Broadside ballad entitled 'There's Whisky in the Jar'

Commentary

Verse 1: 'I'm a bold Irish hero, who never yet was daunted, / In the courting of a pretty girl I very seldom wanted, / In the courting of a pretty girl I own it was my folly, / I would venture my life for you, my pretty Molly.' Chorus: 'Mush a ring a do a da, fal lal da do da addy, / Mush a ring a do a da, there's whisky in the jar.' This broadside was printed by the Poet's Box, 80 London Street, Glasgow, on 'Saturday morning, Dec. 16, 1871'.

As this was a popular song the Poet's Box published it on a number of occasions, including around 1850 when they had premises at 6 St Andrew's Lane, Glasgow. An advert offering to post songs 'to any part of the country' upon receipt of the correct number of postage stamps has been included along with a catalogue of the most recent songs available from the Poet's Box.
The Poet?s Box in Glasgow operated from 1849 to 1911. Matthew Leitch was the proprietor at 6 St. Andrew Lane?s, a narrow street on the south side of Gallowgate, from 1850 to 1858. His son William Munsie Leitch worked at the same address from 1859 to 1865 and at varous addresses in London Street until 1911. Many of the broadsides published by the Glasgow Poet?s Box were dated and some carried advertisements, not just for printed items but also for shoe blacking and ?soap for lovers?! Like the other ?boxes? in Dundee and Edinburgh, the Glasgow one sold love songs, sea shanties, parodies and dialogues. It is not clear what the connection between the different Poet?s Boxes were. They almost certainly sold each other?s sheets. It is known that John Sanderson in Edinburgh often wrote to the Leitches in Glasgow for songs and that later his brother Charles obtained copies of songs from the Dundee Poet?s Box. There was also a Poet?s Box in Belfast from 1846 to 1856 at the address of the printer James Moore, and one in Paisley in the early 1850s owned by William Anderson.
Early ballads were dramatic or humorous narrative songs derived from folk culture that predated printing. Originally perpetuated by word of mouth, many ballads survive because they were recorded on broadsides. Musical notation was rarely printed, as tunes were usually established favourites. The term 'ballad' eventually applied more broadly to any kind of topical or popular verse.

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