The true "gas" of the song, though, is its irresistible funky rock groove. There were those determined to find some hidden meaning in the lyrics, and in the title especially, with jumpin' jack flash taken to possibly mean laughing gas, or some other potent drug.
In this sense, the group seemed to be building a mythology for themselves, describing themselves as sleazy but charming ruffians, not afraid to wear their unsavory aspects on their sleeves. Comment below with facts and trivia about the song and we may include it in our song facts Comments. The song was performed by The Rolling Stones. One quality that was evident was the overwhelming sardonicism and irony with which the lyrics were delivered, exceeding the level heard in the Stones' pre-1968 records, which were not at all lacking in those traits. Jumpin' Jack Flash was the 3 song in 1968 in the Pop charts. Just the sort of fellow you'd like to invite to your next tea party, yes? What most listeners glommed onto, however, was the more immediately understandable chorus, with its ultra-catchy reminders that everything was alright, as jumping jack flash was a gas-gas-gas. Set to an infectious stop-start beat, the verse was a first-person portrait of a guy born in a crossfire hurricane, raised by a hag, and crowned with a spike through his head. In common with some previous Rolling Stones songs, such as "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?," "Jumpin' Jack Flash"'s lyric was obscure and somewhat bizarre. The distinctive, grungy (in the pre-Seattle sense of that term) texture of the guitar chords heard in much of the track was achieved by recording some of the guitar parts on cassette - an early application of the lo-fi aesthetic, perhaps. Like a great many Rolling Stones songs, and most of their 1960s singles, the Top Three hit "Jumpin' Jack Flash" unveiled yet another classic blues-rock guitar riff, similar to the one heard in "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" in its ascending insistence, but nevertheless easy to tell apart from that predecessor. Like several other rock superstars in early 1968, the Rolling Stones turned to a back-to-the-basics direction, with the single "Jumpin' Jack Flash" the first track to fly that flag.