2011Released
1:58

Did You Know?

Interesting facts and trivia about Hit The Road Jack. By Songfacts®.

Fred, you can stay. Steve, you're OK. But Jack, you gotta go. This kiss-off anthem was written by Ray's good friend Percy Mayfield, an R&B singer who was badly disfigured in a car accident soon after he started performing. Mayfield cut back his touring and made his mark as a prolific songwriter, with many of his compositions performed by Charles.

This was the second (and shortest, at an even two minutes) of Charles' three #1 hits.

The solo backing vocals were by Margie Hendricks, who was one of Ray's backup singers, The Raelettes. They were lovers for a time, but the song is not about their relationship.

Song Analysis

Key, BPM (tempo) and time signature of Hit The Road Jack.
G♯Key
MinorMode
4/4Time Signature
173BPM

Album

The album Hit The Road Jack is released on.

Released By

The record label that has released Hit The Road Jack.
Roslin Records

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