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.
Mama You've Been On My Mind / A Fraction of Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie
Jack Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An' cov'rin' the crossroads I'm standin' at
Or maybe it's the weather or somethin' like that
But mama, you been on my mind
I don't mean trouble, please don't put me down or get upset
I am not pleadin' or sayin', "I can't forget you"
I do not walk the floor, bowed down an' bent but yet
And even though my mind is hazy and my thoughts they might be narrow
Where you been don't bother me or bring me down in sorrow
It don't even matter where you're wakin' up tomorrow
Just mama, you will be on my mind
Well, I am not askin' to you to say words like 'Yes' or 'No'
Please understand me, I have no place I'm calling you to go
Just whisperin' to myself so I can pretendin' that I don't know
But mama, you'll be on my mind
When you wake up in the mornin', baby, look inside your mirror
You know I won't be next to you, you know I won't be near
I'd just be curious to know if you can see yourself as clear
As someone who has had you on his mind
It's when your head gets twisted with your mind grows numb
You think you're too old, too young, too smart, too dumb
Laggin' behind though you're losin' your pace
In the slow-motion crawl of life's busy race
No matter whatcha doin' if you start givin' up
If the wine don't come to the top of your cup
Winds got you sideways, one hand holdin' on
The other starts slippin' and the feelin' is gone
And your train engine fire needs a new spark to catch it
Wood is easy findin' but you're lazy to fetch it
Lonesome comes up as down goes the day
And tomorrow's mornin' seems so far away
And you could feel the reins from your pony are slippin'
And your hand are a-slidin', ropers are a-drippin'
Your sidewalk starts crawlin' and the street gets too long
And you start walkin' backwards but you know that this is wrong
Sunny deserts and your evergreen valleys
Turn to broken-down slums and trash can alleys
Your sky cries water and your drain pipes are pourin
Lightnin's a-flashin' and the thunder's a-crashin'
Windows are rattlin' and breaking and your roof top's will it start a-shakin'
And your whole world's a-slammin' and bangin'
"Mama You've Been On My Mind / A Fraction of Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie" is a cover song by Jack Johnson, originally written by Bob Dylan. The song is split into two parts; the first part, "Mama You've Been On My Mind," is a love song that describes the singer's constant thoughts about his lover. The second part, "A Fraction of Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie," is a tribute to the folk singer Woody Guthrie, discussing the challenges of life and finding inspiration in music.
In the first part, the singer describes how his thoughts continually return to his lover, even though they are no longer together. He does not want to cause any trouble or plead with her, but he cannot help but think of her. He acknowledges that his mind may be hazy, but he still carries her with him.
The second part of the song takes a more philosophical tone, with references to Woody Guthrie, who famously wrote about the struggles of working-class people in America. The singer discusses the difficulties of life, from feeling like you're losing your pace to experiencing natural disasters. However, he finds comfort in music and the ability to express oneself through song.
Line by Line Meaning
Perhaps it's the color of the sun cut flat
Maybe it's the brightness of the sun that reminds me of you
An' cov'rin' the crossroads I'm standin' at
And it brings back memories of standing at this crossroads
Or maybe it's the weather or somethin' like that
Or it could just be the general atmosphere or mood
But mama, you been on my mind
But regardless, I've been thinking about you lately
I don't mean trouble, please don't put me down or get upset
I don't mean any harm, I just want to express my feelings without causing any problems or offense
I am not pleadin' or sayin', "I can't forget you"
And I'm not begging or saying that I'm incapable of forgetting you
I do not walk the floor, bowed down an' bent but yet
I'm not pacing anxiously or depressed, but still
Mama, you been on my mind
Mother dearest, you've been occupying my thoughts
And even though my mind is hazy and my thoughts they might be narrow
Even though I'm feeling uncertain and my thoughts may be limited
Where you been don't bother me or bring me down in sorrow
Where you've been or what you've been doing doesn't upset or sadden me
It don't even matter where you're wakin' up tomorrow
It doesn't matter where you'll be waking up tomorrow
Just mama, you will be on my mind
I'll still be thinking of you, Mama
Well, I am not askin' to you to say words like 'Yes' or 'No'
I'm not asking you to give me a definitive answer
Please understand me, I have no place I'm calling you to go
Please try to comprehend that I don't have any specific destination in mind for you
Just whisperin' to myself so I can pretendin' that I don't know
Just muttering to myself so I can pretend that I'm not aware of my feelings
But mama, you'll be on my mind
But Mother, you'll still be in my thoughts
When you wake up in the mornin', baby, look inside your mirror
When you wake up in the morning, my dear, take a good look at yourself in the mirror
You know I won't be next to you, you know I won't be near
You already know I won't be by your side or in close proximity
I'd just be curious to know if you can see yourself as clear
I'm just wondering if you have a clear self-image
As someone who has had you on his mind
As someone who's been thinking of you a lot lately
It's when your head gets twisted with your mind grows numb
It's when your thoughts become confused and your mind goes blank
You think you're too old, too young, too smart, too dumb
You feel like you're either too old or too young, too intelligent or not smart enough
Laggin' behind though you're losin' your pace
Falling behind and moving too slowly despite trying to keep up with the rest
In the slow-motion crawl of life's busy race
In the painfully slow progression of life's rushing race
No matter whatcha doin' if you start givin' up
No matter what you're doing, if you start feeling defeated
If the wine don't come to the top of your cup
If you're not achieving the success you hoped for
Winds got you sideways, one hand holdin' on
Life's unexpected twists and turns have you feeling off-kilter and barely holding on
The other starts slippin' and the feelin' is gone
While the other hand starts slipping and the feeling of control washes away
And your train engine fire needs a new spark to catch it
You need some new inspiration or motivation to reignite your passion
Wood is easy findin' but you're lazy to fetch it
Solutions may be easy to find, but you're too lazy to pursue them
Lonesome comes up as down goes the day
Loneliness arises as the day comes to an end
And tomorrow's mornin' seems so far away
And the next morning seems incredibly far away
And you could feel the reins from your pony are slippin'
Losing control of your situation
And your hand are a-slidin', ropers are a-drippin'
Losing grip and losing control of the ropes you're holding on to
Your sidewalk starts crawlin' and the street gets too long
Even your own sidewalk seems never-ending and the street seems endless
And you start walkin' backwards but you know that this is wrong
You start moving in the wrong direction, even though you know it won't help
Sunny deserts and your evergreen valleys
The bright and lush landscapes of sunny deserts and green valleys
Turn to broken-down slums and trash can alleys
Transform into rundown neighborhoods and garbage-strewn alleys
Your sky cries water and your drain pipes are pourin
Your once-clear sky is now pouring rain and your pipes are overflowing
Lightnin's a-flashin' and the thunder's a-crashin'
Lightning is flashing and thunder is crashing around you
Windows are rattlin' and breaking and your roof top's will it start a-shakin'
Windows are shaking and breaking, and it feels like the roof might cave in at any moment
And your whole world's a-slammin' and bangin'
And everything in your world feels like it's aggressively slamming and crashing
Contributed by Nathaniel O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.