Captain Jack

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“Captain Jack,” written and sung by Billy Joel, first appeared on his 1973 album Piano Man. It also has a popular live version on his 1981 album Songs in the Attic. The… Read More

Nov. 9, 19731 viewer60.7K views

Captain Jack Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Saturday night, and you're still hanging around
You're tired of living in your one horse town
You'd like to find a little hole in the ground
For a while
Mmm-hmm

[Verse 2]
So, you go to the Village in your tie-dye jeans
And you stare at the junkies and the closet queens
It's like some pornographic magazine
And you smile
Mmm-hmm

[Chorus]
But Captain Jack will get you high tonight
And take you to your special island
Captain Jack will get you by tonight
Just a little push, and you'll be smiling
Oh, yeah, yeah

[Verse 3]
Your sister's gone out, she's on a date
And you just sit at home and masturbate
Your phone is gonna ring soon but you just can't wait
For that call
Mmm-hmm

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[Verse 4]
So, you stand on the corner in your new English clothes
And you look so polished from your hair down to your toes
Oh, but still your finger's gonna pick your nose
After all
Mmm-hmm, yeah

[Chorus]
But Captain Jack will get you high tonight
And take you to your special island
Captain Jack will get you by tonight
Just a little push, you'll be smiling
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, yeah, yeah

[Verse 5]
So, you decide to take a holiday
You got your tape deck and your brand new Chevrolet
Ah, there ain't no place to go anyway
What for?
Mmm-hmm

[Verse 6]
So, you've got everything, ah, but nothing's cool
They just found your father in the swimming pool
And you guess you won't be goin' back to school
Anymore

[Chorus]
But Captain Jack can get you high tonight
And take you to your special island
Oh, Captain Jack will get you by tonight
Just a little push and you'll be smiling
La-la-la
Oh, yeah, yeah

[Verse 7]
So, you play your albums and you smoke your pot
And you meet your girlfriend in the parkin' lot
Oh, but still you're aching for the things you haven't got
What went wrong?
Mmm-hmm

[Verse 8]
And if you can't understand why your world is so dead
Why you've got to keep in style and feed your head
Well, you're twenty-one, and still your mother makes your bed
And that's too long
Oh, oh, oh, woah, yeah, yeah

[Chorus]
But Captain Jack will get you high tonight
And take you to your special island
Well, now Captain Jack will get you by tonight
Just a little push and you'll be smiling
Oh, Captain Jack will get you high tonight
Take you to your special island
Well, now Captain Jack could make you die tonight
Just a little push and you’ll be smiling
Yeah, Captain Jack will get you high tonight
And take you to your special island
Captain Jack will make you die tonight
[Outro]
Well, now Captain Jack will make you die tonight
Just a little push and you'll be smiling

About

“Captain Jack,” written and sung by Billy Joel, first appeared on his 1973 album Piano Man. It also has a popular live version on his 1981 album Songs in the Attic.

The song is an open letter response to suburban teens he would observe buying heroin from drug dealers and subsequently blame their addiction on something besides their own lack of responsibility.