It's a strange, strange world we live in, Master Jack
You taught me all I know and I'll never look back
It's a very strange world and I thank you, Master Jack
You took a colored ribbon from out of the sky
And taught me how to use it as the years went by
To tie up all your problems and make them look neat
And then to sell them to the people in the street
It's a strange, strange world we live in, Master Jack
You taught me all I know and I'll never look back
It's a very strange world and I thank you, Master Jack [ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/f/four_jacks_and_a_jill/master_jack.html ]
I saw right through the way you started teachin' me now
So some day soon you could get to use me somehow
I thank you very much and though you've been very kind
But I'd better move along before you change my mind
It's a strange, strange world we live in, Master Jack
You know how I feel as if I'll never come back
It's a very strange world and I thank you, Master Jack
You taught me all the things the way you'd like them to be
But I'd like to see if other people agree
It's all very int'resting the way you disguise
But I'd like to see the world through my own eyes
It's a strange, strange world we live in, Master Jack
No hard feelin's if I never come back
You're a very strange man and I thank you, Master Jack
You're a very strange man and I thank you, Master Jack
You're a very strange man and I thank you, Master Jack
It's an "elisa doolittle" type relationship... An older. Wiser "master" finds a young girl, begins molding her, teaching, her about life, then... Love (i saw right thru the way you started teaching me love, and how you hoped to someday use it somehow. " come on people, it's not rocket science... He taught her many thngs because she was so young, but she wasn't too naive to realize he was actually grooming her to be his sex slave.
by Unregistered on Mar 21st 2012 6:39 pm
Young virginal girl coming into her own meets wiser, older man, learns from him, ready to move on.
by Unregistered on Mar 15th 2012 3:36 pm
Master jack was the general term used to refer to the boss in a south african diamond mine, and it was also a slang term used to refer to heroin in some countries (captain jack in the usa). The song was apparently intended to be vague and open for each listener's interpretation. That is one reason why it is so popular.
by Unregistered on Feb 17th 2012 11:47 am
Master jack is a drug dealer, pushing his colored ribbons of psychedelic bliss where problems simply go away. The jill sees through it eventually, pushes away from her chair and says 'no more jello! '
by Unregistered on Feb 4th 2012 3:33 pm
"master jack" is a metaphor for "the establishment", the ruling body railed against and referenced in the lyrics of many songs of the sixties. Jill is coming of age and beginning to question old authority.
by Unregistered on Nov 2nd 2011 1:07 am
The song is by a south african band and is about apartheid. How the youth were sold the idea and couldn't question as master jack told them it was 'god's law'. I believe they left the country shortly after this song possibly fearing the master's wrath and to live a different life where churches don't preach loving your neighbour, except if he's a kaffir. But it was never banned, master was that bright - black beauty was banned even though it was a story about a horse.
by Unregistered on Oct 17th 2011 8:33 pm
My initial impression of the song was that it was about life in the victorian era, in london, england. I pictured in my mind the setting of the movie oliver. I think i had this impression, because in this day and age, i don't think anyone calls someone master, although i could be wrong. Back in victorian england, and i think even in england today, there is a cast system. I pictured a poor young girl, with no family or other means of support, a street urchin, being taken in by a schiester, for whom she was at his beck and call. He instructed her on how to steal and swindle unsuspecting citizens, rich ones likely, and tossed her a few tuppins for her pay.
The song has an eeriness about it that is unsettling, rather frightening to me. It reminded me of a relationship i had for ten years with my boyfriend who was nearly ten years older than i. He believed that what he said was law, and what i said went in one of his ear's and out the other.
I did wonder how this master would allow this girl to leave after being him any lenth of time.
by Unregistered on Oct 6th 2011 4:56 pm
I think that this song is a backlash by english speaking south africans against the perceived treatment of south africa and rhodesia by the uk aka master (union) jack and how they were moving against a perceived unshakable loyalty to the uk and finding common ground with afrikaans speakers. 'it's a strange world' yet no one understands are often the way that many saffas feel to those who condemn apartheid yet never lived in rsa. Apart from this the lyrics speak of a thanks yet a need to move away from jack as many english speakers did feeling alienated by the uk.
There are also several visual references such as the two lions (symbolic of british coats of arms) being faded out in favour of two bokke (traditionally associated with rsa crests). Also look at the colours they're wearing- orange, blue and white; synomomous with the rsa flag from the 1920's-1994.
In short it's about the identity, yet rememberence of the the english speakers in an independent and isolated rsa.
by Unregistered on Sep 30th 2011 10:18 pm
I think a key phrase is "you took a colored ribbon from out of the sky... ". I think that is a flag. And i think the song is a subtle protest against south african nationalism and apartheid.
by Unregistered on Sep 28th 2011 4:05 pm
A key line in the song is:
"now i'd better move on before you change my mind. "
I think that's a reference to a cult leader of some kind. It could be that the songwriter was raised in a cult, now catches onto the way she's been programmed and intends to move out on her own. Could be lots of different things, jim jones, manson, rosicrucians, christian scientists, etc. [fill in the blank from your own experience]