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.
Wasting Time
Jack Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm just a waste of her energy
And she's just wasting my time, mm
So why don't we get together
And we could waste everything tonight
And we could waste, and we could waste it all tonight
Yeah, and we could waste, and we could waste it all
And I don't pretend to know what you know, nah, nah
Now please don't pretend to know what's on my mind
If we already knew everything that everybody knows
We would have nothing to learn tonight
And we would have nothing to show tonight
Oh, but everybody thinks that everybody knows
About everybody else, nobody knows
Anything about themselves
'Cause they're all worried about everybody else, yeah
Yeah, mm
Oh
And love's just a waste of our energy, yeah
And this life's just a waste of our time
So why don't we get together
And we could waste everything tonight
And we could waste, and we could waste it all
Yeah, but everybody thinks that everybody knows
About everybody else, nah, nah, nobody knows
Anything about themselves
'Cause they're all worried about everybody else, yeah
Oh
And we could waste
In the song "Wasting Time" by Jack Johnson, the artist paints a picture of two individuals who feel they are wasting each other's time, while at the same time being a waste of each other's energy. The lyrics convey a sense of disillusionment and skepticism towards love and life in general. Johnson seems to be suggesting that there is a tendency for people to focus on what others are thinking, feeling, and doing, rather than on being genuinely present and engaged in their own lives. He seems to be advocating for a shift in focus towards the things that truly matter, such as forming meaningful connections with others and making the most of every moment.
The lyrics of "Wasting Time" offer a critique of society's tendency to be self-absorbed and disconnected from one another. Johnson suggests that love is often seen as a waste of time and energy, and life is viewed as a series of meaningless moments. He criticizes the tendency for people to obsess over what others are doing, and to neglect their own inner lives. Instead, Johnson seems to be advocating for a return to presence and engagement with the world around us, a sense of open curiosity, and a willingness to embrace life's mysteries and surprises.
Overall, "Wasting Time" by Jack Johnson is a thought-provoking song that encourages us to question our values and priorities. It raises important questions about the meaningfulness of life, the importance of connection and communication, and the need to be fully present and engaged in the world around us. It is a powerful reminder that life is precious and fleeting, and that we should not waste it on meaningless pursuits or distractions.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah
Acknowledging a presence or agreeing to a point
And I'm just a waste of her energy
Highlighting the singer's thought on being less significant for the other person
And she's just wasting my time
Admitting that the other person is not enough for them either
Mmmm
Expressing a moment of contemplation or indecisiveness
So why don't we get together
Proposing a course of action
And we could waste everything tonight
Speaking of a desire to have a carefree night
And we could waste and we could waste it all tonight
Reiterating the desire to have a night away from all the stress
Yea
Expressing a positive attitude or agreement
And I don't pretend to know what you know
Admitting ignorance to what the other person might know
No no
Strongly emphasizing the previous statement
Now please don't pretend to know what's on my mind
Requesting the other person not to assume things about their thoughts
If we already knew everything that everybody knows
Exploring the idea of knowing everything and its impact
We would have nothing to learn tonight
Admitting the need for growth and knowledge
And we would have nothing to show tonight
Realizing the importance of actions and accomplishments
Oh but everybody thinks
Noting a common behavior or attitude in others
That everybody knows
Noting a presumptuous nature of society
About everybody else
Highlighting the focus on others instead of oneself
Nobody knows
Contrasting with the previous line, emphasizing the lack of knowledge
Anything about themselves
Emphasizing how individuals lack knowledge and understanding of themselves
'Cause their all worried about everybody else
Explaining why people tend to disregard their own growth
Love's just a waste of our energy yeah
Expressing skepticism of the value of love
And this life's just a waste of our time
Expressing a negative view of life's purpose
And we could waste everything tonight
Proposing a carefree night again
And we could waste and we could waste it all yeah
Reiterating the desire for a night away from worries
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, DistroKid, Bubble Toes Publishing, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: Jack Johnson, Adam Topol, Merlo Podlewski
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind