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.
questions
Jack Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want to know you
But what if I could ask you only one thing
Only this one time, what would you tell me?
Well maybe you could give me a suggestion
So I could know you, what would you tell me?
Maybe you could tell me what to ask you
Because then I'd know you, what would you tell me
To make this work for all intents and purposes
And what are your intentions, will you try?
Impressions, you've made impressions
They're going nowhere
They're just going to wait here if you let them
Please don't let them
I want to know you
And if they're going to haunt me
Please collect them
Please just collect them
And now I'm begging
I'm begging you to ask me just one question
One simple question
Because then you'd know me
I'll tell you that there's time
To make this work for all intents and purposes
At least for my own
What is a heart worth if it's just left all alone?
Leave it long enough and watch it turn into stone
Why must we always be untrue?
Be untrue
Be untrue
Be untrue
The song "Questions" by Jack Johnson is about the struggles of trying to know someone on a deeper level. The first verse asks about what one question would reveal the true nature of the person being asked. The inability to fully communicate and understand someone is expressed through the repetition of the phrase "what would you tell me?" The chorus emphasizes the importance of time and intentions when attempting to build a relationship with someone. The second verse speaks to the complications that come with misinterpretations and misunderstandings. Johnson's plea to ask him one question shows his desire for a closer relationship with someone, one that is not left "alone" and "untrue."
Overall, the song conveys a sense of longing and vulnerability. The inability to fully understand someone can be frustrating, but through communication and time, there is hope for genuine connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Questions, I've got some questions
The singer has some questions to ask.
I want to know you
The singer wants to know the person he is addressing.
But what if I could ask you only one thing
The singer is wondering what the most important thing to ask is.
Only this one time, what would you tell me?
The singer wants to know what the person he is addressing would tell him if he could ask only one question.
Well maybe you could give me a suggestion
The singer is asking the person for a suggestion.
So I could know you, what would you tell me?
The singer wants to know what the person he is addressing would tell him to help him understand them better.
Maybe you could tell me what to ask you
The singer is asking the person to tell him what to ask to get to know them better.
Because then I'd know you, what would you tell me
The singer believes that by asking the right question, he could get to know the person better.
Please tell me that there's time
The singer is asking for assurance that there is time to figure things out.
To make this work for all intents and purposes
The singer wants to work out their relationship for all practical purposes.
And what are your intentions, will you try?
The singer is asking the person about their intentions and if they will try to make things work.
Impressions, you've made impressions
The person the singer is addressing has made lasting impressions.
They're going nowhere
The impressions the person made aren't leading anywhere.
They're just going to wait here if you let them
If the person doesn't do anything, the impressions will remain with the singer.
Please don't let them
The singer is asking the person to not let the impressions just wait there.
And if they're going to haunt me
The singer doesn't want the impressions to negatively affect him.
Please collect them
The singer is asking the person to resolve the lasting impressions they have left.
Please just collect them
The singer is pleading with the person to address the impressions they have made.
And now I'm begging
The singer is pleading with the person.
I'm begging you to ask me just one question
The singer is asking the person to ask him one question to help resolve things between them.
One simple question
The singer is asking for a simple question to be asked.
Because then you'd know me
The singer believes that by asking one question, the person can understand him better.
I'll tell you that there's time
The singer is stating that there is time to work things out.
To make this work for all intents and purposes
The singer wants to work things out for all practical purposes.
At least for my own
At the very least, the singer wants to work things out for his own benefit.
What is a heart worth if it's just left all alone?
The singer believes that a heart is worthless if left alone.
Leave it long enough and watch it turn into stone
The singer believes that if a heart is left alone for a long time, it will become hard and unfeeling.
Why must we always be untrue?
The singer is questioning why people can't be true to each other.
Be untrue
The singer is repeating the question.
Be untrue
The singer is repeating the question.
Be untrue
The singer is repeating the question.
Lyrics © Bubble Toes Publishing
Written by: Jack Hody Johnson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind