Synopsis

Metallica perform "Whiskey in the Jar" at a chaotic Brooklyn house party, surrounded by drinking, smoking, dancing, kissing and increasingly unruly behavior. The gathering descends into drunken antics, including vomiting, a pillow fight and smashed household objects, while the band continues playing through the mayhem. The deliberately excessive party atmosphere matches the song's rowdy sing-along character, presenting Metallica less as distant rock stars than as the house band for an out-of-control late-1990s celebration.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed in Brooklyn in June 1998, several months before the song's February 1, 1999 single release.

• Metallica's version appeared on *Garage Inc.*, the band's 1998 collection of cover songs. Their arrangement follows the rock interpretation established by Thin Lizzy rather than presenting the song as a strictly traditional folk performance.

• "Whiskey in the Jar" is an old Irish ballad about a highwayman betrayed by a woman. The song has existed in many lyrical variations and was popularized internationally by performers including The Dubliners and Thin Lizzy.

• James Hetfield plays an ESP JH-1 Flying V with a distinctive green-flame finish during the performance scenes.

• The lineup shown in the video includes Jason Newsted, who played bass for Metallica from 1986 until 2001.

• The single artwork reportedly used a collage of negative press coverage about Metallica recording the song, turning criticism of the cover choice into part of the release's presentation.

• The video's heavy emphasis on alcohol, cigarettes, partial nudity and destruction reflects late-1990s rock-video excess, but also made it one of the band's more visibly dated clips.