What's everyone's problem with 'Papa Jack'?

[iseeyou]

> I always assumed "Papa Jack" was a tale of a once popular singer
> whose fans vanished as he has aged and fallen out of fashion. The kids
> don't reach up to the stage anymore for the thrill of his touch etc.
> Morrissey, perhaps, ruminating at the time of how his career might end.
> But happily not!!!

I can see what you mean and it's an interesting viewpoint, but what would the line "the kids he once had" mean in that context?

Unless of course Gary Glitter is the subject of the song....

 

[Errol Flynn]

I suppose it could mean the kids he once had in his thrall, so to speak, but not in a Glitter context, I hasten to add!!
But it could equally apply to a parent, as you say.
Either way, a great song off a criminally underrated album.

 

[Dallow Spicer]

No one has even seemed to notice that jack is a nickname for a man named john. so no one has seemed to question if this just might not be another song about johnny marr. i know there are fans out there sick of looking for johnny marr references, but i don't care, i still think it is about johnny. same with jack the ripper.

i think papa jack is about how morrissey feels sorry for johnny's choices in leaving and not becoming 'bigger than u2', and how johnny probably has huge times of regret for leaving the boys just to end up alone, singing slow(metaphorically) and grieving low.

On the other hand, one has to remember that nearly every morrissey song about somone else is also about himself (and vice versa). and the song could also express morrissey's own feeling about what he/they had and what he has now.

and no one give me crap about how morrissey got over losing the smiths and johnny back in the viva hate/bona drag era. any fool who can do math knows that billy budd is also a song about johnny. i don't think morrissey is the type who forgets. also consider that maladjusted is a look back on his entire career as well.

but yeah, papa jack... good track