This is a song by The Fall. The lyric is by Mark E. Smith (yep, just one lyric; it's only one song, right?)
This was first released in January 1980 as the title track of a three-song 7". The other two songs were "Second Dark Age" and "Psykick Dancehall". This was their great early weird period. Either you like it, or you don't. I suppose this song is more "accessible" than most of the Fall's material from that era (or any era), but that's a relative thing. What I mean to say is, this is not the Osmonds. It's bracing, in a way: Smith can out-misanthrope pretty much anybody on Earth.
All three songs from that 7" were re-issued on the fearsomely great Early Fall 1977-79 compilation, still available on CD last I checked. 1979, 1980, whatever. It's The Fall, dammit. Just listen. The liner notes on that compilation describe this as "fierce Brit C&W swagger". That'll do. It's one of the bouncy 2/4 time things they used to do right after they stopped trying to be a punk band. It's cleanly recorded and it spanks along at a good pace. Smith declaims and the band plays goofy little Fallish one-string guitar riffs.
Welcome to the wonderful and frightening world of The Fall. Each step is a drag. They don't much like being alive, and they don't much like much else, and here's the Man himself to tell you all about it.
My face is slack
And kidneys burn
In the small of my back
Will never learn
Well I'm not going back
To the slow life
Because every step is a drag
And pieces of kite
Of materials you never catch
Come up for a snatch
I'm up from Hell
Once in a while.
'Cause I am Jack
From a burning ring
My face is slack
And I think think think
I just think think think
Too fast to write
Too fast to work
Just burn burn burn
I sat and drank
While my dreams decay
I'm 45
'Cause I am Jack
From a burning ring
And my face is slack
And I think think think
I just drink drink drink
Too fast to write
Too fast to work
I just burn burn burn
I eat hot dogs
I live on pies
I'm 45
'Cause I am Jack
And I think think think
Just think think think
Too fast to write
Too fast to work
Just burn burn burn
And put down left-wing tirades
and the musical trade
End free trade
I say eat this grenade
Gonna eat this grenade
'Cause I am Jack
Some man from the docks
They are smart
Their brains are half
They never end
Just follow trends
But I am Jack
From a burning ring
My face is slack
And I think think think
Just think think think
Too fast to write
Too fast to work
I just burn burn burn
I am Jack
And put down left-wing tirades
and the musical trade
End all free trade
I said eat this grenade
I said eat this grenade
End all free trade
I said eat this grenade