Jack of Speed

"Jack of Speed" is a song by Steely Dan. It is the sixth track on Steely Dan's ninth album, Two Against Nature from 2000. It is considered the best song on Two Against Nature by many. It won the Steely Dan: Two Against Nature Survivor and was released as the second single for the record in 2000.

Lyric Analysis
The lyrics to "Jack of Speed" concern a man known as "Teddy" as well as a manifestation of his drug addiction, the "Jack of Speed" himself.

The first verse introduces Teddy and the Jack of Speed to the listener, and indicates that Teddy is "rolling" (slang for being high on MDMA) nightly. It also mentions that Teddy is "skating" (more slang for drugs, this time being crystal meth). By now, the listener will realize that Teddy is slowly changing due to his rampant and careless drug usage. The final line of this verse tells the listener that Teddy's "hangin' with the Jack of Speed", possibly stating that Teddy is self-aware of his addiction.

The second verse tells a story of Teddy going to what might be a reunion party for possible classmates. Here, Teddy attempt to reconnect with former friends, but they see that the version of Teddy they know and love is gone and replaced with a shell of himself who constantly abuses drugs. Possibly in a rage, he announces his conservative viewpoint to the attendees of the party (referenced in the song as his "right-wing hooey"). Depressed, Teddy goes to the kitchen and uses drugs in order to feel better about himself, not realizing that he is reconnecting with the Jack of Speed.

The third verse issues a warning to Teddy's friends and family, saying that he will likely never recover from his addiction and is a "one way rider on the shriek express" (likely slang for drugs, again). It also subtly indicates that drugs have become his life and to remove them from the picture would be like removing everything he ever loved.

The final verse has Teddy's wife leaving him due to the fact that he is past helping. Teddy is clearly upset about this and is begging her to stay with him, but it doesn't work, as it it implied that she leaves him. The final few lines tell the listener and Teddy's wife to "move now or you'll be trading fours with the Jack of Speed" (which implies that you will become a drug addict too if you stay with him).

Legacy
Jack of Speed was voted 1st in the Two Against Nature Survivor on r/SteelyDan and 39th in the Steely Dan Ultimate Survivor. It is considered by many to be one of the best songs on 2aN.

Something Else! Reviews, on their "Steely Dan Sunday" feature, considered the song to be "a perfect side two opener if 2aN was a LP, It’s funky, it rocks, it’s sophisticated. “Jack of Speed” is one of the strongest cuts on Two Against Nature."