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.
What You Thought You Need
Jack Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I could give you what you thought you need
A map to keep beneath your seat
You'll read to me in time I'll get you there
But fold it up so we don't find our way back soon
Nobody knows we're here
We can park the van and walk to town
And talk about the road behind
How getting lost is not a waste of time
Le Bois d'Amour will take us home
And in a moment we will sing as the forest sleeps
It's all for the sake of arriving with you
Well, it's all for the sake of arriving with you
Well, I will make the table into a bed
The candle is burning down it's time to rest
Can't take back things already gone
But I could give you promises for keeps
And I would only take them back
If they become your own and you give them to me
And it's all for the sake of arriving with you
Well, it's all for the sake of arriving with you
We could make this into anything
We could make this into more than words we speak
This could make us into anything
It could make us grow and become what we'll be, mm
It's just like it feels
It's just like it feels, mm
How can we will know?
It's just like it feels
It's just like it feels
It's just like it feels
How does it feel?
It's just like it feels
It's just like it feels
How does it feel?
It's just like it feels
How does it feel?
The lyrics to Jack Johnson's song "What You Thought You Need" tell a story of a couple on a journey together. The singer acknowledges that he cannot give his partner everything they want but he can give them what they thought they needed. He metaphorically hands them a map to keep with them on their journey, with the promise that he can help guide them to their destination. The map is to be folded up so that they don't become too reliant on it, and so that they can find their own way back.
The couple parks their van and walks to town, finding the cheapest bottle of wine they can. They discuss the road behind them and the importance of getting lost, as it's not a waste of time. The water mole is mentioned, leading us to believe they may be in a forest or near a body of water. They settle down to rest and the singer promises to give his partner promises for keeps, with the understanding that they will only take them back if they become the other person's own.
The chorus "It's all for the sake of arriving with you" is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the importance of the journey they are on together. They could make this journey into anything and it could make them grow into what they are meant to be.
The song evokes feelings of adventure, love, and growth. It shows the importance of being present in the moment and enjoying the journey, even getting lost along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I cant give you everything you want
I may not be able to fulfill all of your desires
But I could give you what you thought you need
However, I can provide what you believed was essential
A map to keep beneath your seat
I'll offer you a guide to hold onto
You'll read to me in time I'll get you there
You'll navigate while I steer us in the right direction
But fold it up so we don't find our way back soon
Let's make sure to tuck it away to avoid retracing our steps too soon
Nobody knows we're here
We're off the grid and away from the world's knowledge of our existence
We can park the van and walk to town
Let's get out of the car and explore the nearby area by foot
Find the cheapest bottle of wine that we could find
We'll search for a bargain-priced bottle of wine to enjoy together
And talk about the road behind
We'll chat about our past experiences and where our journey has taken us thus far
How getting lost is not a waste of time
We'll reflect on how deviating from our planned route can still be valuable
The water mole will take us home
We have a guiding force, like a water mole, to lead us back to where we belong
And in a moment we will sing as the forest sleeps
As we unwind and relax for the night, we'll enjoy the serene setting and sing softly to match the forest's tranquility
It's all for the sake of arriving with you
Every aspect of our journey and exploration is for the purpose of being together and sharing experiences
Well, I will make the table into a bed
I'll improvise and transform our dining table into a comfortable sleeping space
The candle is burning down it's time to rest
As our candle dwindles, the night is getting late, and it's time to call it a day
Can't take back things already gone
We can't undo certain past events that have already transpired
But I could give you promises for keeps
However, I can make commitments to you that I will always uphold
And I would only take them back
But if needed, I would take these promises back
If they become your own and you give them to me
If these promises evolve into something that you created and offer back to me
We could make this into anything
Together, we have the power to transform any situation into something meaningful
We could make this into more than words we speak
Our potential to create something meaningful transcends mere verbal communication
This could make us into anything
Our shared experience could redefine our identity and take us in new directions
It could make us grow and become what we'll be, mm
Our experiences could challenge us to develop and mature in ways we never imagined
It's just like it feels
The emotions and sensations we experience in our journey are authentic and genuine
How can we will know?
We may not always be able to understand or comprehend our journey's significance
How does it feel?
But we can still acknowledge and appreciate the raw emotions we feel as we travel together
Lyrics © Bubble Toes Publishing, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: Jack Hody Johnson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind