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.
Losing Hope
Jack Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got a stranger's friend
An exciting change in
My butchers blend
A symbol on the ceiling
With the flick of a switch, yeah
My new found hero
In the enemy's ditching
Somebody's something was left in the room
And now that its gone well of course we assume
That somebody else needed something so bad
They took everything that somebody had
Losing hope is easy
When your only friend is gone
And every time you look around
Well, it all, it all just seems to change
The mark was left
Man it's never the same
Next time that you shoot
Make sure that you aim
Open windows with passing cars
A brand new night
With the same old stars
Losing hope is easy
When your only friend is gone
And every time you look around
Well, it all, it all just seems to change
Feed the fool
A piece of the pie
Make a fool of his system
Make a fool of his mind
Give him bottles of lies
And maybe he'll find
His place in heaven
'Cause he might just die
Losing hope is easy
When your only friend is gone
And every time you look around
Well, it all, it all just seems to change
But hanging on is easy
When you've got a friend to call
When nothings making sense at all
You're not the only one that's afraid of change
The lyrics of Jack Johnson's "Losing Hope" touches upon the themes of change and loss of friendship. The song starts with the lines "I got a faulty parachute, I got a stranger's friend" where the parachute can be interpreted as something that should have been dependable, but instead it failed him. Similarly, the stranger's friend could be someone who is not necessarily a friend, but rather someone who he has to rely on in the absence of his original friend. The next lines "An exciting change in, My butchers blend" suggests that the singer has gone through a significant change in their life, possibly in their career. The phrase 'butchers blend' might represent the decision to take a risk, trying a different approach to something.
The lines "Somebody's something was left in the room, And now that its gone well of course we assume, That somebody else needed something so bad, They took everything that somebody had" emphasizes the feeling of loss and how it is difficult to cope with. The singer might be feeling a sense of injustice wondering why somebody could have taken something that they have worked hard for.
In the chorus, "Losing hope is easy when your only friend is gone", the singer is saying that when they lack emotional support, it is much easier to fall into despair. They might find it hard to deal with the changes happening around them, feeling helpless and not knowing how to proceed. However, as the song progresses, he highlights that it is much easier to hold on when there is someone who can offer help and support in times of need.
Line by Line Meaning
I got a faulty parachute
I am not prepared for what is coming
I got a stranger's friend
I have an unfamiliar support system
An exciting change in
My butchers blend
A major shift in my situation
A symbol on the ceiling
With the flick of a switch, yeah
Something that seems significant but can easily be overlooked
My new found hero
In the enemy's ditching
Someone who I admire in the midst of difficult circumstances
Somebody's something was left in the room
And now that its gone well of course we assume
That somebody else needed something so bad
They took everything that somebody had
An observation on how things can be easily taken away without our knowledge or consent
Losing hope is easy
When your only friend is gone
And every time you look around
Well, it all, it all just seems to change
A reflection on how hard it is to cope with change and uncertainty
The mark was left
Man it's never the same
Next time that you shoot
Make sure that you aim
Open windows with passing cars
A brand new night
With the same old stars
Our past decisions can have a lasting impact on our present and future
Feed the fool
A piece of the pie
Make a fool of his system
Make a fool of his mind
Give him bottles of lies
And maybe he'll find
His place in heaven
'Cause he might just die
A commentary on how some people are easily manipulated and led astray with false promises
Hanging on is easy
When you've got a friend to call
When nothings making sense at all
You're not the only one that's afraid of change
Having a strong support system can make all the difference during tough times
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RICARDO JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind