What's Behind Jackson Browne's Song "The Pretender"?

It is safe to say the 1970s will be remembered as the decade of the Singer/Songwriter. The list is endless: James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Dan Fogelberg, Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Croce, Carole King, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell (just to name a few.) Each of these artists had a unique style most-likely influenced by Bob Dylan who essentially re-wrote the rules in the 1960's. While other artists were singing about doggies in the window and "beautiful balloons" Dylan grabbed the world by the throat singing about real-life topics: Personal issues. Relationships. The government. War. Peace. Social issues. Injustices. Etc.. This opened the door for Singer/Songwriter Jackson Browne. And once that door was opened, Browne burst through and raised the bar. Jackson Browne's 1976 album The Pretender is simply one of the finest albums ever made by a Singer/Songwriter. In this first of a series of articles about The Pretender we will focus on the title song.

Born Clyde Jackson Browne in 1948 and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, Jackson Browne has recorded thirteen studio albums. Each collection is unique in its own right however it is The Pretender that stands above the rest. The album's title song features a full rock band led by an acoustic piano and guest harmony vocalists Graham Nash and David Crosby of Crosby, Stills and Nash fame. "The Pretender" depicts the story of an "everyman" as the opening lyrics reveal: "I'm going to rent myself a house in the shade of the freeway. I'm going to pack my lunch in the morning and go to work each day. And when the evening rolls around, I'll go on home and lay my body down. And when the morning light comes streaming in, I'll get up and do it again. Amen."

In answer to the question: "Who is the pretender?" Browne once said "...it's not me exactly, although sometimes people applaud for me at the moment in the song as if I am, but in truth there is a bit of the Pretender in me, but it's anybody that's sort of lost sight of some of their dreams...and is going through the motions and trying to make a stab at a certain way of life that he sees other people succeeding at..."

"The Pretender" is the closing song on the album of the same name. It is the perfect resolution to a collection of songs dealing with fatherhood, love, relationships, death, careers, despair and hope.

It is not just the lyrics that make this song stand above the rest. It is the combination of a strong melody supported by impeccable musicianship and produced in an almost-pop fashion while allowing the "sensitivity" of a singer/songwriter to still shine through. In addition, the clarity of the recording, song arrangement, harmony vocals and combination of electric and acoustic instruments is what truly makes this "The Pretender" a jewel in Browne's catologue.

Kenn Morr http://www.kennmorr.com/ is an internationally acclaimed Singer/Songwriter, Performer, Producer and Author with six albums to his credit. Originally from Long Island, NY Kenn lives in the foothills of New England's Berkshire Mountains with his wife and two young sons.

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Jackson Browne's "For a Dancer" - Do We Really Need To Know The Meaning?

I have to admit it is (almost) amusing to research material online and constantly discover how many different (and contradicting) facts there are available for any given subject. Of course it can also be a bit alarming if one is researching something where misinformation can cause harm (i.e. medicines or medical treatments etc.) Since those posting incorrect "facts" about the meanings behind certain popular songs are not going to cause much harm or change the earth's rotation we'll forgive these transgressions. However from a songwriter's perspective the question needs to be asked: Do we really NEED to know the original "meaning" behind a song?

Jackson Browne's "For a Dancer" first appeared on the 1974 platinum album Late For The Sky and has prompted online fans to debate whether the song was as a result of Browne's wife's suicide (which actually occurred after the song was released) or the death of his friend Adam (who inspired "Adam's Song" on Jackson's debut album in 1972) among other theories. This mixing of facts and fiction really does prompt the question: Why is it important to know the actual meaning behind a song? Especially when it is clear, given the online postings relating to this song, "For a Dancer" had different meanings to many different people regardless of what prompted Browne to write this song.

One fan wrote of their father (who they referred to as their "best friend") passing away three years ago and related how difficult this loss has been. The father was a huge Jackson Browne fan. Recently the writer was with their dying uncle, left the bedside and Jackson Browne's "For a Dancer" suddenly played. The uncle died several hours later and the fan believes their father "played that song" (from above) to help get over the uncle's loss.

Another online writer dedicated "For a Dancer" to their mom and friend who had recently died. A ballerina wrote how she relates to the song and wants to keep it in her head until she dies. Another wrote: "My dad and my ex (plus a dog, a cat, a horse and an uncle) left this crazy planet over the past year. This song speaks to my heart. Finally, another fan posted: "My dad died ten years ago. He LOVED this song since I was a little kid. They played it at his funeral. Whenever I hear it I remember the good things about him."

Regardless of what really prompted Jackson Browne to write "For a Dancer" the song is among Browne's best work. The four minute, forty two second piece was the sixth song on the Grammy-nominated album Late For the Sky and is a must-listen for any music fan. And it is our suggestion you listen, enjoy and place and attach your OWN meaning to the song. It's the only one that really matters.

Kenn Morr http://www.kennmorr.com/ is an internationally acclaimed Singer/Songwriter, Performer, Producer and Author with six albums to his credit. Originally from Long Island, NY Kenn lives in the foothills of New England's Berkshire Mountains with his wife and two young sons.

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Jackson Browne's Running on Empty: A Turn in the Road

In 1977 Singer/Songwriter Jackson Browne released a live album entitled Running on Empty. What was so unique about this collection and why is it among Browne's best selling LPs of all time?

To better understand why Running on Empty was a surprise to Jackson Browne's fans we must take a look at Browne's previous albums. Beginning with the LP "Jackson Browne" (also referred to as "Saturate Before Using") released in 1972, Browne set the tone for his two subsequent collections "For Everyman" (1973) and "Late For the Sky" (1974.) The formula was simple: Introspective lyrics, accessible melodies, mostly-acoustic instruments (save for the electric guitar and slide guitar wizardry of fret-master David Lindley) and simple, almost bare-boned production recorded in pristine studios.

Browne's 1976 release "The Pretender" deviated a bit from this formula. Producer Jon Landau was called in to bring a more pop approach to the music. Landau's production preserved the inherent intimacy of Browne's music while making it even more accessible to the mainstream. His efforts resulted in Rolling Stone magazine listing "The Pretender" among its Top 500 albums of all time and garnered the album a Grammy nomination.

"Running on Empty" is unlike any of it's predecessors as it was a collection of songs recorded live on the road. And unlike most previously-recorded "live" albums the selected takes were not just performances in front of a live audience with the benefit of a set stage, complex sound board, sound engineer, sound-checks and other necessary recording "controls". For example, "The Road" was recorded in room 301 of the Cross Keys Inn, Baltimore, MD. "Rosie" was recorded backstage at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga, NY. "Cocaine" and "Shaky Town" were recorded in a hotel room in Edwardsville, IL. However the most impressive recording was "Nothing But Time" which was tracked on a (moving) tour bus (a close-listening will reveal the actual sounds of the bus itself.)

In addition to abandoning comfortable studios in favor of seemingly impractical make-shift ones including hotel rooms, backstage rehearsal spots or (loud and moving) tour buses Browne also deviated from his previous approach to album-production with the songs themselves. Browne wrote virtually every song on his proceeding four releases except "Take it Easy" and "Here Come Those Tears Again" (which were co-written with Glenn Frey and Nancy Farnsworth respectively.) On the album "Running on Empty" Jackson only wrote two of the ten songs while co-writing six. The rest were covers. The subject matter of the tunes relate directly to the rigors of the road which gives the songs and their performances even more credibility.

What makes Running on Empty TRULY unusual is none of the songs appear on a prior Jackson Browne album. So this is not just a live album. It is a live album of "new" material. Given the fact it was nominated for a Grammy award for best album of the year and reached number three on the Billboard charts it is safe to say Browne's "different" approach to making this timeless-sounding record was a success.

Kenn Morr http://www.kennmorr.com/ is an internationally acclaimed Singer/Songwriter, Performer, Producer and Author with six albums to his credit. Originally from Long Island, NY Kenn lives in the foothills of New England's Berkshire Mountains with his wife and two young sons.

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Jackson Browne's "For Everyman" - A Classic Album

In our previous series of articles we analyzed why Jackson Browne's album The Pretender was ranked among the top 500 albums of all-time by Rolling Stone magazine. The combination of honest songwriting, performance and production (not to mention sheer star-power contributed by thirty-plus musicians) was the recipe for this Grammy-nominated record. But The Pretender was not the first Jackson Browne album listed on Rolling Stone's top 500. Its predecessor, released three years prior in 1973, received the same honor. And for good reason. For Everyman is a classic Jackson Browne album.

The album opens with the infectious tune "Take it Easy" which Browne co-wrote with Glenn Frey, a founding member of The Eagles. Frey used this track to open the Eagles' debut album in 1972. Glenn Frey's version of the song was more pop-oriented (thus more radio-friendly) while Browne's take on the tune was less slick and tended more towards "acoustic" or "folk/rock". This made "Take it Easy" the perfect choice for opening For Everyman. It essentially foreshadows the "formula" of the album: Acoustic instruments, bass, drums, piano and our introduction to slide guitar and string-wizard David Lindley.

In addition to slide guitar Lindley (who was to become a key component in Browne's subsequent bands) played acoustic guitar, fiddle, violin and electric guitar. Drummer Russ Kunkel and bassist Leland Sklar were also key elements and (like Lindley) would prove to play important roles in Browne's music appearing on subsequent tours and records. Guest musicians included Elton John, Bonnie Raitt, David Crosby, Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Jim Keltner and Joni Mitchell.

The core band helped provide a cohesive sound to For Everyman. And Browne's honest lyrics and accessible melodies did the rest. The album has the feel of a single song with small gaps between beats (or thoughts.) "Take it Easy" seamlessly segues into "Our Lady Of The Well". Similarly, at the end of the record "Sing My Songs to Me" give way to the closing track "For Everyman" and the transition is so effective it is difficult to determine where one song ends and the other begins.

For Everyman received mixed reviews. Some critics wrote Browne had his entire life to compose his critically acclaimed debut album (referred to as "Saturate Before Using") thus resorting to "secondary" material for this sophomore effort. Of course these reviews fly in the face of Rolling Stone magazine listing For Everyman among its top 500 albums of all-time. Critic William Ruhlmann was wise enough to note Browne's "secondary" material is "still better than most people's best and, ironically, more accessible..."

With the benefit of almost-forty years hindsight it is difficult not to categorize For Everyman as one of Browne's finest albums. It is a "must" for any music fan looking to discover this brilliant artist.

Kenn Morr http://www.kennmorr.com/ is an internationally acclaimed Singer/Songwriter, Performer, Producer and Author with six albums to his credit. Originally from Long Island, NY Kenn lives in the foothills of New England's Berkshire Mountains with his wife and two young sons.

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Jackson Browne's "These Days" - Simply a Masterpiece

Singer/Songwriter Jackson Browne has penned a countless number of songs inspiring and influencing a generation of songwriters. On his For Everyman album, released in 1973, Jackson Browne closed side one (remember when albums had "sides?") with this four minute, forty one second masterpiece. What is it about this song that has (literally) millions of YouTube visitors watching/listening to it almost forty years later?

There's an old expression about good songwriting: "All you need is three chords and the truth". And while this statement may over-simply the songwriting process this cliché, like many others, is grounded in some truth. A look at the chord structure of "These Days" reveals pure simplicity. Browne plays the song with his guitar capo placed at the second fret and employs a chord progression of: C, C/B (or a C chord with a B note in the bass of the chord,) A minor, G and F. This progression is repeated four times in the introduction of the song and continues throughout the first half of the verse before Browne moves to the F chord leading to the C and then G chords to help resolve the progression. The song then returns to the original progression of C, C/B, Am, G and F.

Simple, right? Yes, it is very simple. As Jackson Browne states in several YouTube performances he wrote "These Days" when he was sixteen years old. Of course given the natural and basic chord progression, this is easy to believe. These chords are among the first we learn when we take on the challenge of learning to play the guitar. Given the fact one of the chords, the C/B is essentially a C chord with the bass (or root) note dropped down a half of a step to a B note "These Days" employs four chords. Pretty darn close to the cliché of "three chords and the truth..."

What makes this song so timeless is this simple chord progression placed against an equally simple melody. However this simplicity gives way to brilliance when the lyrics begin. Especially in hindsight knowing Browne wrote this song at the age of sixteen. The lyrics open: "Well I've been out walking. I don't do that much talking these days. These days. These days I seem to think a lot about the things that I forgot to do for you. And all the times I had the chance to."

Of course anybody can relate to this opening line. Is Browne talking to a lover? A parent? A friend? The point is, it doesn't much matter. What makes this song so "universal" is the fact Jackson Browne could be referring to any of these people. And as listeners we immediately hear this opening line and think to ourselves "I could have done better with..." or "I should have known better...I owe an apology..." In other words, we are not even through the first verse and the songwriter has us hooked with a simple chord structure, a simple melody and then hammers us with some heavy "truth".

As the lyrics continue we learn Jackson may be referring to a lover (although the second verse can also be thoughts completely independent of the first verse): "And I had a lover. It's so hard to risk another, these days. These days..." Then Browne turns his attention to his career (or even simply his life): "Now if I seem to be afraid to live a life that I have made in song...Well it's just that I've been losing so long." Pretty heavy line from a sixteen year old (who would later be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.)

Jackson Browne does offer up some hope in the final verse: "I'll keep on moving. Things are bound to be improving these days. One of these days..." before closing the song with a plea: "Don't confront me with my failures, I have not forgotten them."

What makes "These Days" even more special is the fact Browne only requires his own acoustic guitar accompaniment. No bells. No whistles. No slick studio techniques or "hooks" or production magic. A very simple chord progression, simple but memorable melody and lyrics written by a sixteen year old that just as easily could have been written by a sixty year old looking back at their life.

Grab a hold of the For Everyman album and listen to the original version of this song. Then visit YouTube and watch a couple of the versions. It won't take long to realize how brilliant this simple piece of music really is.

Kenn Morr http://www.kennmorr.com/ is an internationally acclaimed Singer/Songwriter, Performer, Producer and Author with six albums to his credit. Originally from Long Island, NY Kenn lives in the foothills of New England's Berkshire Mountains with his wife and two young sons.

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