This was the B side of the single Crawling up a Hill. It's not a typical Katie song, a novelty really I suppose.
But I have serious doubts about the lyrics, presumably Mike Batt's?

1. Why would dad hide his dresses etc in his son's bedroom anyway?
2. When his wife told him she'd found them, why didn't he confess then, instead of waiting until his son Jack to come in and then have a much more embarrassing situation?

I know it's nonsense, but it should at least be slightly believable!


Sunday, mom was cleaning up Jack's room,
I could call it the beginning of this houshold's doom.
After knowing her son for 18 years,
she did not expect to find these items here.


In Jack's room, behind the cupboard,
she finds pretty stockings, and dresses and heels.
In Jack's room, behind the cupboard, she finds pretty dresses and heels.

Down the stairs in a confused state of mind,
mother tells dad: 'Our son's got something to hide'.
As he follows her back up to Jack's room, really not knowing what to presume,

In Jack's room, behind the cupboard they find pretty stockings,
and dresses and heels.
In Jack's room, behind the cupboard, they find pretty dresses and heels.

And now Jack's walking home,
thinks there is nothing wrong,
he even stopped to buy some flowers,
for his dearest folks 'cause they're such a joke,
they want to clean his room for hours.
And now Jack's in a confused state of mind,
mother asks him,
he doesn't know how to reply.
Then dad suddenly goes bright red and says: 'I've got something to confess...

In Jack's room, behind the cupboard there're my pretty stockings,
and dresses and heels.
In Jack's room, behind the cupboard, there'er my pretty dresses and heels.'

(Interlude)

In Jack's room, behind the cupboard they find pretty stockings,
and dresses and heels.
In Jack's room, behind the cupboard, they find pretty dresses and heels.

I always put it down to the fact he might possibility be ashamed of his hobby and would be scared to have his own dresses in with his wifes clothes!



Maybe because he feels ashamed as he has dragged his son right bang into the middle of his fetish, and wants to own up for a clean slate, and get it out on the open?

Ack I dunno, thats how I always viewed it anyhow.

Brilliant song though. Might go listen to it now actually.

Of course. He doesn't want his wife to find them, so he does not risk to leave them where she could. That's pretty obvious, I think.

One of my favourite Katie b-sides. Great up-tempo beat with a very interesting story that you wouldn't expect in pop song. Proof that Katie can also due a good old fashioned 3 minute pop song. Always makes me smile when I hear it!!!!

when I first heard the song I didn't notice the story it tells, but after listening twice I paid attention to the lyrics and I found them very funny.
Awesome song, she does it very well, a complete different style then what we're used to hear from her..

This song is terribly underrated I think. Maybe even by Dramatico. For the life of me I cannot remember her performing this on the radio or the telly, then again it is a B-side. But still, it would have made a decent single at some point IMO. And the video might have been wonderful!

So here I have found a quote Katie recently wrote in the 'katie melua live tour 2008' magazine about Jack's Room:

"... Our philosophy on that first album was just to try stuff out, see what worked and what didn't We recorded a lot odd songs, including one I had written called 'Jack's Room' about a mum discovering her son wears girls' clothes. That might have been on the album - it eventually came out as a B-side - but 'Crazy' came and knocked it off ..."

Never read that before, thanks for that.

But as much as I enjoy Jacks Room it wouldn't have embedded itself in my skull as much as CTTC did.

Good decision. Not that "Jack's room" is bad, I like it, but TCTTC is of course a lot better.

From the theme it reminds me a little bit at the song 'Arnold Lane' from Pink Floyd.

This is not one of my favorites. This is typically a B song.

Jack's Room is a fantastic and catchy pop song
I loved it since the first time I heard it

I'm surprised at this enthusiasm I must say. I think it's the weakest of Katie's own songs.

hahaha No accounting for taste is there. I think it knocks Kozmic Blues into a 'cocked hat'.

And what about Blue Shoes ?
(this was at least the 27th try )

Blue Shoes as well into the 'cocked hat'.

[quote="MelvilleB"]Blue Shoes as well into the 'cocked hat'. [/quot

Give me that 'cocked hat' any day!

But 'seriously', why would you stash your pretty dresses behind a cupboard in your son's bedroom? It's madness!

I really think Jack's Room is an amazing song

Don't forget that tastes are different...

Indeed, that's why it's funny

First I didn't like that song at all, but it did grow a lot, when I heard it Live at the OTRA DVD. Now, very similar to Looking for clues. I love that song. It has a special funny feeling and I can see Katie laughing, when she wrote it.

@DavidA: The is no bad song, that Katie has written!!!!!

Somebody had to underline this

I've liked it from the very first time, and I like it much more that "Looking for Clues", which is an average song only improved because it's sung by Katie, whereas Jack's Room is a funny good song from the start.

Welcome back Kewa! No, I didn't say it was a BAD song, just the 'weakest' that Katie has written IMO.

Well I didn't check, but they all so amazing that it might be the "weakest"...

thank you.

That "weakest" is still that breathtaking. Is the slowest Ferrari a slow car?

I've been looking for a good comparison, I can't believe I didn't think of that one!