Jack learned to play the guitar at age 14, but was a professional surfer until an accident at Pipeline in which his front teeth were knocked out and he received more than 150 stitches. While he was recovering in bed, he spent his time writing songs and playing guitar. However, Jack didn't seriously pursue a career in the arts until his college years at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Jack Johnson also played rhythm guitar for the party band "Soil" in 1999, and graduated with a degree in film.
He has written, recorded, and released the albums Brushfire Fairytales (2001), On And On (2003), In Between Dreams (2005), Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George (2006), Sleep Through the Static (2008) and To The Sea (2010), he has also been on 3 soundtracks "September Sessions" from the film The September Sessions, "Thicker Than Water" from the film Thicker Than Water, "Sprout", "A Broke Down Melody" Ep and "Some Live Songs EP". Several of his songs are also featured in the movie "Out Cold". His latest album - Sleep Through The Static - reached the top 10 of the US charts.
In (2009) A live album and DVD of Jack's (2008) world tour to promote the release of Sleep Through The Static album. The DVD entitled En Concert, was released on October 27, 2009. The DVD was directed by Emmett Malloy.
On June 1, 2010, Johnson released his fifth studio album, To The Sea, on Brushfire Records/Universal Republic, which was recorded using Solar Powered energy at his Mango Tree Studio in Hawaii, and the Plastic Plant in LA . To The Sea was co produced by Robert Carranza, Jack Johnson, and his bandmates Merlo Podlewski, Zach Gill and Adam Topol and features guest appearances from G. Love, and Paula Fuga.
Jack Johnson is currently on a world tour promoting To The Sea while continually encouraging his concert attendees to pay greater respect for our planet. An active promoter of environmental causes like Explore.org and One Percent For The Planet, Johnson's 2010 world tour will continue to collaborate with local non-profit groups around the world, according to his website. He will once again donate 100% of his tour profits to support environmental, art, and music education. Learn more about Jack Johnson's current environmental commitments to our planet at: www.AllAtOnce.org.
Jack just cancelled the remaining balance of his Japanese tour on March 12, 2011 in sympathy of the victims of Tohoku Earthquake. Join Jack in supporting this disaster relief by donating to Global Giving Japan, and he encourages others to join this effort. Johnson's Ohana Charitable Foundation has also supported Little Kids Rock, a national nonprofit that works to restore and revitalize music education in disadvantaged U.S. public schools. He also decorated a guitar for Little Kids Rock to auction to raise funds for its program.
On September 22, 2012, he donated his time to play a few songs at Farm Aid 2012 in Hershey, PA. Later in 2012, Jack donated $50,000 for Hurricane Sandy relief and added links on his website for others to donate:
"After years of touring and surfing along the East Coast, I have made so many great friends. It is heartbreaking to see the images and hear their stories. I just made donations to help recover and relief efforts for Hurricane Sandy. Below is a list of groups you can support. If you can't donate money, you can donate food, supplies, or your time. Our East Coast family, friends, and neighbors need our help. Aloha"
Johnson released From Here to Now to You with his band on September 17, 2013. On June 15, 2013, Jack and the Band performed as headliners at the 2013 Bonnaroo in Tennessee. He also played two acoustic concerts, one at London's Tabernacle in Notting Hill and the other at New York City's Allen Room at Lincoln Center overlooking Central Park, featuring songs from his upcoming album. The From Here to Now to You Tour ran from March through September 2014.
In February 2017, Johnson announced a U.S. tour beginning in Chicago at the Huntington Bank Pavilion on Northerly Island on June 1 and ending with two Kōkua Hawai'i Foundation benefit concerts at the Waikiki Shell on August 4 & 5. Also, he revealed plans to release an album in the summer of 2017. Later, he added a September 10 concert for the 2017 Ohana Fest at Doheny State Beach, Dana Point, California. On September 8, 2017, Jack released his seventh studio album All the Light Above It Too, and peaked at number 13 on the Billboard chart's "Artist 100." In July 2018, Johnson released his greatest hits album "Jack Johnson: The Essentials" in Japan only.
In late 2019, Johnson released a single "New Axe", which was featured in the This Warm December Vol. 3 album. He then did a "Together at Home" Instagram Live stream concert on March 28, 2020. His concert was the third most watched on the Global Citizen YouTube. He then also performed at the "One World: Together at Home" special, and a live version of "Better Together" was featured on the One World: Together at Home album. On May 1, 2020, he was featured on Milky Chance's new single "Don't Let Me Down". On September 26, 2020, Johnson performed the opening set at Farm Aid: On the Road.
On December 4, 2020, Johnson released a new single titled "The Captain Is Drunk". On April 16, 2021, Johnson released a song titled "If Ever" with Paula Fuga and Ben Harper. The song appeared on Fuga's new album Rain on Sunday, which will be featured on Johnson's record label.
On June 24, 2022, Johnson released his eighth studio album, Meet the Moonlight, his first full-length record in five years. It was produced by Blake Mills, engineered by Joseph Lorge, and recorded both in Los Angeles (at Sound City Studios and EastWest Studios) and at The Mango Tree (Johnson's home studio) in Hawaii. The album's lead single is titled "One Step Ahead".
To coincide with his new album release, Johnson embarked on the Meet the Moonlight Tour with 35 stops at major venues across the United States (including Hawaii) and Canada. He was accompanied by various artists including Grammy-award winner (and personal friend) Ziggy Marley. In November, Johnson will tour the album in Australia and New Zealand, his first overseas concerts since 2019.
On July 22, 2000, Johnson married his college girlfriend, Kim Baker. They have three children: two boys and a girl. Johnson lives on the North Shore of the island of Oahu in Hawaii. In an interview with Johnson, Ann Donahue from Billboard described Johnson's family life by saying "There is often trouble in balancing the life of an artist, environmentalist, and family man, but Johnson seems to have the niche for such a challenge. This time around, he's found a pace that agrees with him...bringing his family along so he can spend mornings with them sightseeing." Both Johnson and his wife declined to talk about or release any intimate information concerning their children.
All at Once
Jack Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The world
Can't overwhelm me
Theres almost nothin'
That you could tell me
That could ease my mind
Which way will you run
All around you
And the feelin' lost
And found you again
A feelin'
That we have no control
Around a song
Some say
There's gonna be
The new hell
Some say
It's still
Too early to tell
Some say
It really
Ain't no myth at all
Keep askin' ourselves
Are we really
Strong enough
There's so many things
That we got
Too proud of
We're too proud of
We're too proud of
I wanna take
The preconceived
Out from
Underneath your feet
We could shake it off
Instead
We'll plant some seeds
We'll watch em' as they grow
And with each new beat
From your heart
The roots grow deeper
The branches
Will they reach for what
Nobody really knows
But underneath it all
There's this heart
All alone
What about is gone
And it really
Won't be so long
Sometimes it feels
Like a heart
Is no place
To be singin'
From at all
There's a world
We've never seen
There's still hope
Between the dreams
The weight of it all
Could blow away
With a breeze
If your waitin'
On the wind
Don't forget to breathe
Cause as the darkness
Gets deeper
We'll be sinkin'
As we reach for love
At least somethin'
We could hold
But I'll reach to you
From where time
Just can't go
What about is gone
And it really
Won't be so long
Sometimes it feels
Like a heart
Is no place
To be singin'
From at all
The song "All at Once" by Jack Johnson delves into the idea of feeling overwhelmed and powerless in a constantly changing world. Johnson's gentle vocals and beautiful guitar work create a calming yet introspective atmosphere, as he reflects on the uncertainty and fear that often accompany life's changes. The opening lines "All at once, the world can't overwhelm me, there's almost nothing that you could tell me that could ease my mind" express the overwhelming nature of the world and the inability to find comfort even in the wise words of others.
Johnson then continues to explore the idea of control and how we handle the constant changes around us. He asks, "which way will you run when it's always all around you?" hinting at the idea that we cannot run away from change or the feelings that it brings. The song then transitions into a discussion about hope and strength, acknowledging the danger of being too proud and having things to lose. Ultimately, Johnson suggests that we must create our own stability by planting seeds and watching them grow, even in the midst of chaos.
The final lines of the song "Sometimes it feels like a heart is no place to be singin' from at all" recall the idea of feeling powerless and overwhelmed in the face of change. However, he adds that even in the darkest of times, there is still hope and possibility, urging listeners to hold onto love and something to hold onto, even if it's just each other.
Line by Line Meaning
All at once
Suddenly, unexpectedly
The world
Life, existence, reality
Can't overwhelm me
I am strong enough to handle anything
Theres almost nothin'
There is very little
That you could tell me
Words cannot change how I feel
That could ease my mind
Nothing can make me feel better
Which way will you run
How will you respond
When it's always
In a world where
All around you
Everything is happening to you
And the feelin' lost
Being confused and unsure
And found you again
Then figuring things out
A feelin'
Emotions, sensations
That we have no control
We cannot stop our feelings
Around a song
Through music
Some say
Many people believe
There's gonna be
There is likely to be
The new hell
A significant negative change
Some say
Many people believe
It's still
It may be
Too early to tell
Uncertainty about what the future holds
Some say
Many people believe
It really
It truly
Ain't no myth at all
It is entirely true
Keep askin' ourselves
We need to ask ourselves repeatedly
Are we really
Do we actually exist as we believe?
Strong enough
Able to handle life's challenges
There's so many things
There are many things
That we got
That we possess
Too proud of
But we overvalue them
We're too proud of
We are overly attached to
I wanna take
I desire to remove
The preconceived
The things we assume
Out from
Away from
Underneath your feet
From beneath you
We could shake it off
We can rid ourselves of these assumptions
Instead
Rather, alternatively
We'll plant some seeds
We will invest in new things
We'll watch em' as they grow
We will pay attention as they progress
And with each new beat
Every new development
From your heart
From deep within you
The roots grow deeper
Our beliefs become more ingrained
The branches
The results of our efforts
Will they reach for what
Will they strive for something
Nobody really knows
The outcome is uncertain
But underneath it all
Despite this uncertainty
There's this heart
At the core, there is our spirit
All alone
Without help from others
What about is gone
The past is over
And it really
It is
Won't be so long
It won't take too much time
Sometimes it feels
At times, it seems
Like a heart
Our emotions, our being
Is no place
Is not suited
To be singin'
To express ourselves
From at all
In any way
There's a world
A possibility
We've never seen
We have yet to experience
There's still hope
There is still potential
Between the dreams
Amid our aspirations
The weight of it all
The heaviness of life's burdens
Could blow away
May be fleeting
With a breeze
With a simple thing
If your waitin'
If you are longing for
On the wind
A change in circumstances
Don't forget to breathe
Take a moment to relax
Cause as the darkness
In times of difficulty
Gets deeper
Becomes more intense
We'll be sinkin'
We will struggle
As we reach for love
Despite everything, we look for affection
At least somethin'
Something, anything
We could hold
We can cling to
But I'll reach to you
But I will connect with you
From where time
From a place not limited by time
Just can't go
That exists beyond time's constraints
Lyrics © Bubble Toes Publishing, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: Jack Johnson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind