# Just what is Captain Jack? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 1, 2000, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-captain-jack/39268 "2000-11-01T17:35:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2000, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-captain-jack/39268/1 "2000-11-01T17:35:41Z")
Based on some complinents I’ve gotten doing karaoke recently (yes, I’m addicted), I’ve decided to add some higher range (for me) songs to my repertoire. So I’m sitting here listening to Billy Joel’s Greatest Hits, Vol. I and trying to pick out some songs that would be good for my vocal range. I’d really like to learn “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant.” After I get most of the lyrics down, I’ll have to give it shot in the privacy of my shower before attempting it in public. Anyway, getting to the freaking point, listening to “Captain Jack” I’m reminded of numerous conversations with friends regarding this piece. Almost invariably, they interpret “Captain Jack” as meaning Jack Daniels whisky, to which I reply, "No, you moron, listen to the chorus: 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 smilin’_" I think Captain Jack is heroin. What do y’all think? ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2000, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-captain-jack/39268/2 "2000-11-01T17:53:17Z")
I think Captain Jack sounds like Billy Joel’s private name for Mr. Winky. ---
**Author:** ![Mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2000, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-captain-jack/39268/3 "2000-11-01T18:32:26Z")
I’ve had various people tell me that Captain Jack is marijuana, heroin, Jack Daniels, and masturbation. But it could simply be picking his nose. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2000, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-captain-jack/39268/4 "2000-11-01T18:35:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Strainger \* > **"Captain Jack will get you by tonight > _Just a little push, and you’ll be smilin’_"** I believe it was the philosopher Harvey Pekar who coined the immortal phrase “A good shit is the best.” ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2000, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-captain-jack/39268/5 "2000-11-01T18:44:05Z")
::snort:: ::snicker:: Harvey Pekar, philosopher? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2000, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-captain-jack/39268/6 "2000-11-01T18:45:20Z")
Repeat after me…“Google is my friend” from ttp://faqs.jmas.co.jp/FAQs/music/billy-joel-faq 1. Who/What is Captain Jack? * * * ``` According to Billy Joel, Captain Jack was the neighborhood drug dealer in his neighborhood when he was growing up. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Satan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Satan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2000, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-captain-jack/39268/7 "2000-11-01T18:47:03Z")
I thought it refered to alcohol, specifically Captain jack Morgan’s spiced rum. I took the “little push” to be how a bartender would serve the beverage - pushing the glass across the bar to ths e patron… * * * Yer pal, [Satan](http://www.members.tripod.com/jmspoofe/sdmb/satan.jpg) \*I HAVE BEEN SMOKE-FREE FOR: Six months, three weeks, two days, 16 hours, 52 minutes and 23 seconds. 8268 cigarettes not smoked, saving $1,033.51. Extra life with Drain Bead: 4 weeks, 17 hours, 0 minutes. **David B used me as a cite!** \* ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2000, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-captain-jack/39268/8 "2000-11-01T18:54:42Z")
Thanks for the [link](http://faqs.jmas.co.jp/FAQs/music/billy-joel-faq) beagledave (I fixed it). Although facts aren’t nearly as fun as the creativity of the Teeming Millions. I especially liked Uke’s response. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2000, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-captain-jack/39268/9 "2000-11-01T19:06:35Z")
And here’s a warm hug and kiss for you, too, **Strainger.** (For the Harvey Pekar deprived among you: HP is a Cleveland file clerk and writer of autobiographical comic book stories, best known for appearing on the Letterman show and making an anti-corporate nuisance of himself. His annual comic AMERICAN SPLENDOR was first published in 1976. A few years earlier, he published a two-pager entitled “A Good Shit is Best” in an underground comix anthology. It was illustrated by the late Ted Richards, best known for E.Z. WOLF’S ASTRAL OUTHOUSE. “A Good Shit is Best” was about four juvenile delinquent-types hanging out on a Cleveland street corner. The first one says “Well, I hadda good FUCK last night,” and proceeds to give details. The second guys says, “Fuckin’ is good, but I really like ta get HEAD,” and goes on about that for a while. The third fellow says, “Youse guys’re think I’m weird, but I love ta EAT PUSSY,” and then describes how he drives the girls wild with his technique. The fourth guy has been listening in disgust, and finally calls the other “a buncha sex fiends”…and proceeds to explain why, in terms of sensual pleasure, “A Good Shit is Best.” If THAT isn’t philosophy, I don’t know what is.) ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2000, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-captain-jack/39268/10 "2000-11-01T21:03:54Z")
I’ve always taken it to mean injecting ie jacking heroin. ---
**Author:** ![cygnus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@cygnus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cygnus)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-captain-jack/39268/11 "2000-11-02T15:28:02Z")
The was one of my favorite albums in the early '80’s. I thought of various interpretations myself, but I clearly recall reading several references from various sources around that period that all said Captain Jack was a slang term for heroin. FWIW, I speculate that the literal meaning may be heroin, but the second meaning of the song was perhaps that most of us have our own “Captain Jack”, not necessarily chemical - the thing we turn to. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-captain-jack/39268/12 "2000-11-02T15:42:22Z")
**Satan** : > [@](#): > > I thought it refered to alcohol, specifically Captain Jack Morgan’s spiced rum Except that he’s Captain _Henry_ Morgan. Here’s a good place to make this hijack: Is Billy Joel an Italian-American? Everything about him, his looks, his history, the content of his songs, scream “New York Italian” except his last name, Joel, which according to IMDB is his real last name. So what’s the scoop there? ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-captain-jack/39268/13 "2000-11-02T15:49:53Z")
Reminds me of the Army quicktime cadence: Hey, hey, Captain Jack. Meet me down by the railroad track. With that bottle in your hand. I’m gonna be a drinking man. Hey Hey, Captain Jack Meet me down by the railroad track. With that rifle in your hand. I’m gonna be a shooting man. Hey hey, Captain Jack Meet me down by the railroad trakc. With that knife in your hand. I’m gonna be a killing man. Jman ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2000, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-captain-jack/39268/14 "2000-11-03T04:15:58Z")
BJ (unfortunate initials, no?) is Italian on his mother’s side and German on his dad’s side. I think there’s also a little Cuban in there, but I’m not sure. ---
**Author:** ![Whammo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8dc957/32.png) [@Whammo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whammo)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2000, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-captain-jack/39268/15 "2000-11-03T04:23:02Z")
Hey!! My MOTHER calls me BJ!!! …just TRY and make a joke… _clenches fist_ ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2000, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-what-is-captain-jack/39268/16 "2000-11-03T06:45:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cygnus \* > \*\*FWIW, I speculate that the literal meaning may be heroin, but the second meaning of the song was perhaps that most of us have our own “Captain Jack”, not necessarily chemical - the thing we turn to. \*\* That’s pretty much Joel’s take on it. From a [Playboy interview](http://www.turnstiles.org/articles/Playboy5-82.html): > [@](#): > > PLAYBOY: What was Captain Jack about? > > JOEL: I wrote it when drugs were in full flower. A lot of useless, wasted deaths. Friends of mine were killed. Drugs can be fun, but they can kill, too. Some guys who lived near me in Oyster Bay used to score smack from a guy called Captain Jack, although I didn’t write it to necessarily mean heroin. I meant any kind of drug you have to take over and over again.