It was supposed to be an Instant Cultural Touchstone.
When I quoted a line from the 1968 pop song “Master Jack” a while ago — “It’s a strange, strange world we live in, Master Jack” — I was convinced that anyone who read it would immediately have that song running through his head.
I was wrong.
I’ve talked to a few people — people old enough to remember 1968 pop songs — and it seems I can’t tell an Instant Cultural Touchstone from History’s Most Baffling Trivia. Darn.
Here is an old music video of the South African group Four Jacks and a Jill performing “Master Jack.” Pay no attention to the very poor lip sync.
B. Moore | 10-Jul-07 at 2:16 pm | Permalink
MY OLDE FRIEND: gratified to see that you still bitching about something after more than a month away from your screen… was getting worried.
nunowaypunso | 16-May-08 at 12:59 am | Permalink
oh, i remember this song, alright. i sang it in grade school, when the rest were singing those “it’s a beautiful world” kind of kiddie songs. it may not be a “cultural touchstone”, but it sure isn’t trivia, either. peace.
henry o | 29-Aug-08 at 2:01 am | Permalink
My friends interpretation of this song is seemingly pedifilish or perhaps a pimp selling her out!
John Scott | 29-Nov-08 at 3:10 pm | Permalink
I remember David Marks, who wrote this song, back in the days of the old Troubadour folk club in Noord Street, Joburg,he was a friend of mine, Des and Dawn Lyndberg, and the rest of the old gang…they were great times and I’ll never forget them I’d love to hear from anyone who was there and still share those memories…”the copper kettle” “the nightbeat”…up in Hillbrow, I sang for my supper many a time
keep the faith!
Nicole | 18-May-09 at 9:31 am | Permalink
Does anyone know if this song was referring to Jack Kerouac? I dont know the time lines but its a curious song and it would definitely be fitting to an american icon like Kerouac and how he taught so much to a generation, many of whom went their own way as they grew up.
Just a thought…
Ndlovu | 23-Jun-09 at 5:01 pm | Permalink
No! I don’t think Dave was thinking of Jack Kerouac when he wrote ‘Master Jack’.
I believe he was thinking of his underground foreman in the mine at Witbank, in South Africa. But you could ask him! Contact him through Third Ear Music, at thirdear@iafrica.com
Good luck! Ndlovu
Jes Beard | 18-Jan-11 at 5:57 pm | Permalink
“Master Jack: was a reference to the Union Jack, or Great Britain, which the young whites in South Africa who came to see the evil of Apartheid blamed for the blight on their nation. Only at that time in South Africa you could not openly criticize Apartheid, so the lyrics and meaning are veiled, a metaphor in which a young person sees that the world they live in is strange, and unacceptable, and one to which they are never going to go back.
Absolutely nothing to do with Jack Kerouac.
Ken | 04-Apr-11 at 4:29 pm | Permalink
Seems like I remember hearing this song, in English prior to 1968. When was the song written and does anyone know of another singer performing this song prior to 1968? Thank you.
Helen | 21-Nov-11 at 10:36 pm | Permalink
Trini Lopez recorded this song in South Africa on Reprise Records in about 1968 when he was performing there.
andreas Mathios | 28-Nov-11 at 3:37 am | Permalink
who wrote the lyrics to this song master jack and did the person attend Witbank High in Mpumalanga?
eva skelley-peters | 21-Mar-12 at 1:22 am | Permalink
Just found your website now. I’ve always loved this song & all of these yrs later it has been running in my head. Never knew who wrote it nor performed it…..just knew it was eerily special. Thank you for your information about the background. God bless you.
Linda M. Haenchen | 11-Oct-12 at 4:34 am | Permalink
Thanks for the Web site. I haven’t heard this song in YEARS! I was a young teenager when it came out, and my history class was actually studying about South Africa and Apartheid.
It seemed like a very strange consequence at the time, however, several years after high school graduation, I went back to see that particular teacher and discovered she’d decided to use the song as a learning tool,after having heard it on the radio. She switched the entire curriculum around using it as the introduction of our history, literary, and poetry and social/govermental regarding South Africa.
OH, MY!
To steal someone else words:
“Where have those teachers gone…
long time passing…”
carol | 02-Sep-13 at 1:58 am | Permalink
i found this on another site…i never new the meaning…i thought it meant sorry but no thank you to my parents
………..General Comment:
This song, although couched in somewhat esoteric language, is pretty deep. The group was South African, and this is in reference to apartheid, long before most of the public knew that term or anything about it. But it’s not just that — it is also a reference to the changes that were going on in the 60’s and the breaking free of the old ways, the establishment’s ways, their parents’ ways. “I’d like to see the world through my own eyes.” The children of the 60’s certainly did. Think of the whirlwind of social change that took place between 1960 and 1970.
Casey | 23-Oct-13 at 2:17 pm | Permalink
I remember this song well. I’m surprised people who grew up in the 60s don’t remember it much – maybe too stoned to remember. I used sing it when other kids were singing Beatles songs or Catholic folk mass songs.
Steve O | 22-Mar-14 at 10:18 pm | Permalink
Loved this song from the moment I heard it. Loved it again when I learned what it meant. Years went by when I tried to find a recording of it. Then, the Internet. Thank you Al Gore.
Robinson Peterson | 16-Jun-14 at 10:10 pm | Permalink
Funny, I always thought Master Jack (MJ) was about marijuana (Mary Jane). A user who has left it behind is reflecting on his/her spiritual awareness and growth through this mildly psychotropic drug. The “colored ribbon” would make all his “problems look neat” and also could be sold in small bags to “people on the street.” Later verses refer to possible gateway effects of moving on to harder stuff. Finally, the user decided he wanted to “see the world through my own eyes,” so “no hard feelings if I never look back.” Maybe it sounded that way because back in ’68 that was how many song lyrics were able to refer to pot and still get played on the radio. So, yeah, still subversive.?
monica | 29-Aug-14 at 5:07 am | Permalink
Delighted to discover that others actually remember this song. It was running through my head once again this morning whilst I was murdering aphids. The sense of mystery was to me the most striking thing about it, so a bit disappointing to find that it might well have been about something specific (apartheid). To me it was like a few other oldies–‘Where Do You Go To, My Lovely?’ was another–songs that seemed as if they might have come from a film whose plot explained the lyrics. In any case, think it was far too quirky to be a touchstone of any sort. Cheers.
scott evans | 10-Oct-15 at 3:25 pm | Permalink
I loved this song. I was living near SF and had just moved from a small logging town in OR. It somehow captured my feelings of loss of my old home and the new excitement of new possibilities. I was 12 years old and today was talking to my 11 year old and looked up the song. I always wanted to know what the song was about. Funny that year I first studied about South Africa. Thanks for the information and the memories.
joe von Biela | 11-Dec-15 at 4:59 am | Permalink
I think you had a great sound but folk was a different sell in 1968 the time was just off but it was and is a very cool song and your sond was right on the mark. the music is tight her voice very nice . as you had put it the sw0ong has been stuck in my brain for many months now finley looked it up . thank you.
Mike Willis | 12-Apr-16 at 12:08 pm | Permalink
Wow, I haven’t heard this in many years! I was never concerned with any hidden meaning in the song, I just liked it. The song was unique, and it brings back many memories of my teenage years.
Roger Dimsdale | 25-Dec-16 at 3:58 am | Permalink
Was in Simonstown with Royal Navy and heard this song. Still remember it
Peter Bognar | 02-Mar-17 at 3:19 am | Permalink
Hello,
I’ve just heard this song on a German radio, for Rhett first time in my life. It really hit me deep, and naturally, I started to wonder about the meaning.
My first impression was the farewell of a freed slave in the American south to his master – I had no way of knowing it was a South African band…
Steven Solomon | 19-Oct-18 at 1:29 am | Permalink
I managed Nite Beat in Hillbrow, Johannesburg in the 60s where David Marks was a regular performer. The song was indeed political as were two of his other famous songs “Dark as a dungeon” and “Mountains of men”