪzənɹ aɪ wəz ˈtekən

ɪf ˈεniwən kæn hεlp mi ɪts maɪ ˈbɹəδɹ ɪn δi ˈaɹmi

ɪf aɪ kʊd ləɹn hɪs ˈsteiʃn bi ɪt kɔɹk ɔɹ ɪn kɪˈlaɹni

ænd ɪf hid kəm ænd ʤɔɪn mi wid go ˈɹovɪn ɪn kɪlˈkεni

aɪ no hid tɹit mi ˈfεɹɹ δεn maɪ ˈdaɹlɪn ˈspɔɹtɪn ˈʤεni

δεɹz səm tek dɪˈlaɪt ɪn δə ˈhɹlɪn ænd δə ˈbolɪn

ˈəδɹz tek dɪˈlaɪt ɪn δə ˈkæɹɪʤɪz ə ˈɹolɪn

bət aɪ tek dɪˈlaɪt ɪn δə ʤus əv δə ˈbaɹli

ænd ˈkɔɹtn ˈpɹɪti ˈwɪmɪn wεn δə sən ɪz ˈɹaɪzɪn ˈɹli

Here is the first verse again using Pete's Phonemic Typewriter (see Introduction to Phonetic Transcription):

æz aɪ wʌz ˈgəʊɪŋ ˈəʊvər ðə kɔːrk ænd ˈkeri ˈmaʊntənz

aɪ met wɪθ ˈkæptɪn ˈfærəl ænd hɪz ˈmʌni hiː wʌz ˈkaʊntɪn

aɪ fɪrst prəˈduːst maɪ ˈpɪstəl ænd ðen pʊld aʊt maɪ ˈreɪpjər

ˈseɪɪŋ stænd ænd dɪˈlɪvər fɔːr juː ɑːr maɪ boʊld dɪˈsiːvər

Check your transcription against the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, which gives both British and American English pronunciations, but remember that often more than one transcription may be possible, especially, for instance, in the case of unstressed vowels. Use OALD as a general guide.