Whiskey in the Jar | Dark Heavy Folk Metal | Talecraft General

“Whiskey in the Jar” is one of the great traditional outlaw ballads — an old Irish folk song of unknown authorship, carried through generations of singers, taverns, broadsides, folk revivals, and rock renditions. Talecraft General’s version takes the highwayman legend and drags it into the dark hills of the Cushman-Union hollow. This is not a straight traditional performance. This is a Talecraft General rendition — a Gothic folk-rock / hard rock outlaw ballad with originally written lyrics specifically for this version. Performed by Talecraft General (2026) Traditional song / public domain source material. Talecraft General rendition, lyrical adaptation, and arrangement written and produced by Dennis Smithers. Lyrics: There’s thunder on the mountain There’s a twinkle in the star There’s gold inside the saddlebag And whiskey in the jar As I was passin' over The Cushman-Union holler Beneath a crooked moon, I heard A captain countin’ his dollar. His coat was trimmed in silver His boots were polished clean But there was murder in his ledger There was blood upon the green I stepped out from the hawthorn With pistol in my hand I Said, “Toss to me your burden Or make your final stand” He cried, “I’ll do no such thing, boy You’d best not bar my way” I said, “Then tell that ole Devil This fool has arrived today” Ring-a-rum, row, let the bullet fly You’ll never see the night or dawn Raise up your hands and curse the sky Your silver, it’s all gone Ring-a-rum, row, let the old gun roar There’s hoofbeats in the dark There’s fire on the mountainside And there’s whiskey in the jar I took his loot and left him A-shakin' in the rain Then rode hard for my Katie’s door With lightnin' in the lane She kissed my face and called me love She hid me from the law But somethin’ about her lingered In a way I never saw She poured my drink, she offered her bed She swore she’d never tell But takin' hearts know the weight of want And greed does ring the bell Before the rooster split the mist Before the hearth burned down low She slipped my powder from the horn And sold me to my foe Ring-a-rum, row, let betrayal fly I may never see another night or dawn Damn that woman and curse the sky The silver, it’s all gone Ring-a-rum, row, let the old gun roar There’s hoofbeats in the dark There’s fire on the mountainside And there’s whiskey in the jar The captain came with vengeful rage And extra muskets in a line The bastard wore a winner’s grin And said, “This night, it’s all mine” I reached down for my pistol But found no spark nor flame And Katie stood behind the man Too ashamed to say my name They bound my hands in chapel rope They dragged me to the tree The soldiers all crossed themselves And Katie she'd not look at me But I laughed beneath the gallows limb As I gazed down at the clan Live by the sword, die by the sword That’s the way of a highwayman Ring-a-rum, row, let my black soul fly I’ll never see another night or dawn Let out a sigh and curse the sky My time, it’s all gone Ring-a-rum, row, let the old gun roar There’s hoofbeats in the dark There’s fire on the mountainside And there’s whiskey in the jar Some men love the preacher’s word Some men love the blade Some men love a woman’s touch Though ruin wears her face If I could go and do it again I’d end up in the same ole place ‘Cause Katie’s like a drug to me And I’d nary deny her embrace Ooooooh, whiskey, whiskey Yeeeeaaaah, whiskey, whiskey There’s a twinkle in the star There’s gold inside the saddlebag And whiskey in the jar Ring-a-rum, row, fellas Ring-a-rum, row, let my legend fly Through centuries of night and dawn Watch well your ladies, boys Before the silver, it’s all gone Ring-a-rum, row, let the old gun roar There’s hoofbeats in the dark There’s fire on the mountainside And there’s whiskey in the jar Whiskey in the jar Whiskey in the jar Yeah, there’s Whiskey in the jar Whiskey in the jar #WhiskeyInTheJar #TalecraftGeneral #TraditionalFolkSong #FolkRock #FolkMetal #GothicRock #HardRock #OutlawBallad #IrishFolk #AppalachianGothic #ArenaRock