Jackson Browne Went Fully Political on His Last Top 40 Hit

Jackson Browne earned a reputation as one of the finest chroniclers of romance in all its wonder and heartache. Galvanized by issues for which he cared deeply, his artistic interests took a turn for the topical in the 80s.

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In the middle of the decade, he released a single that was brazenly political. But it didn’t scare his audience away completely. In fact, it proved to be his last Top 40 hit in the US.

Political Awakening

The depth and sweep of Jackson Browne’s music in the 70s didn’t make him an obvious fit for the pop charts. He scored a Top 10 hit right off the bat with his punchy debut single “Doctor My Eyes” in 1972. His singles success waned after that. But a turn in more of a rock direction in the latter half of the decade helped him surge on the radio.

As the 80s dawned, Browne found himself heavily involved as an activist. He often used his talents as a musician to raise awareness. It was really just a matter of time before he started writing about these topics. The election of Ronald Reagan in 1980 sparked Browne’s desire to become more issue-oriented in his music.

He hedged his bets somewhat on his 1983 album Lawyers In Love. The album started venturing into songs that took their cues from their headlines, most notably on the title track/lead single. But Browne also reserved much of the album for relationship concerns, with songs like “Tender Is The Night” falling in line with his early 70s classics.

Misunderstood “Lawyers”

Although Browne might have been caught somewhat betwixt and between artistically in the early 80s, he was hitting career peaks with his singles. Lawyers In Love spun out a pair of Top 25 hits, matching his previous two LPs (Running On Empty and Hold Out) in that department. And just a year before that album arrived, “Somebody’s Baby”, from the Fast Times At Ridgemont High soundtrack, became his biggest chart hit (No. 7) ever.

But Browne was somewhat frustrated by the response to “Lawyers In Love”. While he had meant the song as a satire of US-Russia relations, most folks listening to pop radio heard the killer hooks and dynamic music and completely missed the social commentary.

Browne ensured that wouldn’t happen again. Lives In The Balance, his 1985 album, was mostly political material. (One exception: the stunning breakup lament “In The Shape Of A Heart”.) And he chose a first single that nobody could possibly believe was in any way half-hearted.

“America” in Focus

“For America” is certainly catchy enough to be a mid-80s single. With its peppy driving beat and an urgent saxophone part from Phil Kenzie, the music grabs your attention. But it doesn’t distract from the unfiltered message that Browne delivers.

The lyrics to “For America” describe how the narrator once blindly believed in the promise of America. Older now and jaded by what he’s seen, he wants to call out the country’s flaws when he sees them. He worries that his generation is overlooking what he believes is the lack of conscience displayed by the powers that be.

It’s a potent, unsubtle cry from the heart. Nobody who listened closely to the lyrics could doubt its intent, which was entirely the point. And enough folks grooved to the message of “For America” to make it a No. 30 hit, the last song to reach that high in Jackson Brown’s career.

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