I will be honest with you guys. I never thought I would be profiling a Jack Johnson song for the Song of the Day section. Not because I do not respect the man and his soft musical accomplishments, but, I have never really listened to him. Maybe in passing when a song by him is playing overhead in a store or an outdoor sitting area next to Chipotle in the Tanger Outlets in Deer Park, NY. I assume you all can guess where I heard “Hope” by Jack Johnson now. The hook, that constantly repeats “You better hope your not alone” (and many other variations of the same line) got so stuck in my head my girlfriend suggested that she sent me a text with the song title so I did not forget it. Thank you Rebecca.
Jack Johnson, the Hawaiian singer-songwriter, surfer, movie maker, et cetera, tends to get little respect from music listeners who label his brand of soft rock as well soft. Yes, while some of his music may be a little hard to listen to, “Hope,” is actually great. It is incredibly catchy and it does a great job demonstrating Jack Johnson’s style. He may not be slamming on the guitar or putting together some illustrious musical sound, but, he does have an acoustic guitar, a mellow voice, and a pretty solid sound. Good sound for a surfer dude. He’s better then the inaudible music of Eddie Vedder.
Right before the chorus the song slows down and Johnson’s voice sounds over silence. This breakdown is quite revealing. What does it show? Johnson is one of those artists who is simply comfortable. He knows who he is and he is not going to change. I respect that.
Check it Out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nglKASnDxhI
The Music Court 
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