Jack Hody Johnson (born May 18, 1975 in North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii) is a sin… Read Full Bio ↴Jack Hody Johnson (born May 18, 1975 in North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii) is a singer, professional surfer, composer, and filmmaker who has achieved critical and commercial success and a dedicated following since he first appeared on G. Love & Special Sauce's album Philadelphonic. The release of his 2001 debut album, Brushfire Fairytales, further cemented his popularity and he has since released four more successful albums including 2003's On and On, 2005's In Between Dreams, 2008's Sleep Through the Static and 2010's To The Sea. He has also released a live concert album and DVD, En Concert and recorded the soundtrack to the film Curious George.

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.

Fragments
Jack Johnson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Fragments on the sea
Birds of prey above
All that lies beneath
No longer what it was, it changed
Why can't we relate

Shadows from the deep
Your thoughts were afraid of

Secrets that we keep
The surface of our love and hate
Why can't we relate
With ourselves with what we open
Up when it's too late

What we used to be
What we will become
Words we cannot see
Breaking up by one, by one
Slowly we felt under a spell
One by one
Slowly we wake up

Fragments of a scene
From a distance they jumped down
Little time machines
Messages of love and hate
Why can't we relate

With ourselves with what we open
Up when it's too late

Overall Meaning

In Jack Johnson's song "Fragments," the lyrics speak to the disconnectedness and lack of understanding that exists among human beings. The opening lines describe fragments on the sea and birds of prey, symbolizing the broken and fragmented state of our world. What lies beneath the surface is no longer what it was, emphasizing the constant change and transformation that occurs. The question "Why can't we relate?" highlights the struggle and inability to connect with one another, to understand and empathize with each other's experiences.

As the song continues, it delves into the shadows from the deep, representing the fears and insecurities that we bury within ourselves. The secrets we keep reflect the hidden aspects of our love and hate, the complexities of our emotions. Again, the plea to relate is repeated, emphasizing the need for deeper understanding and connection. The line "With ourselves with what we open up when it's too late" suggests that we often realize the importance of opening up and connecting only after it's too late, after we've drifted too far apart.

The next section of the lyrics explores the concept of fragments of a scene, referring to moments or memories that hold significance. These fragments act as little time machines that carry messages of both love and hate. The ongoing questioning of why we can't relate reinforces the theme of disconnectedness and the longing for deeper connection.

Overall, "Fragments" by Jack Johnson speaks to the universal struggle of relating and connecting with other people, as well as the missed opportunities and regrets that arise from not doing so.

Line by Line Meaning

Fragments on the sea
Small broken pieces floating on the vast ocean

Birds of prey above
Predatory birds soaring high in the sky

All that lies beneath
Everything hidden below the surface

No longer what it was, it changed
The things beneath have transformed from what they used to be

Why can't we relate
Why can't we connect or understand each other

Shadows from the deep
Darkness originating from the depths

Your thoughts were afraid of
Your own mind hesitated and feared

Secrets that we keep
The undisclosed truths we hold within

The surface of our love and hate
The visible layer of both our affection and animosity

Why can't we relate
Why can't we connect or understand each other

With ourselves with what we open
With our own selves and the emotions we reveal