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.
We're Going To Be Friends
Jack Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Back to school, ring the bell
Brand new shoes, walking blues
Climb the fence, books and pens
I can tell that we are going to be friends
Yes I can tell that we are going to be friends
Walk with me Suzy Lee
Through the park and by the tree
And look at all the bugs we've found
Safely walk to school without a sound
We safely walk to school without a sound
Well here we are no one else
We walk to school all by ourselves
There's dirt on our uniforms
From chasing all the ants and worms
We clean up and now it's time to learn
We clean up and now it's time to learn
Numbers letters learn to spell
Nouns and books and show and tell
Play time we will throw the ball
Then back to class through the hall
The teacher marks our height against the wall
The teacher marks our height against the wall
And we don't notice any time pass
Because we don't notice anything
And we sit side by side in every class
The teacher thinks that I sound funny
But she likes it when you sing
Tonight I'll dream in my bed
While silly thoughts run through my head
Of the bugs and alphabet
And when I wake tomorrow I'll bet
That you and I will walk together again
Because I can tell that we are going to be friends
I can tell that we are going to be friends
The lyrics to We're Going To Be Friends, written by Jack Johnson, capture the innocence and joy of childhood. The song begins with the start of the school year, with the sound of the bell ringing and the image of children with new shoes and walking blues. The singer, who is most likely a child, looks at his/her classmate and friend, Suzy Lee, and tells her that they are going to be friends. The two walk together through the park and by the tree, resting on the ground and observing insects. They walk to school "safely...without a sound." They play and learn together, and the singer predicts that they will be friends tomorrow as well.
The lyrics are straightforward but touching, and evoke nostalgic feelings of childhood memories. The image of walking to school with a friend, chasing bugs, and feeling excited about learning are simple but profound moments that can define a childhood. The song also emphasizes the importance of friendship and companionship during those formative years.
Overall, We're Going To Be Friends is a sweet and nostalgic song about childhood and the bonds of friendship. It shows how simple moments with a friend can make a big impact and stay with someone forever.
Line by Line Meaning
Fall is here, hear the yell
The season of autumn is here and you can hear people excitedly shouting about it.
Back to school, ring the bell
It's that time of year again when school starts, and the bell rings to mark the beginning of classes.
Brand new shoes, walking blues
Although we have new shoes, it feels like a burden to break them in and get adjusted to walking.
Climb the fence, books and pens
We climb fences to shortcut our way through and have books and pens in our hands ready for schoolwork.
I can tell that we are going to be friends
Based on how we're both entering school, I feel confident that we will become friends.
Yes I can tell that we are going to be friends
I am even more certain that we will be friends because of the way we're walking and talking.
Walk with me Suzy Lee
I come up with a plan to ask Suzy Lee to walk with me to go to school.
Through the park and by the tree
On our way to school, we pass through the park and see a tree.
We can rest upon the ground
We sit on the ground, taking a break from walking and enjoying the scenery.
And look at all the bugs we've found
We watch and observe the bugs we have just discovered on the ground.
Safely walk to school without a sound
We carefully walk to school without making any noise.
Well here we are no one else
We have arrived at school without anyone else with us.
We walk to school all by ourselves
We make our way to school without any adult supervision.
There's dirt on our uniforms
Our uniforms have dirt and stains from crawling and chasing bugs earlier in the park.
From chasing all the ants and worms
Our clothes got messy because we were busy chasing the insects we found outside.
We clean up and now it's time to learn
Now that we have cleaned up, it's time to focus on studying and learning.
Numbers letters learn to spell
We learn basic subjects in school, including math, reading, and spelling.
Nouns and books and show and tell
We learn about different topics related to grammar, reading, and presenting.
Play time we will throw the ball
We have a chance to play and throw a ball around during recess.
Then back to class through the hall
After playing, we go back to our regular classroom through the hallway.
The teacher marks our height against the wall
Our teacher measures our height, marking it on the wall to keep track.
And we don't notice any time pass
We are so engaged in what we're doing that time seems to fly by unnoticed.
Because we don't notice anything
We are so focused on learning and hanging out with each other that we are not aware of anything else happening around us.
And we sit side by side in every class
We choose to sit next to each other in class and do everything together in school.
The teacher thinks that I sound funny
The teacher thinks my accent sounds different and distinct.
But she likes it when you sing
Although the teacher finds my voice funny, she enjoys it when you sing with a sweet voice.
Tonight I'll dream in my bed
Before sleeping, I imagine things and dream of different possibilities.
While silly thoughts run through my head
As I am dozing off, I have random and unusual thoughts that float through my mind.
Of the bugs and alphabet
My mind wanders and jumps from topic to topic, such as bugs and learning the alphabet.
And when I wake tomorrow I'll bet
The next morning, I am confident that we will continue to walk to school together.
That you and I will walk together again
I am sure that we will walk together to school again in the near future.
Because I can tell that we are going to be friends
I firmly believe that we will become good friends because we share similar interests and experiences in school.
I can tell that we are going to be friends
Once again, I am reassured that we will be friends based on how our day went in school and how we interacted with each other.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: John Anthony White
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind