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.

Frankie and Albert
Jack Johnson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well Frankie and Albert were sweethearts,
lordy how they could love.
They vowed to love one another,
or baith beneith the stars above.
It was her man...
but he was doing her wrong.

Well Frankie went down to the bar room,

to fetch her self a bucket of beer.
The bartender said mrs frankie,
ur loving mans been here.
It was ur man... (hey hey hey hey)
but he was doing u wrong.

The bartender said Mrs Frankie,
well girl i cant tell u no lies.
Your husband left about an hour ago
with that hussy named Nelly Bly.
It was ur man...
but he was doing u wrong.

Well Frankie she cried, she cried, she cried.
She said lordy wat have i done.
I done give enough love to my man .
He done took my love and run
It was my man...
but he was doing me wrong.

Well Albert saw Frankie coming.
He said lordy dont you shoot,
but out from under that red camona
the gun went rooty-toot toot.
She shoot that man...
cuz he was doing her wrong

Aboo-hoo boo-hoo boo-hoo boo-hoo
She said baby wat have i done.
I done shoot the only man i love,
with a colt 41.
I shot my man...
cause he was doing me wrong

now Frankie and Albert were sweethearts,
lordy how they could love.
They vowed to love one and other,
or bath beneith the stars above.

It was her man...
but he was doing her wrong.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Jack Johnson's "Frankie and Albert" tell the story of a tragic love affair that ends in murder. It's a classic tale of love, betrayal, and revenge, set to a simple acoustic guitar melody that underscores the intense emotions of the story. The song tells the story of Frankie and Albert, two sweethearts who loved each other deeply. However, Albert was unfaithful, and when Frankie learns of his infidelity, she becomes devastated. Her heartbroken cries are repeated throughout the song, creating a sense of deep sorrow and loss.

The story takes a turn when Frankie visits the local bar to confront Albert, only to learn that he has already left with another woman named Nelly Bly. Frankie is consumed by anger and jealousy, and she decides to take matters into her own hands. She goes to Albert's house with a gun and shoots him, ultimately leading to her own imprisonment. The song ends on a bittersweet note, with a reminder that despite all the pain and turmoil, the love between the two was pure and real.

One interesting fact about "Frankie and Albert" is that it's a traditional American folk song that has been covered by many different artists, including Lead Belly, Louis Armstrong, and Bob Dylan. Another interesting fact is that the story is based on a real-life murder case that took place in St. Louis in 1899. The victim's name was actually Allen Britt, and his killer was a woman named Frankie Baker. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the murder.

Line by Line Meaning

Well Frankie and Albert were sweethearts, lordy how they could love.
Frankie and Albert were in love and had a deep connection.

They vowed to love one another, or baith beneith the stars above.
They made a commitment to love each other now and forever.

It was her man... but he was doing her wrong.
Frankie's man was cheating on her despite being her committed partner.

Well Frankie went down to the bar room, to fetch her self a bucket of beer.
Feeling upset, Frankie went to the bar to get a drink.

The bartender said mrs frankie, ur loving mans been here.
The bartender tells Frankie that her man was at the bar earlier.

It was ur man... (hey hey hey hey) but he was doing u wrong.
The bartender confirms that it was, in fact, Frankie's partner, who was cheating on her.

The bartender said Mrs Frankie, well girl i cant tell u no lies.
The bartender tells Frankie that he is telling the truth.

Your husband left about an hour ago with that hussy named Nelly Bly.
Frankie's man left the bar with another woman named Nelly Bly.

Well Frankie she cried, she cried, she cried. She said lordy wat have i done.
Frankie feels remorse for her situation and doesn't understand what she did wrong.

I done give enough love to my man . He done took my love and run
Frankie gave everything she could to her partner, but he betrayed her.

Well Albert saw Frankie coming. He said lordy dont you shoot,
Albert sees Frankie approaching with a gun and tries to stop her.

but out from under that red camona the gun went rooty-toot toot.
Despite Albert's warning, Frankie pulls out her gun and shoots her partner.

She shoot that man... cuz he was doing her wrong
Frankie shot her partner because he betrayed her and was cheating on her.

Aboo-hoo boo-hoo boo-hoo boo-hoo She said baby wat have i done.
Frankie feels regret for her actions.

I done shoot the only man i love, with a colt 41.
Frankie shot the man she loved with her colt 41 gun.

now Frankie and Albert were sweethearts, lordy how they could love.
The song repeats the opening lines to emphasize the love between Frankie and Albert.

It was her man... but he was doing her wrong.
The song ends with the reminder that despite their love, Frankie's man was still cheating on her.

Contributed by Lillian R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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