MDIA 203 : Required Ramblings of a RTV junkie

        Assignment 3A is to compare and contrast a n original song and its cover, and I chose to do "Whiskey In The Jar". The song was initially recorded by The Dubliners and I am comparing it to the cover by Metallica. I should first mention that this song has been covered numerous times, and other well known covers were done by Thin Lizzy and Grateful Dead. First recorded by The Dubliners, the song is actually an Irish traditional song. Irish rock band Thin Lizzy took the folk song for a rock n'roll ride in the 60's, and then Metallica won a Grammy for their harder rock cover in 2000. The song is about a highwayman who is betrayed by a woman after he robs an official, but the specific lyrics vary from original to cover. The Dubliners' original recording mention the 'far famed Kerry mountains' and 'Captain Farrell', whereas in the Grateful Dead version their lyrics include references of 'Cill Dara Mountains' and 'Colonel Pepper'. Metallica's lyrics refer to the 'Cork and Kerry Mountains' and 'Captain Farrell'. Despite the variations in name across the multiple covers, the basis remains the same, and the last two lines of the chorus basically sound the same, usually either 'Musha rin um du ruma da, Whack for my daddy-o, Whack for my daddy-o, There's whiskey in the jar' (The Dubliners) or "Musha rain dum a doo, dum a da, Whack for my daddy, oh, Whack for my daddy, oh, There's whiskey in the jar, oh' (Metallica). Across all the varied versions, the basic melody remains recognizable, not actually changing very much from original to cover, The harmony however is extremely varied and the musical quality of each is what makes the songs so different. The Dubliners' original recording is very folksy, whereas Metallica's cover is a hard rock song. The rhythm of both songs is fairly regular, keeping with the very similar melodies. The songs are near opposites on pitch however, as Metallica's version is much lower, giving it the harder edge over the higher Dubliners version. Metallica's use of intensity, being louder than the Dubliners song, also lends to the heavy rock edge it has. The difference in instrumentation between the artists also adds to the different timbres, as the Metallica version has more depth and complexity over the original folk version of the song. Having been introduced to the Metallica version first, it remains my favorite. I love the hard rock edge, and also appreciate the more modern sound and addition of 'with-it' music video. The Dubliners' earlier recording was interesting to listen to (to see the progression of music as different covers emerged), but the folksy sound did not appeal to me. The one thing that The Dubliners version had was the accurate accent. Being a traditional Irish song, it was refreshing to hear the lyrics sung with a bit of brogue. Overall the Metallica version remains my favorite however, having the most successful recording to my ears. The hard rock frame and added depth, intensity, and modern innovation make it more engaging to me, and remains the only version synced to my iPod. :)