As the years go by, there are more and more worthy candidates for the record of the year. For 1967 though there was only ever going to be one winner.
Also commonly known as "Grocer Jack", this was intended to be the first record from "A Teenage Opera" which was never completed. Don't let the opera part fool you though, this is very much a pop record.
It's a story of a grocer named Jack who one day didn't turn up to do his round and that makes his customers very angry. The reason for his absence though is because he has died. This has become apparent by the final verse which appears to be at Jacks funeral and the customers wish they had given Jack more respect when he was alive.
Coming from a small community like this was set in, I can relate in a way from my time as a paper boy when I would get up early in the morning and go out and get soaked in the pouring rain, but just get people complaining that their newspaper is slightly damp. One of many reasons why I escaped to the big smoke.
On first hearing this song, I didn't fully listen to the lyrics and got the impression from the final chorus that Jack had just got fed up and did a runner.
As for Keith West himself, he did have a less successful follow up single called "Sam", also from "A Teenage Opera". Also a good song, but not quite as good as this one. He still makes music today which is primarily used in the advertising industry.
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