"Hit the Road Jack" is a song interpreted by the famous American singer and pianist Ray Charles, which was released as a single in September 1961 and managed to gain great popularity at the time and that over the decades was considered a one of the most famous pieces in the extensive career of this great blind artist who made everyone dance with his energetic songs.
Although this melody is strongly linked to the voice of Charles, "Hit the Road Jack" belongs to the singer and songwriter Percy Mayfield, who had a fleeting step on the American music scene but his future was cut short after a car accident that left him. with various physical sequelae. From then on, he dedicated himself to composing songs to be performed by other artists.
At the beginning of the 60's, the acclaimed Ray Charles was looking for a song to record, and in that he contacted his old friend Percy Mayfield who gave him this song so that Charles would take it to history.
Lyrics of the song
Hit the road Jack and don't you come back
No more, no more, no more, no more
Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more
What you say?
Hit the road Jack and don't you come back
No more, no more, no more, no more
Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more
Woah, woman, oh woman, don't treat me so mean
You're the meanest old woman that I've ever seen
I guess if you said so
I'd have to pack my things and go
(That's right)
Hit the road Jack and don't you come back
No more, no more, no more, no more
Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more
What you say?
Hit the road Jack and don't you come back
No more, no more, no more, no more
Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more
Now baby, listen baby, don't ya treat me this a 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 ain't no good
Well, I guess if you say so
I'd have to pack my things and go
(That's right)
Hit the road Jack and don't you come back
No more, no more, no more, no more
Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more
What you say?
Hit the road Jack and don't you come back
No more, no more, no more, no more
Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more
Well
(Don't you come back no more)
Uh, what you say?
(Don't you come back no more)
I didn't understand you
(Don't you come back no more)
You can't mean that
(Don't you come back no more)
Oh, now baby, please
(Don't you come back no more)
What you tryin' to do to me?
(Don't you come back no more)
Oh, don't treat me like that
(Don't you come back no more)
The popularity of this song was so great that it led the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks and spent five weeks in the first place of the R&B Sides chart, which left Ray Charles as the most famous artist of the year. That was reflected when he received a Grammy for best male vocal performance.
Anyway, we are in front of a historical song, full of Pop magic and that on more than one occasion we have heard it in the media or we have hummed it as "monkey, monkey, monkey" and so much more...
Long live Ray Charles.