The Jack
A.C-D.C Lyrics
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Poor Jack the riffer
Can't tell the differ
Twixt singin' and splittin' a spleen
Poor Jack the riffer
Melody hit man
It split, man, so Jackie could preen
It's pins in his pinball machine
Doesn't know the tune
He's his own reward
Wish he'd stop...and soon!
Poor Jack the riffer
He calls em high notes
They're why' notes that rattle the brain
Poor Jack the riffer
Song gladiator
Or ejaculator in pain
The story goes right down the drain
Doesn't heed the horn
Doesn't heed the drum
Everyone's forlorn
Or we're just plain numb
Cats and dogs start yelping
Lions in the zoo are zealous to make him their kill
Lightning bolts start bolting
Lamposts leave their posts
Cause they tell me he's warbling still
Come to think of it
Train whistles
Boat whistles
Steam whistles
Cop whistles
ALL whistles echo his shrill!
Poor Jack the riffer
Thinks he's composin'
Bulldozin' is more apropos
His trilling is killing the show
Poor Jack the riffer
Jackie can't learn to say, NO!'
In this song, A.C-D.C tells the story of Jack, who is a poor guitar player who fancies himself a master musician. Meanwhile, Johnny is a talented singer, but his limited range prevents him from hitting high notes. Johnny can only sing the "ahhhh" sound, which is repeated throughout the song. Jack, on the other hand, believes he is a great riffer and can't tell the difference between playing and hacking away at a spleen. He believes that his melodies split open, allowing him to showcase his playing abilities. In reality, however, his playing is nothing more than random notes that rattle the brain. The song goes on to describe how everyone around him is affected by his terrible playing, causing some dogs to yelp and even causing lightning bolts to strike.
The lyrics are meant to be humorous and satirical, poking fun at those who believe they are good at something when, in reality, they are not. The song also has a bluesy undertone to it, typical of A.C-D.C's music style. The lyrics encourage the listener to have fun with it, to find the humor in life, and not to take things too seriously.
Line by Line Meaning
Johnny could only sing a thousand notes and the notes he sang were these ahhhhhhh ahhhhhhh ahhhhhh ahhhhhh ....
Johnny's singing abilities are limited and repetitive
Poor Jack the riffer
Can't tell the differ
Twixt singin' and splittin' a spleen
Jack is musically inept and can't distinguish between singing and causing pain
Poor Jack the riffer
Melody hit man
It split, man, so Jackie could preen
It's pins in his pinball machine
Jack is a poor musician who hits the wrong notes, causing him pain but he still thinks he is cool
Doesn't hear the chord
Doesn't know the tune
He's his own reward
Wish he'd stop...and soon!
Jack is oblivious to the fact that he is a terrible musician and is causing others pain. His self-satisfaction is frustrating to others.
Poor Jack the riffer
He calls em high notes
They're why' notes that rattle the brain
Jack thinks he is hitting high musical notes, but in reality, they are just loud and obnoxious, causing people discomfort
Poor Jack the riffer
Song gladiator
Or ejaculator in pain
The story goes right down the drain
Jack's singing is compared to that of a gladiator fighting or someone in intense pain. His performance is terrible and unenjoyable.
Doesn't heed the horn
Doesn't heed the drum
Everyone's forlorn
Or we're just plain numb
Jack doesn't listen to the other musicians, causing frustration and disappointment among them and the audience.
Cats and dogs start yelping
Lions in the zoo are zealous to make him their kill
Lightning bolts start bolting
Lamposts leave their posts
Cause they tell me he's warbling still
Jack's terrible singing causes chaos and discomfort, even among animals and inanimate objects.
Come to think of it
Train whistles
Boat whistles
Steam whistles
Cop whistles
ALL whistles echo his shrill!
Even the sounds of various whistles echo Jack's terrible singing, emphasizing how unbearable it is.
Poor Jack the riffer
Thinks he's composin'
Bulldozin' is more apropos
His trilling is killing the show
Jack thinks he's creating music, but he's actually ruining the performance. He is forcing himself into a role he doesn't belong in.
Poor Jack the riffer
Jackie can't learn to say, NO!
Jack doesn't understand that he is terrible at singing and should stop. He continues to inflict pain on others by not recognizing his own limitations.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Richard Rodgers, D.C. Anderson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheGreatAlan75
This looks like the greatest concert of all time.
@lorettacunningham4929
After last Zep
@lorettacunningham4929
But chicks holy f
@QwertyAsdf-pd9ec
And the last one recorded in original team
@janwaalwijk666
It gets close in my opinion. Audience participation 1000000 out of 1000000. Muchas Gracias.
@heidiroy-kerckhoff1527
176 thousand people
@jimrock6096
"I swear that boy's got the Devil in his fingers and the blues in his soul"
Man that was a great description of Angus
@coldbeer5552
It’s actually a bon scott quote :)
@whitewitchqueen
Best statement ever made so so true !!!
@evgurzi8409
Attempts at achieving 'political correctness' or a method of handicapping or checking oneself (or appearing to {Irish,...}) before one wrecks oneself (ex.: Racking one's brain or scraping at the bottom of the bucket for stats/differentials) prior to making a wager on a horserace.