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
Doctor My Eyes
Jackson Browne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the slow parade of fears without crying
Now I want to understand
I have done all that I could
To see the evil and the good without hiding
You must help me if you can
Tell me what is wrong
Was I unwise to leave them open for so long?
'Cause I have wandered through this world
And as each moment has unfurled
I've been waiting to awaken from these dreams
People go just where they will
I never noticed them until I got this feeling
That it's later than it seems
Doctor, my eyes
Tell me what you see
I hear their cries
Just say if it's too late for me
Doctor, my eyes
They cannot see the sky
Is this the prize
For having learned how not to cry?
In Doctor My Eyes, Jackson Browne speaks to his doctor about his own emotional awakening. The opening lines are powerful in and of themselves, indicating that the character has seen years of experience and the slow parade of fears that come with them, although he hasn't cried. He speaks straightforwardly and directly with the doctor, stating his desire to understand what he's been through. The first verse ends with a plea for help, a plea that implies a feeling of desperation underneath the character's tough exterior.
The second half of the song is Chorus-heavy, with the character of Doctor My Eyes begging for clarity and understanding. Browne was writing about a theme that would come to inhabit much of his later work: the duality between the inner and outer self, and the ways in which we police our own emotions.
Throughout the song, there's an underlying sense of melancholy and weariness. The character speaks of having done everything he could to hide his fears and confront the darkness within himself, and with Doctor My Eyes, he's seeking a way out of the despair that's been closing in on him. The last few lines are particularly poignant, with the character speaking about the sky he can no longer see, and he wonders if the inability to cry is the price he's paid for his survival beyond fear.
Line by Line Meaning
Doctor, my eyes have seen the years
I have lived long enough to witness many things and the impact of those experiences on me.
And the slow parade of fears without crying
I have faced my deepest fears and struggles without showing my emotions.
Now I want to understand
I seek answers to comprehend the reasons behind my experiences.
I have done all that I could
I have given my best efforts to observe and understand the world around me.
To see the evil and the good without hiding
I have exposed myself to both the positive and negative aspects of life.
You must help me if you can
I need assistance from someone who can use their expertise to help me understand.
Doctor, my eyes
Addressing the doctor, to reveal his innermost thoughts seeping through his eyes.
Tell me what is wrong
Asking the doctor to offer a diagnosis and prescription for what he is experiencing.
Was I unwise to leave them open for so long?
Questioning if he made a mistake by exposing himself to the world for so long.
'Cause I have wandered through this world
He has roamed and journeyed through various experiences offered by life.
And as each moment has unfurled
He observed every unfolding experience as it happened.
I've been waiting to awaken from these dreams
He hopes to find clarity and awaken from the confusing, overwhelming experiences he has gone through.
People go just where they will
Recognizing how people move through life on their own terms, making their own choices.
I never noticed them until I got this feeling
Having developed a heightened awareness of other people's actions and emotions.
That it's later than it seems
Understanding that time flies and each moment is precious.
Doctor, my eyes
Reiterating the need for guidance from the doctor.
Tell me what you see
Asking the doctor what he observes in his eyes and in his mind.
I hear their cries
Hearing the voices of people around him who are suffering.
Just say if it's too late for me
Asking the doctor if it's too late to find the clarity and understanding he seeks.
Doctor, my eyes
Reemphasizing his plea for the doctor's help.
They cannot see the sky
His perspective has been clouded and he needs clarity.
Is this the prize
Asking if the cost of not holding back his emotions is losing his inner peace.
For having learned how not to cry?
Questioning if learning to control his emotions was truly an accomplishment in life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jackson Browne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind