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
Lives In The Balance
Jackson Browne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For a week or a month or a year
With the blood in the ink of the headlines
And the sound of the crowd in my ear
You might ask what it takes to remember
When you know that you've seen it before
Where a government lies to a people
There's a shadow on the faces
Of the men who send the guns
To the wars that are fought in places
Where their business interests run
On the radio talk shows and TV
You hear one thing again and again
How the USA stands for freedom
And we come to the aid of a friend
But who are the ones that we call our friends
These governments killing their own
Or the people who finally can't take anymore
And they pick up a gun or a brick or a stone
And there are lives in the balance
There are people under fire
There are children at the cannons
And there is blood on the wire
There's a shadow on the faces
Of the men who fan the flames
Of the wars that are fought in places
Where we can't even say the names
They sell us the president the same way
They sell us our clothes and our cars
They sell us everything from youth to religion
The same time they sell us our wars
I want to know who the men in the shadows are
I want to hear somebody asking them why
They can't be counted on to tell us
Who our enemies are
But they're never the ones to fight or to die
And there are lives in the balance
There are people under fire
There are children at the cannons
And there is blood on the wire
In "Lives in the Balance," Jackson Browne expresses his frustration with governmental corruption, war, and propaganda. He begins with the sense of waiting for something to happen, as if it's only a matter of time before more tragedy and conflict erupt. He questions how we can forget the lessons of the past when the same patterns of deception and war continue to arise. The governments that claim to be champions of freedom are exposed as liars, willing to send soldiers to fight wars for the sake of corporate interests. The innocent people caught in the crossfire face violence and death, with children even being used as soldiers. Browne creates a bleak picture of a world controlled by those in power, selling us everything from products to patriotism, but hiding in the shadows when it comes to their own responsibility in conflict.
Browne's repetition of the phrase "lives in the balance" emphasizes the cost of war on individuals and communities. The title itself speaks to the idea that each life is valuable and deserves protection, yet that value is so often forgotten in the pursuit of power and profit. The image of blood on the wire is haunting, implying that no one is truly safe when war is waged, regardless of which side they might be on. Ultimately, Browne is calling for accountability and transparency from those who hold power, a reminder that the decisions made in politics and war have real-life consequences for those whose lives are most directly affected.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been waiting for something to happen
I've been expecting change, an end to violence and war
For a week or a month or a year
I've been waiting for an uncertain amount of time
With the blood in the ink of the headlines
The news reports are full of violence and death
And the sound of the crowd in my ear
I hear people demanding change and an end to war
You might ask what it takes to remember
One might wonder what it takes to stop repeating history
When you know that you've seen it before
When you know that similar violent events have occurred in the past
Where a government lies to a people
When a government spreads misinformation to the public
And a country is drifting to war
And the nation is slowly heading towards a violent conflict
There's a shadow on the faces
The government officials look troubled
Of the men who send the guns
The individuals responsible for making decisions regarding armed conflict
To the wars that are fought in places
To the battles that take place in faraway lands
Where their business interests run
Where their economic interests lie
On the radio talk shows and TV
In the media
You hear one thing again and again
You hear the same message repeatedly
How the USA stands for freedom
How America represents freedom
And we come to the aid of a friend
And help our allies in their times of need
But who are the ones that we call our friends
Who are the nations we consider our allies?
These governments killing their own
The nations where the leaders kill their own people
Or the people who finally can't take anymore
Or the individuals who can no longer tolerate the oppressive regime
And they pick up a gun or a brick or a stone
The oppressed residents start a violent rebellion
And there are lives in the balance
People are in danger, it is a matter of life or death
There are people under fire
People are in the midst of an armed conflict
There are children at the cannons
Young innocent people are caught in the midst of war
And there is blood on the wire
There are fatalities and injuries caused by violent conflict
There's a shadow on the faces
The government officials have guilty expressions
Of the men who fan the flames
The individuals responsible for escalating the conflict
Of the wars that are fought in places
Of the violent battles that occur far away from home
Where we can't even say the names
Places whose names we struggle to pronounce
They sell us the president the same way
The politicians are marketed, their images manufactured like products
They sell us our clothes and our cars
Just like they advertise our clothes and cars
They sell us everything from youth to religion
They also try to make us buy everything from beauty to belief
The same time they sell us our wars
Meanwhile they promote and profit from armed conflict
I want to know who the men in the shadows are
I want to learn their identities, the people responsible for making decisions behind closed doors
I want to hear somebody asking them why
I want them to be held accountable for their decisions
They can't be counted on to tell us
They cannot be trusted to tell us the truth
Who our enemies are
Who the people we are fighting against are
But they're never the ones to fight or to die
But they themselves never face the consequences of their own decisions
And there are lives in the balance
Lives are at risk and their safety is undecided
There are people under fire
People are in the midst of an armed conflict
There are children at the cannons
Innocent children are exposed to violence and danger
And there is blood on the wire
The violence and conflict has left a trail of casualties
Lyrics Ā© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JACKSON BROWNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DWSimmy
Almost 30 years later and this is just as true as it was when it was released.Ā
Ginger Ann
No, sooooo much more relevant today!
Halligen1972
The Song never gets old: https://youtu.be/6b73WmkV0Ik
Joe Vining
@Lemur exactlyā¦and now we have so much we have to choose what to believe. Canāt all be true.
Joe Vining
@Lemur idk. We were pretty distracted then and still trusted corporate media mostly.
OT. Mill
This song immediately came to mind to me for the situation unfolding in Ukraine..
huulio
No matter how many years pass by, this song still keeps on rocking and telling the facts how they are
swell of the speakers
Was listening to this driving through Belfast on the way to work this morning. Shockingly relevant today! JB's songs are timeless.
drumdust
Just bought 'The Best of Miami Vice' soundtrack and this song is on it.
I had totally forgotten this great and timeless song.
Just as relevant today as it was in 1988.
Silence me Violate me
It's crazy how it has been forgotten. When you search Jackson Browne it doesn't come up. I had to search Jackson Browne anti war song. Crazy.