Along with 'Paninaro', 'Jack The Lad' was one of the B-sides to 'Suburbia', appearing on the 12" releases for this single.
Lyrics[]
Neil penned this song, and states his inspiration came from both the song 'E=MC2' by Big Audio Dynamite (which had the lyric 'who do you think you are -- Jack the Lad?') and what he had recently read about Lawrence of Arabia.
The second verse refers to the fact that Lawrence of Arabia is supposed to have been homosexual - 'telling lies in public, breaking codes at home, underneath the blankets…' When I say, 'Are you only Jack the lad?', I'm saying: are you just messing about?" Oscar Wilde makes a referential cameo as well: "'To feast with panthers…' is a reference to Oscar Wilde who said that when he was going out with all these rent boys it was like feasting with panthers because they were all so dangerous and it was all likely to destroy him. Which, of course, it did.
Lawrence in the desert
How was he to know?
Under so much pressure
from the men back home
Play with fire you must be mad
Are you only Jack the lad?
Play with guns you must be bad
or hiding something, Jack
Telling lies in public
Breaking codes at home
Underneath the blankets
for another role
Tell these lies you must be mad
Are you only Jack the lad?
To feast with panthers every night
you must be careful, Jack
Don't let them try to restrain you
This is your only religion
Don't let them try to detain you
You're not the only fool
We all fall, l even Jack the lad
We all fall, even Jack the lad will fall
Philby in the desert
looking for a phone
waiting on the pavement
for a call from home
Play with fire you must be mad
Are you only Jack the lad?
Turn your back on friends you had
They must have hurt you, Jack
Don't let them try to restrain you
This is your only religion
Don't let them try to detain you
You're not the only fool
We all fall, even Jack the lad
We all fall, even Jack the lad will fall