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.
Enemy
Jack Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The teeth from a mouth of a snake
That I choked on the teeth
They were mine all along
I picked up the pieces when I woke
Put them in a boat made of things that I don't wanna see
I blew on the sail
The further it drifted the closer it came to me
I can't explain
So I took it apart in a billion boxes
There was only one thing
You might think I'm your enemy
But that don't make you mine
And all I have now is above thee
I wish that you'd stop trying
Oh, please stop lying
Stop la la la la la la la la
La la la la
The hatred in the box then I locked
The strongest one I knew
I buried it all, grew a tree without thorns
Sat beneath the shade
You might think I'm your enemy
But that don't make you mine
And all I have now is above thee
I wish that you'd stop trying
Oh please stop lying
Please stop la la la la la la la
La la la la
La la la la la la la la
La la la la
The lyrics of this song convey a strong message of dealing with personal conflict and overcoming animosity towards someone who might consider you as their enemy. The persona talks about a dream he had where he broke the teeth of a snake, which he later realized were his own. Metaphorically, the snake could represent the persona's inner demon, that he had to confront and overcome. The idea of choking on one's own teeth emphasizes a sense of self-destructiveness that must be acknowledged for growth and development.
The persona then proceeds to collect the broken pieces of the snake's teeth in a boat composed of things that he doesn't want to see. This phrase could signify unprocessed emotions and experiences that he needs to acknowledge for growth. As he watches the boat drift far away, the closer it comes to him, which might mean that accepting these parts of oneself that are unwanted or difficult to handle can bring one closer to inner peace and growth.
The persona then talks about taking the boat apart in a billion boxes, metaphorically breaking down his issues into smaller, more manageable components. He then talks about putting the hateful emotions in a box and burying them deep underground, growing a tree that would bear no thorns. This phrase symbolizes the persona's growth, self-awareness, and development, as he chooses to transform his hatred into acceptance and chooses to live a life without negativity. The song's message is clear – The persona does not see the person he deems his enemy as his foe – but as a part of his journey that he has learned from.
Line by Line Meaning
After we spoke I had a dream that I broke
I had a dream that after speaking with you, I broke something.
The teeth from a mouth of a snake
I broke the teeth from the mouth of a snake in my dream.
That I choked on the teeth
I choked on the teeth from that snake in my dream.
They were mine all along
The teeth were actually mine all this while.
I picked up the pieces when I woke
When I woke up from the dream, I picked up the broken pieces of the teeth.
Put them in a boat made of things that I don't wanna see
I put the broken teeth in a boat made up of things that I don't want to see anymore.
I blew on the sail
I blew on the sail of the boat to make it move.
Watched it drift out to sea
I watched the boat drift away into the sea.
The further it drifted the closer it came to me
The more the boat drifted away, the closer it came to me.
I can't explain
I can't explain what is happening.
So I took it apart in a billion boxes
I took it apart and put it in a billion boxes.
There was only one thing
There was only one thing in all those boxes.
You might think I'm your enemy
You may consider me as your enemy.
But that don't make you mine
However, your perception of me doesn't make me your enemy.
And all I have now is above thee
All I have now is ahead of you in life.
I wish that you'd stop trying
I hope that you would stop trying to hurt me.
Oh, please stop lying
Please stop lying to me.
Stop la la la la la la la la
Stop repeating random sounds.
La la la la
Repeating 'La' without meaning.
The hatred in the box then I locked
I locked away the hatred in a box.
The strongest one I knew
It was the most intense anger I ever felt.
I buried it all, grew a tree without thorns, sat beneath the shade
I buried all of it and grew a tree without thorns and sat under it for shade.
And all I have now is above thee
Everything I have now is above what you have.
I wish that you'd stop trying
Please stop trying to hurt me.
Oh please stop lying
Please stop lying to me.
Please stop la la la la la la la
Please stop repeating nonsensical sounds.
La la la la, la la la la, la la la la
Repeating 'La' sounds is not productive.
Lyrics © Bubble Toes Publishing, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: Jack Hody Johnson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind