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.
Constellations
Jack Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The children's laughter saying they're skipping just like the stones they threw
The voices echoed across the ways, it's getting late
It was just another night with the sunset and
The moon rise not so far behind
To give us just enough light
To lay down underneath the stars listening to
The west winds often last too long
But when they come down nothing ever feels the same
Sheltered under the Kamani tree waiting for the passing rain
Clouds keep moving to uncover the sea
Stars above us chasing the day away
To find the stories that we sometimes need
Listen close enough all else fades
Fades away
It was just another night with the sunset and
The moon rise not so far behind
To give us just enough light
To lay down underneath the stars listening to
All the translations of the stories across the sky to do our own constellations
In Jack Johnson's song “Constellations”, the lyrics are about the unpredictable nature of life while also emphasizing the importance of taking time to connect with nature and loved ones. In the first verse, Johnson sings about a beautiful evening where the sun is setting and the moon is rising. Children are playing in the fading light and their laughter echoes across the landscape. Johnson himself is lying under the stars, listening to his father's translations of the stories in the sky while drawing his own constellations. Throughout the song, he emphasizes the fleeting nature of time and how we should make the most of every moment.
The second verse begins with Johnson commenting on the sometimes-unpleasant nature of the west winds, which can last for extended periods of time. However, when they eventually die down, everything feels different, almost new. He then describes finding shelter under a Kamani tree and waiting for the rain to pass. The clouds slowly clear, revealing the sea, while the stars chase away the daylight. Johnson then describes how by listening closely to the stories in the stars, everything else fades away, allowing us to connect with something deeper and more meaningful.
Overall, the song is a reminder to slow down, connect with nature and loved ones, and cherish every moment. The lyrics serve as an encouragement to search for deeper meaning in the world around us and find beauty in the fleeting moments of life.
Line by Line Meaning
The light was leaving and the west it was blue
As the sun was setting, the sky turned a blueish tone in the west.
The children's laughter saying they're skipping just like the stones they threw
Children playing around, skipping stones and having fun while mimicking their own movements.
The voices echoed across the ways, it's getting late
The voices carried across the distance, signaling that it was getting late.
It was just another night with the sunset and
This was just a typical evening, with a beautiful sunset.
The moon rise not so far behind
The moon was beginning to appear in the sky, not long after the sun had set.
To give us just enough light
The moon provided enough light to see our surroundings.
To lay down underneath the stars listening to
We lay down on the ground, looking up at the sky while listening to...
Papa's translations of the stories across the sky, we drew our own constellations
Papa told us stories about the stars and constellations, and we used our imagination to create our own patterns in the sky.
The west winds often last too long
The strong winds from the west can last for extended periods of time.
But when they come down nothing ever feels the same
When the winds die down, it creates a shift in the atmosphere and everything feels different.
Sheltered under the Kamani tree waiting for the passing rain
We took refuge under a Kamani tree, waiting for the rain to pass by.
Clouds keep moving to uncover the sea
The clouds were moving quickly, slowly revealing the ocean below.
Stars above us chasing the day away
The stars sparkled above us, symbolizing the end of the day.
To find the stories that we sometimes need
We looked up at the stars, hoping to find the stories and answers that we needed.
Listen close enough all else fades
If we listen close enough to the stories being told, everything else around us fades away.
All the translations of the stories across the sky to do our own constellations
We used the stories and translations we heard to create our own constellations in the sky.
Lyrics © Vietnam Center for Protection of Music Copyright (VCPMC), Bubble Toes Publishing, O/B/O DistroKid, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: Jack Hody Johnson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind