When life hands you bananas, make pancakes

There are very few CDs that I can listen to without skipping a few songs. Jack Johnson’s 2005 album “In Between Dreams” is one of those rare albums where it’s a crime against music to skip any of the songs.

Johnson is a singer-songwriter and surfer from Hawaii. He is often known for his 2001 album “Brushfire Fairytales” and the song “Upside Down” from the Curious George soundtrack.

He sings about life and love on his album “In Between Dreams,” which explores themes like nostalgia for relationships and a simpler life. He also asks questions about current social conditions. A few of the songs are abstract, so the interpretation is up to the listener.

It is not only the lyrics that make this a CD worth listening to. Johnson’s mellow voice and acoustic guitar also make this a memorable album.

The songs about love and relationships are light-hearted and nostalgic without being saccharine. For example, “Better Together” is about how life is uncertain, but it’s always better when you’re with someone. In “Do You Remember,”  two lovers reminisce about how they met and look forward to their future together.

“Banana Pancakes” is about making pancakes instead of dealing with the rush of everyday life. “Constellations” is another nostalgic song about children and their father star-gazing and making up their own constellations. “If I Could” makes a contrast between life and death. Johnson sings about holding onto memories of people and wishing he could give them more time.

The rest of the songs on this album ask meaningful questions about life, humanity, society, and conflict. These songs are thought-provoking yet catchy, so the listener can contemplate important issues while enjoying good music.

“Never Know” asks why people with different beliefs can’t get along, when they are all human, and therefore have similar concerns and uncertainties about life.

In “Good People,” Johnson describes watching TV and seeing nothing but disaster, so he asks where the good people have gone, because they’re not making the news.

“Crying Shame” is about the irony of fighting a “war for peace.” Johnson describes the conflict between opposing sides as a “tired game” and asks if it will ever end.

In “Breakdown,” Johnson sings about wanting the train he’s on to break, so he can walk instead. The song includes clever metaphors that describe the fast pace of life.

The album “In Between Dreams” includes many songs about life, humanity, and society, in addition to songs about love and relationships. Johnson also asks questions about current issues that listeners may have also asked themselves.

“Love is the answer, at least for most of the questions in my heart,” Johnson sings on this album. This may be an overly-simple, perhaps hackneyed, answer to the world’s problems. However, Johnson presents it in an original, mellow way that leaves the listener cautiously hopeful about tomorrow.