Jailbreak (Thin Lizzy song)
Encyclopedia
"Jailbreak" is a song by Thin Lizzy
that originally appeared as the title track on their 1976 album Jailbreak
. Along with "The Boys Are Back in Town
", it is one of their most popular songs, and is a classic rock radio staple, receiving steady airplay.
It is typical of the band's music, with the dual lead guitar harmony and Brian Robertson
´s peculiar use of the wah-wah pedal. Phil Lynott
's lyrics about a prison break are the typical personification of the "tough guys", also seen in "The Boys Are Back in Town" and the regular concert closer and fan favourite "The Rocker
". An alternate version of the song appeared on the bonus disc of the 2011 remastered deluxe edition of the Jailbreak album, featuring a short spoken introduction and additional guitar parts throughout.
.
"Jailbreak" is used in the films Detroit Rock City
and Joe Dirt
, and was also used in the Veronica Mars
episode "Ahoy, Mateys!" and on the MTV show Jackass
.
In 2008, an edited version was featured in a TV commercial for Miller Lite
beer as well as MLB 08: The Show
.
"Jailbreak" is featured in the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV
on the radio station Liberty Rock Radio 97.8.
On 3 February 2009, a live version of the song (from the Still Dangerous
live album) was released as download content for the Rock Band series as part of a Thin Lizzy pack (which also contained versions of "The Boys Are Back in Town
" and "Cowboy Song" from the same album). The 1976 master of the song is featured in the video game Guitar Hero 5
.
Also, the song was used in the 2007 film Gracie
.
band Six Feet Under
covered the song on their Maximum Violence
album in 1999. Supersuckers performed it on their 2004 live album Live at The Magic Bag, Ferndale, MI, and the Dropkick Murphys
recorded it for their 2007 album The Meanest of Times
, as a bonus track. A live cover of the song by Jon Bon Jovi
was also used as the b-side to "Queen Of New Orleans". The Minnesota-based glam metal band Slave Raider
covered the song on their second album, What Do You Know About Rock 'N Roll?, in 1988.
"Jailbreak" is sampled heavily in the Girl Talk
song "Don't Stop."
Master covered the song on their album Collection of Souls in 1993.
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...
that originally appeared as the title track on their 1976 album Jailbreak
Jailbreak (album)
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic described Jailbreak as a "truly exceptional album", with "a dimension of richness that sustains, but there's such kinetic energy to the band that it still sounds immediate no matter how many times it's played". Highlighting Lynott's songs as "lovingly florid.....
. Along with "The Boys Are Back in Town
The Boys Are Back in Town
"The Boys Are Back in Town" is a single from Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy. The song came out in 1976 on their album Jailbreak. It was honoured with the 499th position among the 2004 Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, though it was not included in the 2010 update...
", it is one of their most popular songs, and is a classic rock radio staple, receiving steady airplay.
It is typical of the band's music, with the dual lead guitar harmony and Brian Robertson
Brian Robertson
Brian "Robbo" David Robertson is a Scottish rock guitarist, best known for his work with Thin Lizzy and Motörhead.-Early life:...
´s peculiar use of the wah-wah pedal. Phil Lynott
Phil Lynott
Philip Parris "Phil" Lynott was an Irish musician who first came to prominence as a founding member, principal songwriter, and frontman of the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy....
's lyrics about a prison break are the typical personification of the "tough guys", also seen in "The Boys Are Back in Town" and the regular concert closer and fan favourite "The Rocker
The Rocker
"The Rocker" is a song by Irish rock group Thin Lizzy, included on their 1973 album Vagabonds of the Western World. It was also released as a single in a 2:41 edited format, the original album track stretching to 5:17, most of the extra length being taken up by an extended guitar solo by Eric Bell...
". An alternate version of the song appeared on the bonus disc of the 2011 remastered deluxe edition of the Jailbreak album, featuring a short spoken introduction and additional guitar parts throughout.
Use in media
In December 2008, the song was named the 73rd best hard rock song of all time by VH1VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
.
"Jailbreak" is used in the films Detroit Rock City
Detroit Rock City (film)
Detroit Rock City is a 1999 film about four teenagers in a Kiss cover band who try to see their idols in Detroit in 1978. Comparable to Rock 'n' Roll High School, Dazed and Confused, The Stöned Age, and I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Detroit Rock City tells a coming of age story through a filter of 1970s...
and Joe Dirt
Joe Dirt
Joe Dirt is a 2001 American comedy film starring David Spade, Dennis Miller, Christopher Walken, Brian Thompson, Brittany Daniel, Jaime Pressly, Erik Per Sullivan, Adam Beach and Kid Rock. The film was written by Spade and Fred Wolf.-Plot:...
, and was also used in the Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars is an American television series created by Rob Thomas. The series premiered on September 22, 2004, during television network UPN's final two years, and ended on May 22, 2007, after a season on UPN's successor, The CW Television Network. Veronica Mars was produced by Warner Bros...
episode "Ahoy, Mateys!" and on the MTV show Jackass
Jackass (TV series)
jackass is an American reality series, originally shown on MTV from 2000 to 2002, featuring people performing various dangerous, crude, ridiculous, self-injuring stunts and pranks...
.
In 2008, an edited version was featured in a TV commercial for Miller Lite
Miller Lite
Miller Lite is a 4.2% abv pale lager brand sold by MillerCoors of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Sibling beers include Miller Genuine Draft and Miller High Life.-History:...
beer as well as MLB 08: The Show
MLB 08: The Show
MLB 08: The Show is a baseball simulation video game developed by SCE San Diego Studio published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable systems. It the longest-running officially licensed Major League Baseball game series on the PlayStation...
.
"Jailbreak" is featured in the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
on the radio station Liberty Rock Radio 97.8.
On 3 February 2009, a live version of the song (from the Still Dangerous
Still Dangerous
Still Dangerous is a live album by Irish rock band Thin Lizzy. It was compiled out of two live concerts by the band at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia at 20 & 21 October 1977 during the tour in support of their Bad Reputation album....
live album) was released as download content for the Rock Band series as part of a Thin Lizzy pack (which also contained versions of "The Boys Are Back in Town
The Boys Are Back in Town
"The Boys Are Back in Town" is a single from Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy. The song came out in 1976 on their album Jailbreak. It was honoured with the 499th position among the 2004 Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, though it was not included in the 2010 update...
" and "Cowboy Song" from the same album). The 1976 master of the song is featured in the video game Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5 is a music video game and the fifth main entry in the Guitar Hero series. The game was developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision, and released internationally in September 2009 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, 3 and Wii consoles...
.
Also, the song was used in the 2007 film Gracie
Gracie (film)
Gracie is a 2007 American historical sports drama film directed by Davis Guggenheim. It stars Carly Schroeder as Gracie Bowen, Dermot Mulroney as Bryan Bowen, Elisabeth Shue as Lindsay Bowen, Jesse Lee Soffer as Johnny Bowen, and Andrew Shue as Coach Owen Clark.Gracie takes place in New Jersey,...
.
Cover versions
American death metalDeath metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band Six Feet Under
Six Feet Under (band)
Six Feet Under is an American death metal band from Tampa, Florida, formed in 1993. The band was originally a side project by Cannibal Corpse vocalist Chris Barnes with guitarist Allen West of Obituary...
covered the song on their Maximum Violence
Maximum Violence
Maximum Violence is Six Feet Under's 3rd studio album. The Album goes back to Chris Barnes' roots in Cannibal Corpse with a more violent track listing...
album in 1999. Supersuckers performed it on their 2004 live album Live at The Magic Bag, Ferndale, MI, and the Dropkick Murphys
Dropkick Murphys
Dropkick Murphys are an Irish-American punk rock band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. The band was initially signed to independent punk record label Hellcat Records, releasing five albums for the label, and making a name for themselves locally through constant playing and yearly St....
recorded it for their 2007 album The Meanest of Times
The Meanest of Times
The Meanest of Times is the sixth album by the Dropkick Murphys. It was released on September 18, 2007 by their new vanity label, Born & Bred Records, a division of Cooking Vinyl Records...
, as a bonus track. A live cover of the song by Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him...
was also used as the b-side to "Queen Of New Orleans". The Minnesota-based glam metal band Slave Raider
Slave Raider
Slave Raider was an American heavy metal band formed in 1985 that was known for its over-the-top antics, heavy make-up and glam song lyrics. In the 1980s, the Minneapolis music scene was primarily known for The Replacements, Soul Asylum, Hüsker Dü and Prince among others. In the Twin Cities, Slave...
covered the song on their second album, What Do You Know About Rock 'N Roll?, in 1988.
"Jailbreak" is sampled heavily in the Girl Talk
Girl Talk (musician)
Gregg Michael Gillis , better known by his stage name Girl Talk, is an American musician specializing in mashups and digital sampling. Gillis has released five LPs on the record label Illegal Art and EPs on 333 and 12 Apostles....
song "Don't Stop."
Master covered the song on their album Collection of Souls in 1993.
Personnel
- Phil LynottPhil LynottPhilip Parris "Phil" Lynott was an Irish musician who first came to prominence as a founding member, principal songwriter, and frontman of the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy....
– bass guitar, vocals, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound... - Scott GorhamScott GorhamScott Gorham is an American guitarist and songwriter who rose to international recognition as one of the "twin lead guitarists" of the Irish-formed rock band, Thin Lizzy...
– lead guitar, guitars - Brian RobertsonBrian RobertsonBrian "Robbo" David Robertson is a Scottish rock guitarist, best known for his work with Thin Lizzy and Motörhead.-Early life:...
– lead guitar, guitars - Brian DowneyBrian Downey (drummer)Brian Michael Downey is an Irish drummer.Downey is the drummer and a founding member of the rock band Thin Lizzy, and a friend from childhood of co-founder and frontman Phil Lynott. Along with Lynott, Downey was the only constant member of the pioneering hard rock group until their break-up in...
– drums, percussion