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.
Country Road
Jack Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lord I pray let them be safe
No turning back I'm just a mile away from home
I sit here waiting let me be patient
Sometimes it's hard to ease my mind to realize
You're always with me waiting, willing
To hear my, thoughts my hopes
I pray for wisdom and over standing
What's meant to be will always be though I control my destiny
Free will you gave me even though you made me
Be careful of the things you do it eventually comes back to you
Universal law, Babylon shall fall
I pray for peace in times of war
Destruction of civilizations past is consequence of forests thrashed
The air you breathe comes directly from trees
What goes up must come back down
What goes around comes back around
The things you do shall be done unto you
I pray for light in times of darkness
The lyrics to Jack Johnson's song "Country Road" describe the feelings of a person waiting for their loved ones to return home safely from a road trip. The singer of the song is anxious about the potential danger that their loved ones may face on the road. They pray for their safety, as they sit at home waiting patiently. The song suggests that the singer finds solace in the belief that their loved ones, and indeed everyone, is always accompanied by a higher power, who is willing to listen to their every thought, hope, dream, and need.
The lyrics also explore the idea of destiny, free will, and universal law. The singer muses that what's meant to be will always be, despite their efforts to control their destiny. They acknowledge the gift of free will and the responsibility that comes with it. They caution against negative actions, which eventually come back to haunt the doer, citing the universal law that governs all actions. They pray for peace in times of war and for light in times of darkness, suggesting that the world is often a dark and tumultuous place, but that we can find hope and faith in something higher.
Overall, "Country Road" is a song that asks listeners to reflect on the fragility of life and the importance of cherishing our loved ones. It also hints at a belief in a higher power that accompanies and guides us through life.
Line by Line Meaning
Head on collision on a two lane country road
A scary situation occurred on a small road where two cars crashed into each other
Lord I pray let them be safe
The singer is hoping that all individuals involved in the car crash are safe
No turning back I'm just a mile away from home
The singer is almost home but cannot do anything to help right now
I sit here waiting let me be patient
The artist is waiting for news and trying to remain calm and patient
Sometimes it's hard to ease my mind to realize
The artist acknowledges that sometimes it can be difficult to calm their mind and has trouble realizing this
You're always with me waiting, willing
The singer believes that a higher power is always by their side, waiting and willing to help them through difficult times
To hear my, thoughts my hopes
The singer believes that this higher power will listen to and understand their thoughts and hopes
My dreams, my every need
The artist believes that this higher power is willing to help them with their dreams and every need
I pray for wisdom and over standing
The artist is asking for wisdom and understanding
What's meant to be will always be though I control my destiny
The artist believes that fate plays a role in one's life, but still acknowledges the control we have over our own actions and destinies
Free will you gave me even though you made me
The singer believes that a higher power gave humans free will, despite creating them
Be careful of the things you do it eventually comes back to you
The artist warns that the actions a person takes has consequences that will eventually come back to them
Universal law, Babylon shall fall
The singer may be referring to the idea that everything in the universe is connected and operates under certain laws, and that even great societies or empires will eventually crumble
I pray for peace in times of war
The singer is hoping for peace during violent and tumultuous times
Destruction of civilizations past is consequence of forests thrashed
The singer acknowledges that destroying forests has led to the destruction of civilizations from the past
The air you breathe comes directly from trees
The artist is reminding the listener that the air they breathe comes from trees and how important they are
What goes up must come back down
The artist is referencing the idea of cause and effect, where actions have consequences and they will eventually come back around
What goes around comes back around
The singer is emphasizing that actions have consequences and they will return to you eventually
The things you do shall be done unto you
The singer is warning that the actions a person takes will ultimately affect them too
I pray for light in times of darkness
The artist is asking for hope and positivity during difficult and dark times
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Paula Fuga
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind