Jack of Speed Lyrics

Lyric discussion by ThouAreThat 

Cover art for Jack of Speed lyrics by Steely Dan

Like any good lyric poetry, there is no singular meaning to a narrative like this.

On its face, yes; it's easy to point to the drug aspect/addiction/change of personality/loss of individuality of the antagonist.

In a larger sense, this song suggests that people can throw themselves & their lives away in service to any malicious slave driver, be it drugs, religion, authoritarians, exploiters or any manner of self-defeating ideas, people or things to which they sacrifice themselves.

Don't have to look far to witness this kind of widespread depravity these days.