10 Rock Covers That Improved Classic Songs
6. Whiskey In the Jar - Metallica
When Metallica were first getting started in the underground metal scene, they were always a little bit cagey when playing someone else's material. Though they always announced their songs when they played them, they never really mentioned which ones were covers and which weren't, which led to a lot of confusion when it came to actually record some originals. With some more experience under their belt, it was time for the band to come correct on Garage Inc.
While there are many weird departures taken on this record, Whiskey in the Jar is Metallica paying tribute to Thin Lizzy in just the right way, putting their own unique spin on the Irish rockers' classic. Since this was already known as a folk tune before Phil Lynott got ahold of it, the power it has as a metal song is a lot different. even with James Hetfield's...I guess you could call them "Hetfield-isms" when it comes to singing lines like "my daddy-o."
Considering these guys were also known as Alcoholica in a past life, this is the kind of drinking song that almost fits too well on them, especially with the rough and tumble attitude in the lyrics. This might have started life as just a merry drinking song, but when you heard this version of the tune a couple times, it feels more like something that could soundtrack a decent barfight in a movie.