Papa Jack

[Musician]

When I read theories about this and that song is about Johnny Marr....interesting, but rather laughed off most of them.

Then listened to Maladjusted (the original) today and the lyrics to "Papa Jack" just dropped me. After Autobiography, it easily could be one of the most open songs to Johnny Marr and about his supposed plea for a Smiths reunion

"Papa Jack
Wants to turn
Back the clock
And reach out
To the kids
He once had"

..."But there was a time
When the kids reached up
And Papa Jack just
Pushed them away "

"Now you can't always
Have it your way "

It makes perfect sense to me, but maybe just nonsense.

 

[Anonymous]

even tho i'm not one of those people who thinks all of morrissey songs are about Johnny, um i think you could be right i don't know

 

[Layne]

I always thought it was a speculative piece about the character Father Jack on Father Ted.

 

[Anonymous]

I always thought it was a speculative piece about the character Father Jack on Father Ted.

yeah ive heard that somewhere as well about father ted. i dont see anything that could make the song more about johnny than anyone else

 

[Anonymous]

I always presumed it was about Morrissey himself, as his career was in nosedive stage at this point.

The trouble with Johnny Marr, is that people like to theorise that practically every song Morrissey has ever written is about him ('Forgive Someone' being the most recent example) but...having said that...your reading is quite attractive.

Not entirely sure it ties up from a timeline point of view though. From my understanding, around the time of 'Maladjusted', Johnny was still trying to put some distance between himself and the Smiths. I think - if he did speak to Moz about being ready for a Smiths reunion - it was sometime post 2000, by which time the whole court case had soured Morrissey off of even considering it.