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10,000 Maniacs — Hey Jack Kerouac
Album: In My Tribe
Avg rating:
6.9

Your rating:
Total ratings: 754









Released: 1987
Length: 3:22
Plays (last 30 days): 3
Hey Jack Kerouac, I think of your mother
and the tears she cried, they were cried for none other
than her little boy lost in our little world that hated
and that dared to drag him down, her little boy courageous.
who chose his words from mouths of babes got lost in the wood.
Hip flask slinging madman, steaming cafe flirts.
they all spoke through you.

Hey Jack, now for the tricky part,
when you were the brightest star, who were the shadows?
Of the San Francisco beat boys you were the favorite.
Now they sit and rattle their bones and think of their blood stoned days.
You chose your words from mouths of babes got lost in the wood.
The hip flask slinging madman, steaming cafe flirts,
in Chinatown howling at night.

Allen baby, why so jaded?
Have the boys all grown up and their beauty faded?
Billy, what a saint they've made you,
just like Mary down in Mexico on All Souls' Day.

You chose your words from mouths of babes got lost in the wood.
Cool junk booting madmen, street minded girls
in Harlem, howling at night.
What a tear stained shock of the world,
you've gone away without saying goodbye.
Comments (55)add comment
 kbs wrote:
I struggle with Natalie's later solo output, but her voice here shows much more life, feel and involvement.
 
Agreed!  Her voice is so incredibly bright and present in this song.  One can really see how she picked up her star power in the 1980s.
Enjoyed the band, but not so much Natalie on her own, especially after her effort to remove Peace Train from their album In My Tribe to protest Cat Stephen's misrepresented Islamic beliefs and her support of NY Guv (Client #9) Eliot Spitzer.
 LizK wrote:
I like Natalie.  Really.  But I must say that,as a girl, I do wish someone would take her in hand & guide her to Weight Watchers, the gym, the makeup counter, and a good hairdresser. I know that's not supposed to count, BUT, she's in the entertainment industry. The whole package, ya noh?  But I did like her initial phase, what with the 10000 Maniacs and all.

Weird.  I appreciate music with my ears, not my eyes.  I couldn't give a stuff whether Natalie Merchant is scruffy as fuck or groomed to within an inch of her life - surely all that matters is what she sounds like?
This song, as someone else noted, screams My Romantic Otherworldly College Life. Le sigh. 
 LizK wrote:
I like Natalie.  Really.  But I must say that,as a girl, I do wish someone would take her in hand & guide her to Weight Watchers, the gym, the makeup counter, and a good hairdresser. I know that's not supposed to count, BUT, she's in the entertainment industry. The whole package, ya noh?  But I did like her initial phase, what with the 10000 Maniacs and all.

Sorry about the negative comments, but I agree with you.  I'll also add that gentlemen sometimes need to be reminded to shave, shower, brush their teeth, and dress for success.

My Grandmother always told me, "You will see people every day in your life.  How would you like them to remember you?"

After my divorce, my twenty-something  sons would always ask why I dressed up just to go to the pizza joint.  I told them something similar: "I'll be ready if Marisa Tomei just happens to be there."
 kbs wrote:
I struggle with Natalie's later solo output, but her voice here shows much more life, feel and involvement.
 
Yeah, this has been my take too.  I like her new stuff, but I miss her lively fresh sound of 1987.  Her later music sounds shadowy and sad.  More complex?  Yeah, but her early stuff was like that too... after all, she's a musical/poetical prodigy.
 LizK wrote:
I like Natalie.  Really.  But I must say that,as a girl, I do wish someone would take her in hand & guide her to Weight Watchers, the gym, the makeup counter, and a good hairdresser. I know that's not supposed to count, BUT, she's in the entertainment industry. The whole package, ya noh?  But I did like her initial phase, what with the 10000 Maniacs and all.


Good thing we have LizK to offer unsolicited beauty and fitness tips, ya' know?  Stick to the shallow end of the gene pool, Liz.
 Soopertimes wrote:


reminds me of studying for finals in university - I'm old


I resemble that remark!  
I struggle with Natalie's later solo output, but her voice here shows much more life, feel and involvement. 
I love 10,000 Maniacs and Natalie. But personally I prefer their version of that song on their MTV Unplugged album. For me it's a 6 for this version, woulc be 8 for the other (if it's on RP).
 Soopertimes wrote:


reminds me of studying for finals in university - I'm old
 

Reminds me of my son studying for finals....
 photolew wrote:
Wow does this bring back memories......thanks RP
 

reminds me of studying for finals in university - I'm old
 junebaby65 wrote:

Bad ones, I assume.
 

 photolew wrote:
Man does this bring back memories......
 
Bad ones, I assume.
 westslope wrote:
I tried to read  On the Road while I was ..... on the road.

Did not even manage 1/4 of the book.

Hemingway was tough on occasion, Kerouac was impossible.  

Guess I am not a very good hipster, eh? 
 

Lol....You can't join conversations at hip coffee shops!
Man does this bring back memories......
 mcdonna wrote:

I like Natalie. Really. And I must say that, as a woman, I appreciate her beauty, courage, talent and hard work, and think that her weight is no one's business but her own. If you don't like her looks, then just listen to the music. Oh, right, this is radio, so you can't see her on Radio Paradise anyway.
 
{#Clap} As a man, I appreciate her voice, her musicality, courage, talent, and hard work. And what she looks like—except that I think she's a beauty—is immaterial to her work, her sound, and her voice.
I tried to read  On the Road while I was ..... on the road.

Did not even manage 1/4 of the book.

Hemingway was tough on occasion, Kerouac was impossible.  

Guess I am not a very good hipster, eh? 
So I'm in this cool and hip digital photo/equipment store and I'm wanting to transfer my cherished "On the Road" photo to a digital format.

Of the three people in the store...no one knew who Jack K. was.

Yikes!
  
Everybody in my alien space craft loves this song...

What a great record. 
 


 ziakut wrote:
Mediocré at best. Like a lump of cold oatmeal slowly sinking to the bottom of a tall glass of room temperature milk. Hardly exciting I say.

 
Yuh-ummm... 

I PSDed away from this one as soon as I recognized it. It's hard for me to separate this song from the bad times I associate with it. 
Have you thought that maybe she (Natalie) likes it to look like that?
Lucky of me, that when I polay my 10.00 maniacs CDs (or when I listen to the nice songs that RP often plays of her or the group) I just turn on the volume and really enjoy on the music
...

LizK wrote:
I like Natalie.  Really.  But I must say that,as a girl, I do wish someone would take her in hand & guide her to Weight Watchers, the gym, the makeup counter, and a good hairdresser. I know that's not supposed to count, BUT, she's in the entertainment industry. The whole package, ya noh?  But I did like her initial phase, what with the 10000 Maniacs and all.

 


Memories of high rotation on my turntable back in the day... Love this album.
 LizK wrote:
I like Natalie.  Really.  But I must say that,as a girl, I do wish someone would take her in hand & guide her to Weight Watchers, the gym, the makeup counter, and a good hairdresser. I know that's not supposed to count, BUT, she's in the entertainment industry. The whole package, ya noh?  But I did like her initial phase, what with the 10000 Maniacs and all.
 
One of the countless examples of the unfortunate fact that the people most oppressive to women are often other women...
I love how RP only plays the most tolerable music from the 80s...
 exactly mcdonna, thats my opinion too! {#Clap}
mcdonna wrote:

I like Natalie. Really. And I must say that, as a woman, I appreciate her beauty, courage, talent and hard work, and think that her weight is no one's business but her own. If you don't like her looks, then just listen to the music. Oh, right, this is radio, so you can't see her on Radio Paradise anyway.

 


 GeneP59 wrote:
Even though mom knew Jack Kerouac, I can only give it a 6. {#Yes}
 
Song aside, that's a great association. Two degrees of separation for you then.


Saw these cats around 1992 at the old Poplar Creek Music Theater near Chicago. Easily the most boring concert I've ever been to in my life. World Party opened up for them and blew them away.
Ah c'mon folks.

This was a nice album. Your expectations are probably way too high. The 1980s started the long decline into mediocre music.

My god, look whats passes as exceptional today. It's a joke.  
 LizK wrote:
I like Natalie.  Really.  But I must say that,as a girl, I do wish someone would take her in hand & guide her to Weight Watchers, the gym, the makeup counter, and a good hairdresser. I know that's not supposed to count, BUT, she's in the entertainment industry. The whole package, ya noh?  But I did like her initial phase, what with the 10000 Maniacs and all.
 
wow. i don't really give a crap what she looks like. looks like we've come a long way....
Mediocré at best. Like a lump of cold oatmeal slowly sinking to the bottom of a tall glass of room temperature milk. Hardly exciting I say.
My fav LP by the Maniacs.  Still waiting to hear peace train from it.  Oh well
 Bridieboo wrote:

When was she not good?

 
All the time

 LizK wrote:
I like Natalie.  Really.  But I must say that,as a girl, I do wish someone would take her in hand & guide her to Weight Watchers, the gym, the makeup counter, and a good hairdresser. I know that's not supposed to count, BUT, she's in the entertainment industry. The whole package, ya noh?  But I did like her initial phase, what with the 10000 Maniacs and all.
 
I like Natalie. Really. And I must say that, as a woman, I appreciate her beauty, courage, talent and hard work, and think that her weight is no one's business but her own. If you don't like her looks, then just listen to the music. Oh, right, this is radio, so you can't see her on Radio Paradise anyway.

I like Natalie.  Really.  But I must say that,as a girl, I do wish someone would take her in hand & guide her to Weight Watchers, the gym, the makeup counter, and a good hairdresser. I know that's not supposed to count, BUT, she's in the entertainment industry. The whole package, ya noh?  But I did like her initial phase, what with the 10000 Maniacs and all.
 eddief wrote:
When she was good....
 


When was she not good?

Is this the deliciously plushy Madam Natalie?
 nicolewe wrote:
{#Puke}{#Puke}{#Puke}{#Puke}
 


Even though mom knew Jack Kerouac, I can only give it a 6. {#Yes}

this complete album was really good in 1988 - this was her peak
Hey Jack, now for the tricky part.
Good gawd.......
Yuccchhhhhh....
...ah, this music suited natalie merchant so well...
Music fans are not literary fans, in general?
Wow does this bring back memories......thanks RP
Lets keep this one to once every 5 years


{#Puke}{#Puke}{#Puke}{#Puke}
Love this! More 10K Maniacs on RP... please.
Terrific album! {#Music}
When she was good....
I liked this song so much and went out and read the book! On the Road that is.........
Great tune. Nice quality to Natalie\'s voice.