The Jack Johnson Morning

1401x788-rexusa_2690356nSome mornings are Jack Johnson mornings. This morning is a Jack Johnson morning. Today is Thursday, but it would be much cooler if today was Friday. It almost feels like Friday, which makes it worse.

What is a Jack Johnson morning?

1. You’re over-tired.
2. You’re inexplicably feeling the three beers you drank last night.
3. The office is quiet and daring you to be unproductive.
4. You’d rather be on the beach, a deck or even better- still in bed.
5. Sports radio can only seem to talk about Peyton Manning’s neck.
6. It’s not summer, but man you wish it was.

Jack Johnson is summer music. So a Jack Johnson morning can’t happen in the summer because really any morning during the summer months could be a Jack Johnson morning, just like any morning in the fall could be a My Morning Jacket morning and any morning in the spring could be a De La Soul morning. Jack Johnson mornings, much like Bob Marley, Sam Cooke or Band of Horses’ mornings, can only happen in the winter- specifically in the dead of winter.

Is it safe to say Johnson popped and fizzled? You don’t hear much about him anymore and an argument could easily be made that he’s released the same album five or six times, just with different names. I’d counter with, that’s totally cool. I like Jack Johnson’s music because it’s Jack Johnson’s music. The melodies are peaceful, the grooves are easy and the drums are so passive that they frustrate me to the point of ignoring them and then coming to grips with it. I am not looking for a Jack Johnson death metal album. I appreciate that he knows that. I appreciate that he records his albums in a solar-powered studio out in California and writes most of his material sitting on the beach in Hawaii. His albums sound like the beach in Hawaii. That’s cool.

But I really haven’t listened to Mr. Johnson in a while and I’m not sure why other than I just haven’t. I saw him live once and it was surprisingly great. It wasn’t epic and it wasn’t like seeing My Morning Jacket- it didn’t have that kind of excitement and energy, but it was cool in its own way. I wouldn’t recommend going to see a Johnson show with a group of dudes, though. It’s not that kind of joint. Go with your lady, drape your arms around her and just sway baby, sway.

A Jack Johnson morning is a reason why music is great- because of its chameleon-like nature and its ability to be there regardless of what kind of mood you’re in or morning you’re having. Tuesday I wanted loud music and yesterday I wanted some funky jams. Music was there for me. The days of the week might not be all that accommodating, but my I Pod is.

So here’s to a Jack Johnson morning. Who knows what the rest of the day holds, but it’s nice to know that we have the morning covered.

That’s a start. We’ll worry about the finish later.

Categories: Life Lessons, Music

Tags: ,

6 replies


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