Making something that makes no literal sense and yet is impossible to ignore is harder than it looks. Paul named this explosive Band on the Run track after a Labrador puppy his family had owned, assembled lyrics that he himself has acknowledged do not quite add up to a coherent narrative, and produced one of the most invigorating songs of the 1970s.
All songs create a sound. Some are dissonant and harsh; some are harmonic and pleasing. Paul is a master at creating music and lyrics that sound great, even if they don’t make literal sense. “Jet” is the perfect example of that.
Justifying every creative choice through rational explanation is a trap that Paul consistently avoided in his most exhilarating work. "Jet" strikes a chord inside of us that is impossible to ignore. The emotional truth of the song, which is something like joy at its most unrestrained, communicates perfectly even as the literal content remains elusive.
One of the lessons Paul learned early is that the audience does not need to understand a song intellectually to feel it completely. "Jet" works because Paul put together music and lyrics that sound great together.
Rather than dissecting this song, it is best to kick back, listen, and sing along. It’s impossible to do it without shouting out an occasional “jet”. The lyrics don’t always make sense, but the sound is like candy for your ears.
Today, I will trust one creative or emotional instinct that I cannot fully explain, allowing the feeling to guide me rather than waiting for a rational justification to follow.
Where have you been waiting for something to make complete logical sense before committing to it, when the emotional truth might actually be pointing you in exactly the right direction?
