Go On.

While I love discovering new music, I also find myself listening to the same music over and over, which is one of my narrative weaknesses. One artist that I cannot stop listening to is Jack Johnson, who is my favorite singer. His music is relaxing, real, and relatable. Jack Johnson has always been one of my family’s favorite singers, and listening to his music is something we enjoy doing together. We have actually been to two Jack Johnson concerts together: one in San Diego, CA, in 2010, and one in Atlanta, GA, in 2017.

One song that I listen to repeatedly by Jack Johnson is “Go On,” which is on his 2008 album, Sleep Through the Static. (If you haven't heard the song, here is a lyric video.) This song particularly reminds me of my family and memories of growing up listening to Jack Johnson. There are eight kids in my family, and my family has always been very important to me. Frequently, I listen to Jack Johnson and reminisce on my childhood.

In all of our senior yearbooks ads, my parents have put a quote from “Go On,” that says, “There are still so many things we want to say to you, but go on.” By incorporating this quote into our yearbook ads, my parents were telling us to go out into the world and pave our own path. While we could still lean on them when we needed to, my parents were encouraging us to become more independent and live our own lives. Going to college is a big change for an 18-year-old, and this quote really helped me with my transition into college after high school.

As well, my sister’s boyfriend performed “Go On” at my grandmother’s funeral last year. This song really helped me cope with her death by reminding me to let go while still holding on. I had to let go of my grandmother physically, but her spirit still lives on through my memories of her. This song reminds me of her joyous spirit and loving heart.

Whenever I listen to this song, I am flooded with emotions, both happy and sad. The line that says “We’re bound by blood that’s moving the moment that we start” reminds me that my family will always be there for me, no matter what. I think that my emotional connection to this song is what always brings me back to it.

*Album cover photograph retrieved from https://www.discogs.com/Jack-Johnson-Sleep-Through-The-Static/release/1404218