As I read the posted interpretations of this song, I am surprised at how absurd, regularly bizarre, and frequently exhausting they are. For some of you, perhaps a bit of psychotherapy and/or anger management classes would greatly improve your lives. ;)
First a bit of Jack Johnson trivia: Until a serious injury ended his professional surfing career, Jack was a renowned surfer (from Wikipedia: "At 17, he [Jack Johnson] became the youngest invitee to make the surfing finals at the Pipeline Masters on Oahu's north shore.").
SONG MEANINGS:
This is a song about SURFING. Much more cerebral than, say, "Surfing USA," by The Beach Boys, but still it's about surfing. Not about god, nor homosexuals (example of a bizarre earlier post), just serious advice to a less experienced surfer. Jack tries to convey the visceral and disorienting experience of surfing in beautiful music and lyrics. And what a great job!
"You don't always have to hold your head higher than your heart"
This is a reference to a surf stance/move. To catch a wave, you must locate and "paddle" to your wave, lying flat on your board, then move to a crouching position, where your head is not higher than your heart. This move is called the "pop up", the step between laying flat on the board and riding your wave. (Great pictures of this can be found all over the web.)
"You better hope you're not alone"
The disorienting and constantly shifting nature of surfing carries with it a lot of dangers, so, "You better hope you're not alone, " means exactly that: Do not surf alone; have a "surf buddy" at all times--if you hit a rip (current) for example, you could be carried out to sea. Your surf buddy could save your life.
I'm a huge fan of Jack's, too, but, folks, please take him of your pedestals. He'd probably be uncomfortable up there, don't you think?
A great surfing song. It lifts me up every time I listen to it.
That sounds very accurate, though I find Jack Johnson's songs almost always have a double meaning eluding to many challenges and rewards of personal awakening. He carries both very literal and very spiritual tones in his music.
That sounds very accurate, though I find Jack Johnson's songs almost always have a double meaning eluding to many challenges and rewards of personal awakening. He carries both very literal and very spiritual tones in his music.
As I read the posted interpretations of this song, I am surprised at how absurd, regularly bizarre, and frequently exhausting they are. For some of you, perhaps a bit of psychotherapy and/or anger management classes would greatly improve your lives. ;)
First a bit of Jack Johnson trivia: Until a serious injury ended his professional surfing career, Jack was a renowned surfer (from Wikipedia: "At 17, he [Jack Johnson] became the youngest invitee to make the surfing finals at the Pipeline Masters on Oahu's north shore.").
SONG MEANINGS: This is a song about SURFING. Much more cerebral than, say, "Surfing USA," by The Beach Boys, but still it's about surfing. Not about god, nor homosexuals (example of a bizarre earlier post), just serious advice to a less experienced surfer. Jack tries to convey the visceral and disorienting experience of surfing in beautiful music and lyrics. And what a great job!
"You don't always have to hold your head higher than your heart"
This is a reference to a surf stance/move. To catch a wave, you must locate and "paddle" to your wave, lying flat on your board, then move to a crouching position, where your head is not higher than your heart. This move is called the "pop up", the step between laying flat on the board and riding your wave. (Great pictures of this can be found all over the web.)
"You better hope you're not alone"
The disorienting and constantly shifting nature of surfing carries with it a lot of dangers, so, "You better hope you're not alone, " means exactly that: Do not surf alone; have a "surf buddy" at all times--if you hit a rip (current) for example, you could be carried out to sea. Your surf buddy could save your life.
I'm a huge fan of Jack's, too, but, folks, please take him of your pedestals. He'd probably be uncomfortable up there, don't you think?
A great surfing song. It lifts me up every time I listen to it.
That sounds very accurate, though I find Jack Johnson's songs almost always have a double meaning eluding to many challenges and rewards of personal awakening. He carries both very literal and very spiritual tones in his music.
That sounds very accurate, though I find Jack Johnson's songs almost always have a double meaning eluding to many challenges and rewards of personal awakening. He carries both very literal and very spiritual tones in his music.