*
Click on the ‘Play’ button above to hear the song as you read the lyrics via the links below. If the player doesn’t start straight away, wait and then press the ‘Play’ button again.
*
Jack Kerouac is from the album The Chelsea Hotel#4 by ‘Les Paul’s’ (The Paul’s) that is the 4th and last album in the series of albums about those celebrities, actors, artists, writers, poets, songwriters and musicians that have stayed at the iconic New York through the years or have a strong connection to the hotel.
*
The literary spirit of the Chelsea comes alive in “Jack Kerouac”, “Allen Ginsberg”, and “William S. Burroughs”. These songs serve as the heart of the record – a poetic triptych that captures the essence of the Beat Generation.
“Jack Kerouac” rolls like an open highway, propelled by rhythm and restless yearning. Its refrain, “Jack’s on the road,” resonates like an anthem of perpetual motion – a hymn to freedom and the curse of never arriving.
– Read the just published Jamsphere magazine review our album HERE
*
download the track Jack Kerouac on Bandcamp HERE
*
You can download the album The Chelsea Hotel#4 at download stores HERE and on Bandcamp HERE
*
Watch the Jack Kerouac video promo on YouTube HERE
*
Jack Kerouac lyrics
In Room 403 at The Chelsea, Jack wrote ‘On The Road’
That became the road map for hungry travellers souls
It showed that you could break free of society’s bars
Wandering free and rolling under the blanket of stars
With nothing behind just the road ahead
Following the route marked on the map in red
Jack’s on the road, if you don’t know
Jack’s on the road, searching for pearls and gold
They proclaimed Jack as the voice of the new generation
That his words gave their minds and souls liberation
And gave light to the darkness that was all around
They were like lost sheep waiting to be found
The Beats had opened the consciousness gates
For artists like Dylan, Morrison, Smith and Waits
Jack’s on the road, if you don’t know
Jack’s on the road, searching for pearls and gold
Jack was a Catholic boy who adored the pope
But he also liked his drink, speed and dope
His Catholic upbringing meant the he hid
His relationships with Vidal, Carlo and Dean who each had shared his bed
‘’But Jack was a macho homophobic’’ they said
With their conformist black and white fences inside their heads
Jack’s on the road, if you don’t know
Jack’s on the road, searching for pearls and gold
Jack was on the road with Dean, a jailbird that stole what he could
Most would say that he and Jack were basically good
They’d met the Mexican Victor who was poor but was true
Victor would never do the things they would do
They both enjoyed life’s pleasures and had their fill
But in the end they both had to pay the bill
Jack’s on the road, if you don’t know
Jack’s on the road, searching for pearls and gold
Jack was once a college football super star
Later he would travel near and far
He was married three times but it could not be
With his inner confusion about his identity
He’d gone on the road searching for love, God and acceptance
And believed he had lots of time to seek redemption
Then he wouldn’t go to hell but would go to heaven
In the end drink got him and he died at just forty seven
His friend Dean had died the year before
He’s O.D’d on the drugs he’d gone to Mexico for
Dean’s wife later wrote her book ‘’Off The Road’’
And the truth about the relationships were told
Jack’s on the road, if you don’t know
Jack’s on the road, searching for pearls and gold
Jack studied Buddhism that opened his mind’s door
Did he find IT, that he was searching for
They had met so many people along the way
Each had their own personal story to say
Those that had possessions craved for more
Those with nothing were content to the core
Enlightenment comes to those that seek
Noble truth is born out of life’s heat
The bible of the road is there to read
Read if you have a hunger you need to feed
But no matter where you wander or where you roam
At the end of your journey, there’s no place like home
At the end of your journey, you will find that there’s no place like home
Jack’s on the road, if you don’t know
Jack’s on the road, searching for pearls and gold
Music composed and performed by Paul Odiase BMI No. 1252265 (Switzerland)
Song lyrics by Paul Robert Thomas PRS No. 497904008 (London)
PRS Tunecode 868568GP
ISRC CODE US5UL2560083
*
*
“Jack Kerouac” is a poetic homage to the Beat Generation’s wandering prophet, celebrating the life, struggles, and restless spirit of the man who wrote On the Road. Written with admiration and insight, the song traces Kerouac’s journey from a Catholic upbringing to the highways and byways of America, illustrating how his search for freedom, love, and enlightenment became the roadmap for a generation of seekers.
The lyrics vividly capture Kerouac’s dualities: the devoted yet conflicted Catholic, the adventurous traveler, the friend and lover, the drinker and speed user, and ultimately the visionary writer whose words shaped the consciousness of Dylan, Morrison, Tom Waits, and countless others. Recurrent refrains like “Jack’s on the road, searching for pearls and gold” echo both literal and metaphorical quests — a life spent chasing meaning, creativity, and human connection.
By highlighting both the triumphs and tragedies of his journey — friendships, heartbreak, addiction, and early death at forty-seven — the song paints a full portrait of Kerouac as both cultural icon and human being. It celebrates the legacy of a writer who inspired countless minds to break free of society’s constraints and seek their own paths, reminding listeners that while the road may be long, the pursuit of truth, experience, and self-understanding is the ultimate adventure.
No comments