Still Looking For Something

Album: Downhill From Everywhere (2021)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Even at 72, Jackson Browne was still looking for something, which he expresses on this track. A theme of this song is acceptance. "Acceptance doesn't mean defeat," Browne says. "It means being truthful to one's self."
  • Browne finds himself metaphorically whittling away his dreams down to shavings:

    The sharp edges of the world will whittle
    Your dreams down to shavings at your feet
    Gonna do my best not to settle
    I know it's gonna test my mettle


    Speaking with Paul Ingles, he explained: "You can work on something and be so involved in the minutia that you whittle it down to nothing. Your dream gets smaller and smaller. But what I like about that metaphor is the sharp edges: life knocks a lot of the corners off of you as you go along. There's a determination in that song to renew yourself and find something you're passionate about - not settle. And it's alright if you don't find it right now."
  • "Still Looking For Something" is the opening track from Browne's 15th album, Downhill From Everywhere, his first in seven years. He started working on the song years earlier, but it took him a long time to figure out exactly what he wanted the song to describe.

    "'Still Looking For Something' is a song I was trying to write years ago, but I didn't know what I was talking about," Browne told Uncut magazine. "Even as a child you have expectations and dreams, an inward relief about what life is supposed to be. Then you find out the truth as you go along. I needed to live it more, until I'd finally lived it enough to where I'm really at that place."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Intentionally Atrocious

Intentionally AtrociousSong Writing

A selection of songs made to be terrible - some clearly achieved that goal.

00s Music Quiz 1

00s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

Do you know the girl singer on Eminem's "Stan"? If so, this quiz is for you.

The Untold Story Of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine

The Untold Story Of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary MachineSong Writing

Fiona's highly-anticipated third album almost didn't make it. Here's how it finally came together after two years and a leak.

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)Songwriter Interviews

Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.

Grunge Bands Quiz

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.

John Waite

John WaiteSongwriter Interviews

"Missing You" was a spontaneous outpouring of emotion triggered by a phone call. John tells that story and explains what MTV meant to his career.