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Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone.Coming to prominence in the 1970s, Browne has written and recorded several notable songs throughout his career including “These Days”, “The Pretender”, “Running On Empty”, “Lawyers in Love”, “Doctor My Eyes”, “Take It Easy”, “For a Rocker”, and “Somebody’s Baby”. In 2004, he was both inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, and bestowed an Honorary Doctorate of Music by Occidental College in Los Angeles, California.

I’ve listened to Jackson Browne for about 30 years, I have a friend who has  a couple of older siblings who introduced him to this incredible songwriter/singer, I got it from my friend. I am eternally grateful.

allmusic says:

In many ways, Jackson Browne was the quintessential sensitive Californian singer/songwriter of the early ’70s. Only Joni Mitchell and James Taylor ranked alongside him in terms of influence, but neither artist tapped into the post-’60s Zeitgeist like Browne.

He is a true music enthusist and he has produced albums by The Eagles, J.D. Souther and Warren Zevon and more. When he was inducted into The Rock’n Roll Hall of Fame, Bruce Springsteen said that even if The Eagles was allready in the hall of fame: “You wrote the songs they wished they had written”. Bruce says all the good things that I would like to say about Jackson Browne, take ten minutes and listen to this very fine speech:

Here are my ten favourite Jackson Browne songs:

1. Sleeps dark and silent gate, one of the most beautiful songs ever written:

“Don’t know where I’m going
Wishing I could hide
Oh God this is some shape I’m in
When the only thing that makes me cry
Is the kindness in my baby’s eye”

2. Tender is the night, official video:

“You’re gonna want me tonight
When you’re ready to surrender
Forget about who’s right
When you’re ready to remember
It’s another world at night
When you’re ready to be tender”

…and a live version from Rockpalast in 1986:

3. The Pretender (with Crosby, Stills and Nash):

“I’m gonna find myself a girl
Who can show me what laughter means
And we’ll fill in the missing colors
In each other’s paint-by-number dreams
And then we’ll put our dark glasses on
And we’ll make love until our strength is gone
And when the morning light comes streaming in
We’ll get up and do it again
Get it up again”

4. For a dancer:

“I don’t know what happens when people die
Can’t seem to grasp it as hard as I try
It’s like a song playing right in my ear
That I can’t sing I can’t help listening”

5. Before the Deluge:

“For the resignation that living brings
And exchanged love’s bright and fragile glow
For the glitter and the rouge
And in a moment they were swept before the deluge”

6. Fountains of Sorrow:

“It would be easier sometimes to change the past
I’m just one or two years and a couple of changes behind you
In my lessons at love’s pain and heartache school
Where if you feel too free and you need something to remind you
There’s this loneliness springing up from your life
Like a fountain from a pool”

7. Late for the sky:

“How long have I been sleeping
How long have I been drifting alone through the night
How long have I been dreaming I could make it right “

8. Running on Empty:

“Everyone I know, everywhere I go
People need some reason to believe
I don’t know about anyone but me
If it takes all night, that’ll be all right
If I can get you to smile before I leave”

9. Call it a loan:

“In the evening when you see my eyes
Looking back at you, no disguise
I’m not sure who you think you’ll see
I’m just hoping you’ll still know that it’s me”

10. These days (+ an accoustic version of Running on Empty):

“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 “

What a fantastic artist!

Spotify Playlist, Jackson Browne top 11:

– Hallgeir

Fuck it, I need to include Rock me on the water:

“Rock me on the water
Sister will you soothe my fevered brow
Rock me on the water
I’ll get down to the sea somehow ”

Brilliant!