Jenny Lewis – Jack Killed Mom

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Jenny Lewis:
When Jack was born he winked at Mom
Her pretty face was the first he saw
Was Jack wrong because he loved Mom?

Things were bad, before they got worse
Mom would pinch Jack until it hurt
Mama thought her boy was cursed

You leave (leave!)
You leave (leave!)
You leave that boy to me
Oh, Jack, I love him
But you leave that boy to me
You leave (leave!)
Leave (leave!)
I know his condition and soon he will be free

Off at school Jack was cruel
He'd become the bully's bull
Was Jack wrong to mimic Mom?

And after school on the corner stool
Mom was kissing on the Golden Rule
Jack had become the teacher's fool

You leave (leave!)
You leave (leave!)
You leave that man to me
Oh, Mom, I love you, and soon you will be free
With my will (will!) and my hands (hands!) like old Solomon
And in your honor I'm going to cut that man in half

Johnathan Rice:
All the lessons Mama would teach
Books from Rome and ancient Greece
Men push rocks up stony mountains
Turning one fish into five thousand
And a king went blind from his mother's love
A terrible rage came over Jack
His Mama lying on her back
The one who taught him right from wrong
But knew no better all along
She got ran through when Jack killed his Mom
(Bang bang!)

Don't leave (leave!)
Don't leave (leave!)
Don't leave this world to me
Oh, Mom I love, I didn't mean to set you free
With my will (will!) and my hands (hands!) like old Solomon
Oh Mom, I love you, I didn't mean to set you free

Was Jack wrong? (Jack killed Mom!)
Was Jack wrong? (Jack killed Mom!)
Was Jack wrong? (Jack killed Mom!)
Jack killed Mom!
Jack killed Mom!
Was Jack wrong? Jack killed Mom!
Jack killed Mom!

Oh
When Jack killed his Mom!

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Lyrics submitted by myslumberingheart

Track duration: 05:27


Jack Killed Mom song meanings
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7 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:Technically, to be Oedipal Jack would have to love his mother too much and kill his father. Still, I think Oedipus/Greek tragedy was what Jenny was going for, and that minor variation was just need to tell the story she wanted to tell.
    Flag flickamleon June 19, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Benji Hughes did the spoken word part.
    Flag beatbox55on March 04, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:

    reminds me of a white stripes song..

    i love her historical and religious references. its a very thoughtful listen the first time.
    Flag anarcistareprettyon January 03, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song really made me think of Norman Bates/Psycho
    Flag HaverchuckTheStudon November 18, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:my take is, it sounds to me like jack and his mom were an item in incest? also, the "teacher" is his mother too... then he kills her even though he loves her.

    good tune though.
    Flag vettroseon October 02, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Definitely Oedipal -- Oedipus is directly referenced in the line about the king who went blind from his mother's love. There's also an interesting reference to Sisyphus (men push rocks up stony mountains), though I'm not sure how an impossible task fits into the narrative of the song -- maybe it's a comment on how hard it is to be good in the world? After all, Mom even ends up "kissing on the Golden Rule" -- sullies something that's supposed to be one of the definitive pillars of a righteous life.
    Flag persimmonon September 28, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is about a young boy with a mother who was mislead on her own.

    Jack was probably oedipal? His mom was with his teacher, and, I guess he killed her. lol
    Flag thembraincellson September 10, 2008   Link
    • 1 Reply

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