Considered one of their more lightweight efforts by some critics, "Happy Jack" was nonetheless highly enjoyable and gave them an all-important entree into the U.S. The cleverest part of the arrangement, in fact, is probably the varied harmonies on the verse, in which the group shoots off rapid-fir, stuttering "la-la"s. The Beach Boys' influence upon the Who, in their harmonies mostly, reached a peak in 19, and "Happy Jack" is one of the tracks in which that trait is most apparent, especially in the high harmonies on the bridge. (Sometimes it's been said that "Happy Jack" is about a donkey, but in fact the song does state at its outset that Happy Jack is a man.) The irregular, nervous tempo of the verses gives way to a brief bridge with a brasher, more upbeat rhythm and chords before returning to the main motif. Further parallels with the Beatles and the Kinks in 1966-1967? It's a whimsical third-person character sketch of a strange fellow named "Happy Jack" who lives on the Isle of Man and stays happy in spite of abuse from the local kids. Like much of composer Pete Townshends work from the period (indeed much work by major British groups the Beatles and the Kinks in 1966-1967), it has a chipper, singalong feel.
"Happy Jack" is grounded in two musical hooks: a jaunty, playful, circular guitar riff, and an insistent two-note bass line that pulses through much of the track.
after its release in late 1966, and providing their belated commercial breakthrough in the United States, where it reached the Top 30 in mid-1967. "Happy Jack" was one of the Who's most lighthearted singles, reaching number three in the U.K.
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