Browne was born in Heidelberg, Germany, where American serviceman father was stationed. Browne moved to the Highland Park district of Los Angeles, California at an early age and soon began singing folk music locally. In 1966, his major career began as a part of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
Often mixing catchy melodies with reflective, moody, and sometimes melancholic lyrics, some of his most popular hit singles include "Doctor My Eyes", "Running on Empty", and "Somebody's Baby". Considered a precociously-talented songwriter by many peers, Browne's solo career got its legs when he signed a publishing contract with Nina Music. His work have been performed by several artists such as Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, Larry Norman, Linda Ronstadt, Nico, and Tom Rush, among many others.
After moving to Greenwich Village, New York, Browne worked, for a brief period, in Tim Buckley's back-up band and on Nico's Chelsea Girl. This album includes two of Jackson's songs and the pair were reputedly lovers for awhile. After leaving New York City, Browne formed a folk band with Ned Doheny and Jack Wilce.
In 1971, Browne signed with Asylum Records and released Jackson Browne (1972), which included "Doctor My Eyes", a major hit and later coverec by the Jackson Five . He didn't sustain pop success, though, and his next album, For Everyman (1973), while considered of high quality, was a commercial failure.
Late for the Sky (1974) established a significant audience for Browne, and fans and critics often consider this Browne's best album. Highlights include the searching title song, the elegiac "For a Dancer" and apocalyptic "Before the Deluge", the pure arrangements featuring David Lindley's evocative violin and guitar playing, and the Magritte-inspired cover. The title track was also featured in Martin Scorsese's film, Taxi Driver.
Browne released his breakthrough album, The Pretender (1976) soon after the suicide of his wife, Phyllis. Featuring livelier production by Jon Landau, the title song is a vividly described account of trying to maintain one's ideals in the struggle against the realities of day-to-day life.
During this time, Browne produced and played on Warren Zevon's first two Asylum albums.
Browne began recording his next LP while on tour, and Running on Empty (1977) became his biggest commercial success. Breaking the usual conventions for a live album, it was truly made on the road, including tracks recorded on buses and in hotel rooms, with none of the songs having appeared on any of his prior albums. Running on Empty contains many renowned songs, such as the propulsive title track (Browne's biggest hit single), "The Road", "Rosie", and "The Load-Out/Stay" (Browne's affectionate and knowing send-off to his concert audiences).
In 1979, Browne was a founding member of Musicians United for Safe Energy.
Browne achieved less critical acclaim with Hold Out (1980), although it was commercially successful--his only number 1 record, and with his hit single "Somebody's Baby" from the Fast Times at Ridgemont High soundtrack. Lawyers in Love followed in 1983 and contained hints of a more political focus, especially in the mysteriously satirical title track.
Political protest came out full force in Lives in the Balance (1986), an overt condemnation of Reaganism and American policy in Central America. Flavored with new instrumental textures, it was a huge success with Browne fans, though not with mainstream audiences. World in Motion (1989) was even more politically-oriented and polarizing. Browne frequently played for causes he believed in, including Amnesty International (making several appearances on the 1986 A Conspiracy of Hope Tour), Farm Aid, and the Christic Institute.
After four years of silence and a break-up with his girlfriend, actress Daryl Hannah, Browne returned with I'm Alive, a critically acclaimed album with a more personal perspective that sold respectably, the title track being a modest radio hit. Looking East (1996) was released soon after, but was not as successful critically or commercially. The Naked Ride Home was released in 2002. On 11 May 2003, Jackson Browne made a celebrity guest star debut on the FOX series The Simpsons.
As a whole, Browne's work is marked by compelling melodies, simple, honest, and insightful lyrics, and a flair for composition rarely seen in the world of rock and roll. He is often referred to as "a thinking man's rock star."
Browne was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. He also participated in the Vote for Change tour in October 2004, playing a series of concerts in American swing states. These concerts were organized by MoveOn.org with the general goal of mobilizing people to vote in that year's Presidential campaign. Browne's appearances were joint performances with Bonnie Raitt and Keb' Mo', and in one instance with Bruce Springsteen. Three of Browne's albums were selected by Rolling Stone magazine as among its choices for the 500 best albums of all time.
Browne released "Solo Acoustic, Vol. 1"in 2005 and "Solo Acoustic, Vol. 2" in 2008, both on Inside Recordings. The "Vol. 1" album consists of live recordings of eleven previously released tracks and "The Birds of St. Marks," a song that does not appear on any of Browne's studio albums. The "Vol. 2" album contains roughly the same mix of twelve songs (popular hits vs. deep cuts). Interestingly, both albums also contain separately tracked "intros" to some songs, giving a brief glimpse of the intimacy between artist and audience at the shows where the songs were recorded.
"No one gives a shit but Jackson Browne." - Randy Newman in "A Piece Of The Pie"
Website: www.jacksonbrowne.com
Before The Deluge
Jackson Browne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And some of them were fools
Who were making plans and thinking of the future
With the energy of the innocent
They were gathering the tools
They would need to make their journey back to nature
While the sand slipped through the opening
And their hands reached for the golden ring
In the troubled years that came before the deluge
Some of them knew pleasure
And some of them knew pain
And for some of them it was only the moment that mattered
And on the brave and crazy wings of youth
They went flying around in the rain
And their feathers, once so fine, grew torn and tattered
And in the end they traded their tired wings
For the resignation that living brings
And exchanged love's bright and fragile glow
For the glitter and the rouge
And in a moment they were swept before the deluge
Let the music keep our spirits high
Let the buildings keep our children dry
Let creation reveal its secrets by and by, by and by
When the light that's lost within us reaches the sky
Some of them were angry
At the way the earth was abused
By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power
And they struggled to protect her from them
Only to be confused
By the magnitude of her fury in the final hour
And when the sand was gone and the time arrived
In the naked dawn only a few survived
And in attempts to understand a thing so simple and so huge
Believed that they were meant to live after the deluge
Let the music keep our spirits high
Let the buildings keep our children dry
Let creation reveal it's secrets by and by, by and by
When the light that's lost within us reaches the sky
The lyrics to Jackson Browne's "Before The Deluge" poetically describe the experiences and perspectives of individuals before a catastrophic event, possibly a flood or apocalypse, wipes out the world they knew. The opening lines acknowledge that some people were dreamers, while others were fools. They were united in their optimism and belief in the future, however, as they gathered tools to make their journey back to nature. These people were energy-driven and innocent, and their hearts turned towards each other for refuge in troubled times. However, even in this time of prosperity, they were reaching towards a golden ring that, like sand between their fingers, would slip away as time went on.
The second verse of "Before The Deluge" contrasts the experiences of those who only knew pleasure with those who only knew pain. Younger people flew around in the rain on "brave and crazy wings of youth," but time eventually caught up with them. In their resignation, they turned from love's bright and fragile glow to the glitter and rouge of the world. These people found themselves swept away in a moment before the deluge, carried away by the flood's swift currents. The final verse of the song comments on man's abuse of the earth, harming the very thing that sustains them. Some fought to protect the planet. Still, in the end, few survived the massive cataclysm. Those who did were left to contemplate and attempt to understand something so simple and so huge. They believed their survival after the deluge was a part of fate's plan.
Line by Line Meaning
Some of them were dreamers
There were people who had big aspirations.
And some of them were fools
There were also people with naive dreams.
Who were making plans and thinking of the future
These people were constantly planning and contemplating their next moves.
With the energy of the innocent
Their optimism and idealism fueled their determination.
They were gathering the tools
They were gathering the resources necessary to achieve their goals.
They would need to make their journey back to nature
Their end goal was to return to a simpler, more natural way of living.
While the sand slipped through the opening
Despite their efforts, time was slipping away from them.
And their hands reached for the golden ring
They were striving for success and wealth.
With their hearts they turned to each other's hearts for refuge
Amid the chaos and uncertainty, they found solace in their relationships with one another.
In the troubled years that came before the deluge
All of these events happened before an impending disaster.
Some of them knew pleasure
Some people experienced joy and happiness.
And some of them knew pain
Others went through periods of sadness and hardship.
And for some of them it was only the moment that mattered
Some people only focused on the present and didn't think about the future.
And on the brave and crazy wings of youth
Young people were fearless and adventurous.
They went flying around in the rain
They took risks and lived life to the fullest.
And their feathers, once so fine, grew torn and tattered
Over time, their experiences took a toll on their well-being.
And in the end they traded their tired wings
Eventually, they had to give up their youthful ways.
For the resignation that living brings
They became more accepting of the realities of life.
And exchanged love's bright and fragile glow
They shifted their focus away from love and romance.
For the glitter and the rouge
They became more interested in superficial things.
And in a moment they were swept before the deluge
Everything changed suddenly and unexpectedly due to the disaster.
Let the music keep our spirits high
Music can lift our moods and keep us motivated.
Let the buildings keep our children dry
Infrastructure should protect those who need it most.
Let creation reveal its secrets by and by, by and by
The beauty of the natural world should be explored and appreciated over time.
When the light that's lost within us reaches the sky
When we rediscover our inner light, it will be reflected in the world around us.
Some of them were angry
There were people who were unhappy with the current state of the world.
At the way the earth was abused
They were particularly upset about the mistreatment of the planet.
By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power
They blamed those who exploited natural resources for personal gain.
And they struggled to protect her from them
They fought to preserve the environment and prevent further destruction.
Only to be confused
Their efforts often left them feeling perplexed and uncertain.
By the magnitude of her fury in the final hour
The disaster that eventually struck was more severe than they could have imagined.
And when the sand was gone and the time arrived
After all their work, time ran out and they were left unprepared.
In the naked dawn only a few survived
Most people did not make it through the disaster unscathed.
And in attempts to understand a thing so simple and so huge
After the disaster, people tried to make sense of what had happened.
Believed that they were meant to live after the deluge
Despite everything, they held on to hope that they could rebuild and start anew.
Lyrics © Jackson Browne/Swallow Turn Music/Night Kitchen Music/Open Window Music
Written by: JACKSON BROWNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind