Hit the Road Jack

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"Hit the Road Jack"
Single by Ray Charles
B-side "The Danger Zone"
Released 1960
Format 7", 45rpm
Genre R&B
Length 2:00
Label ABC-Paramount
Writer(s) Percy Mayfield

"Hit the Road Jack" is a song written by rhythm and bluesman Percy Mayfield and first recorded in 1960 as an a cappella demo sent to Art Rupe.[1] It became famous after it was recorded by singer-songwriter-pianist Ray Charles with the Raelettes vocalist Margie Hendricks.

The song, which has a strong beat, is a brief, rather comic duet between a fed-up woman and her good-for-nothing man. He tries to wheedle her into letting him stay, but she will have none of it, "'cause it's understood: you ain't got no money, you just ain't no good."

Ray Charles' recording hit number one for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, beginning on Monday, October 9, 1961.[2] "Hit the Road Jack" also got a Grammy award for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording. The song was also number one on the R&B Sides chart for five weeks and becoming Ray Charles' sixth number one on that chart.[3] The song is ranked #387 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Contents

Notable recordings [edit]

References in Popular Culture [edit]

  • In the Two and a Half Men episode "A Bottle of Wine and a Jackhammer", Charlie plays the piece in delight on his piano as Alan moves out of his house.
  • It was the theme song from the sitcom Unhappily Ever After from season 1 to 5.
  • Ray Charles' version is played over the PA during Chicago Bulls games when an opponent fouls out of the game.
  • It plays during the closing credits of 1989 film The Dream Team.
Preceded by
"Take Good Care of My Baby" by Bobby Vee
Billboard Hot 100 number one single
(Ray Charles version)

October 9, 1961 (2 weeks)
Succeeded by
"Runaround Sue" by Dion DiMucci
Preceded by
"My True Story" by The Jive Five
Billboard Hot R&B Sides number-one single
Ray Charles version

October 2, 1961-October 30, 1961
Succeeded by
"Ya Ya" by Lee Dorsey

References [edit]

  1. ^ Available on the Memory Pain CD vol. 2, Specialty Records SPCD-7027-2
  2. ^ Billboard chart
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 112. 

External links [edit]