My Friend Jack – The Smoke

The first single of a pretty obscure British band called The Smoke, which happened to hit #2 on German charts in 1967 when it was released. This pretty freakbeaty, LSD-referencing original was later covered by… eurodisco stars Boney M. What is more, the (slightly changed) chord progression from the intro was also used in another one of Boney M.’s songs, namely “Gotta Go Home”. The fact that Zeke Lund, The Smoke’s bassist, was later working as a sound engineer with Boney M. might have had something to do with it.

CAPO ON THE 1ST FRET


INTRO: D F G Bb A

D                   C
My friend Jack eats sugar lumps
D                   C
My friend Jack eats sugar lumps
D    F          G     D
Sugarman hasn't got a care
D         F          G    Bb    A
He's been travelling everywhere

          D                 G
Been on a voyage, across an ocean
                D                   G
Heard the sweet sound, of wheels in motion
              F                Bb               A
He's seen the hawk fly high to hail the setting sun

D                   C
My friend Jack eats sugar lumps
D                   C
My friend Jack eats sugar lumps
D    F          G     D
Sugarman hasn't got a care
D         F          G    Bb    A
He's been travelling everywhere

              D              G
He's seen the people, in the city
               D                     G
And the bright lights, they're awful pretty
              F            Bb       A         Bb
He's followed dusty tracks to eternity

             F                   Bb
Eatin' sugar cane in Cuba
                 F               Bb
Tried to grow it in Japan
                  F                       Bb
On the West Coast he's real famous
                  A
Kids all call him Sugarman

D                   C
My friend Jack eats sugar lumps
D                   C
My friend Jack eats sugar lumps
D    F          G     D
Sugarman hasn't got a care
D         F          G    Bb    A
He's been travelling everywhere

          D                 G
Been on a voyage, across an ocean
                D                   G
Heard the sweet sound, of wheels in motion
              F                Bb               A
He's seen the hawk fly high to hail the setting sun

D                   C
My friend Jack eats sugar lumps
D                   C
My friend Jack eats sugar lumps
D    F          G     D
Sugarman hasn't got a care
D         F          G    Bb    A        D
He's been travelling everywhere

Transcribed by Patrick