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.
Monsoon
Jack Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And everything it brings
Wonder if it will ever sleep
I know you understand
'Cause you briefly look away
Focusing on nothing so now everything is clear
'Cause there's no one to blame
You got no place to hide
And I saw you in amazement stumbling through the day
You told me time never waits
What is that supposed to mean?
All of life is in one drop of the ocean waiting to go home
Just waiting to go home
And if the moon can turn the tides
It can pull the tears and take 'em from our eyes
And make 'em into monsoons
And turn 'em into monsoon-er or later they'll weep their way back to the sea
Gonna finally be free
Ye, free for a while
Until they break like waves of sorrow always do
All in due time
'Cause time never waits
Daddy don't daydream again
Just help me to believe and then
Show me that there's more than the mean time
Sonny do you hear the sound?
You will feel it when it breaks
You will know it when it's gone
How else can I explain?
'Cause it's only the pain
Coming straight through
Coming to remind
Cross cut to you in amazement stumbling through the day
You tell me time never waits
That's okay 'cause I don't wait for time
When all of life is in one drop of the ocean waiting to go home
Just waiting to go home
And if the moon can turn the tides
It can pull the tears and take 'em from our eyes
And turn 'em into monsoons
And make 'em into monsoon-er or later they'll weep their way back to the sea
Gonna finally be free
Free for a while
Until they break
Like waves of sorrow always break
All in due time
'Cause time never waits
In "Monsoon," Jack Johnson sings about life's struggles and how they can be all-consuming, causing us to feel lost and helpless. The opening lines, "I feel sorrow for the fear and everything it brings. Wonder if it will ever sleep," seem to suggest that the singer is empathizing with someone who is struggling with anxiety or depression. The idea that the fear may never sleep suggests that it is something that is always looming, always present.
The chorus, "And if the moon can turn the tides, it can pull the tears and take 'em from our eyes, and turn 'em into monsoons, and turn 'em into monsoon," offers a glimmer of hope. The metaphor of the moon turning tears into monsoons suggests that our pain and sadness can be transformed into something greater, something transformative. The tears don't disappear but instead become a part of something much larger, something that has the power to change the world.
The second verse, which includes lines like "Daddy don't daydream again, just help me to believe and then," and "Sonny, do you hear the sound? You will feel it when it breaks, you will know it when it's gone," suggest a conversation between a father and son. The father seems to be offering words of encouragement, telling his son that he will know when things are going to change for the better. The idea that "all of life is in one drop of the ocean waiting to go home" suggests that we are all connected, and that our struggles are a part of a larger whole.
Overall, "Monsoon" is a song about the hardships of life and the hope that we can find within them. Johnson's lyrics encourage the listener to hold onto hope, even in the darkest of times, and to remember that their struggles are a part of something much larger than themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel sorrow for the fear
The singer expresses sadness for the emotion of fear.
And everything it brings
Fear creates many negative consequences.
Wonder if it will ever sleep
The singer questions whether fear will ever go away.
I know you understand
The singer believes the listener can relate.
'Cause you briefly look away
The listener shows signs of understanding, but only briefly.
Focusing on nothing so now everything is clear
When the listener takes a break from distractions, clarity is achieved.
'Cause there's no one to blame
No one is at fault for the fear experienced.
You got no place to hide
Nowhere to escape from fear.
It's only in your mind
Fear is a mental construct.
And I saw you in amazement stumbling through the day
The singer witnessed the listener struggling with fear and was amazed.
You told me time never waits
The listener believes that time is constantly moving forward.
What is that supposed to mean?
The singer is confused by the listener's earlier statement.
All of life is in one drop of the ocean waiting to go home
A metaphor for the briefness of life and its connection to the natural world.
Just waiting to go home
Life is waiting to return to its natural state.
And if the moon can turn the tides
A metaphor for the power of nature.
It can pull the tears and take 'em from our eyes
Nature can take away our pain.
And make 'em into monsoons
Our pain can be transformed into something intense and powerful.
And turn 'em into monsoon-er or later they'll weep their way back to the sea
Our pain will eventually dissipate and return to its original source.
Gonna finally be free
When our pain is gone, we will be free.
Ye, free for a while
But freedom is only temporary.
Until they break like waves of sorrow always do
New pain will arise eventually.
All in due time
With time, everything will pass.
'Cause time never waits
Time passes relentlessly.
Daddy don't daydream again
The singer pleads with his father not to get lost in his thoughts.
Just help me to believe and then
Instead, the singer wants his father to reassure him.
Show me that there's more than the mean time
The singer wants his father to help him see beyond the struggles of everyday life.
Sonny do you hear the sound?
The singer addresses someone named Sonny, asking if he hears something.
You will feel it when it breaks
When something significant changes, it will become apparent.
You will know it when it's gone
We only realize the importance of something when it's no longer present.
How else can I explain?
The singer feels he has already done his best to describe the situation.
'Cause it's only the pain
The thing being referred to is only causing pain.
Coming straight through
The pain is undeniable.
Coming to remind
It serves as a reminder of something important.
Cross cut to you in amazement stumbling through the day
A repetition of an earlier line.
You tell me time never waits
Another repetition of an earlier line.
That's okay 'cause I don't wait for time
The singer asserts his independence from the constraints of time.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Bubble Toes Publishing
Written by: Jack Hody Johnson, Merlo Podlewski
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind