"Hit the Road Jack" by Ray Charles is the first song, outside of nursery rhymes, that I actually remember knowing the words to. It was one of my great-grandmother's favorite songs, and we would sing it together all the time. Even now, 30 plus years later, I still sing this song at the most random times. It also ended up being the theme song to one of my favortie sitcoms, "Unhappily Ever After",
which aired from 1995 - 1999.
"Hit the Road Jack" was written in 1960 by Percy Mayfield, who was a rhythm and blue singer, a songwriter, and was also known as "Poet Laureate of the Blues”. It was then recorded by Ray Charles and released in 1961. When initially introduced to "Hit the Road Jack", Ray Charles loved it, however, he wanted to add a few things. He decided to add his backup singers, The Raelettes, which added an unforgettable aspect to the song, a horns section, and a piano riff. Although most people would say this song falls under the genre of R&B, it also falls under genres such as Soul and Jazz. On October 9, 1961, Ray Charles landed himself the number 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, with "Hit the Road Jack", and had a run of 2-weeks. The song also had a 5-week run on the R&B Sides chart. Ray Charles later won a Grammy in 1962 for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording, and in 1999 he was inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame. Over the years, "Hit the Road Jack" has been featured in many movies, television shows, has been sampled for other songs, and has been covered by several artists.
The tempo for "Hit the Road Jack" is 173 BPM, a time signature of 4 beats per bar, has a G♯/A♭ key and a minor mode, and lasts for 1 minute and 58 seconds.
Here's a YouTube video for you to enjoy the song as much as I do.
Lyrics
[Intro]
[Chorus: The Raelettes & Ray Charles]
Hit the road, Jack, and don't ya come back
No more, no more, no more, no more
Hit the road, Jack, and don't ya come back no more
What'd you say?
Hit the road, Jack, and don't ya come back
No more, no more, no more, no more
Hit the road, Jack, and don't ya come back no more
[Verse 1: Ray Charles & The Raelettes]
Old woman, old woman, don't treat me so mean
You're the meanest old woman that I've ever seen
I guess if you say so
I'll have to pack my things and go (That's right)
[Chorus: The Raelettes & Ray Charles]
Hit the road, Jack, and don't ya come back
No more, no more, no more, no more
Hit the road, Jack, and don't ya come back no more
What'd you say?
Hit the road, Jack, and don't ya come back
No more, no more, no more, no more
Hit the road, Jack, and don't ya come back no more
[Verse 2: Ray Charles & The Raelettes]
Now, baby, listen, baby, don't you treat me this way
'Cause I'll be back on my feet some day
Don't care if you do, cause it's understood
You ain't got no money, you just a no good
Well, I guess if you say so
I'll have to pack my things and go (That's right)
[Chorus: The Raelettes & Ray Charles]
Hit the road, Jack, and don't ya come back
No more, no more, no more, no more
Hit the road, Jack, and don't ya come back no more
What'd you say?
Hit the road, Jack, and don't ya come back
No more, no more, no more, no more
Hit the road, Jack, and don't ya come back no more
[Outro: Ray Charles & The Raelettes]
Well (Don't ya come back no more)
Uh, what'd you say? (Don't ya come back no more)
I didn't understand you (Don't ya come back no more)
You can't mean that (Don't ya come back no more)
Oh, now, baby, please (Don't ya come back no more)
What you're trying to do to me? (Don't ya come back no more)
Work Cited
“Ray Charles – Hit the Road Jack.” Genius, genius.com/Ray-charles-hit-the-road-jack-lyrics. Accessed 27 Sept. 2024.
“Ray Charles’ Hit the Road Jack: A Masterpiece of Rhythm and Blues, Soul, and Jazz.” Neon Music, neonmusic.co.uk/ray-charles-hit-the-road-jack-a-masterpiece-of-rhythm-and-blues-soul-and-jazz. Accessed 27 Sept. 2024.
“BPM and Key for Hit the Road Jack by Ray Charles: Tempo for Hit the Road Jack: Songbpm.” SongBPM, songbpm.com/@ray-charles/hit-the-road-jack#:~:text=Song%20Metrics&text=Hit%20The%20Road%20Jack%20is,key%20and%20a%20minor%20mode. Accessed 27 Sept. 2024.
