And Its Alright, In Fact, Its A Gas

"I was drowned, I was washed up and left for dead. I fell down to my feet and I saw they bled. I frowned at the crumbs of a crust of bread. Yeah, yeah, yeah I was crowned with a spike right thru my head. But its all right now, in fact, its a gas! But its all right, Im jumpin jack flash, Its a gas! gas! gas!" - Rolling Stones "Jumpin Jack Flash"

From the good to the very bad, the lore of how this song came about only adds to the greatness of it. But how does one take a song like "Jumpin Jack Flash" and spin it into something about attitude?

Well hang on folks, first listen to the song and then we'll talk.



As I have always understood it, when the song was released in 1968, Mick Jagger's comment was "...it was the most basic thing we ever did." But much later in another interview he said "...it’s a metaphor for getting out of all the acid things."

Being older and having listened to this song hundreds of times, I never interpreted it with the demonic or drug use labels others have given it.

This song for me has always been about overcoming circumstances.

We each get dealt a life that many times we didn't ask for. Sure, our behaviors can place us in situations that create lousy circumstances. Those circumstances build up inside like a bad chili on a warm day. You feel rotten, it brings you down and destroys anything positive you may have.

How we choose to react to those circumstances dictates whether we remain firmly defeated or pull out of them. You need to begin the process of creating an ARC (ACCEPT, REMOVE and CHANGE) to something better in life.

An arc is shaped like a curve or arch, which in certain terms means getting over something. Think arc of a bridge you build to a better life.

ACCEPT - Accept and acknowledge circumstance; understand the circumstance and accept it.
REMOVE - Remove any idea from your mind that circumstance is permanent or unchangeable.
CHANGE - Change negative things in life; movement creates change which changes circumstance.

Keep remembering, "I was drowned, I was washed up and left for dead", but I was determined to do more with my life.

And "...its all right now, in fact, its a gas!"

Stay inspired my friends!