What do you think The News means?

Jack Johnson: The News Meaning

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Album cover for The News album cover

The News Lyrics

A billion people died on the news tonight
But not so many cried at the terrible sight
Well mama said
It's just make believe
You can't believe everything you see
So baby close your eyes to the lullabies
On the news tonight

Who's the one...

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  1. anonymous
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     Feb 10th 2016 !⃝

    The song is about the mother protecting the child's innocence in the only way she knows how. The world is a troubling place and the mother recognizes that, hence why she uses the news as the lullaby and not her own voice. The mother protects the child by saying the lack of empathy the newscasters (the majority of people) have is make believe and to not believe people are actually like that.

  2. anonymous
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     Nov 17th 2013 !⃝

    I think the literal meaning is clear; newscasters show no emotion when describing the most atrocious events(with very few exceptions). Beyond that I believe he was trying to more subtly get across the "Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil." concept.

    "You can't believe everything you see. So baby close your eyes.."
    "You can't believe everything you hear. So baby close your ears.."

  3. litlmsbrowneyes
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     Jul 2nd 2007 !⃝

    This is such a sad song, I almost cried the first time I heard it. It's pretty much just what it says, it talks about how mama tells him to not listen to the news, and it's asking how newscasters can be so heartless and unfeeling, to not even care that all the people are dying. They're just announcing it. I think she's sort of trying to protect his innocence. It seems like this is written from a child's point of view, and his mom doesn't want him to hear about everyone dying.

    also - the "lullabies," is that referring to music played in the background of special news reports? it seems like mama doesn't want him seeing all the bad things going on but wants him to fall asleep to the music. but that seems off.

  4. anonymous
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     Jun 4th 2007 !⃝

    Message: The world is a confusing thing. Especially when, as in our time, it is all brought to our fingertips through the Internet, the newspapers, and THE NEWS. This is a song, like Norah Jones' "My Dear Country," of how our world is broken, when seen from a political or journalistic point of view, and how we cannot get too mired in the world's problems. I do not agree with this premise, but it appears to be what this song is trying to convey.

  5. anonymous
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     Dec 24th 2006 !⃝

    This song means about how messed up our world is and his mom telling him you shouldnt listen to it or be part of it. when he is talkign about the newsman not crying about the dead people that are being reported about, he shows no emotion and doesn't seem to care. These days its so common for people to die that it seems as if nobdoy cares any more.


    i could be wrong and I'm not the best writer so I probably didn't exactly say it/ get my message out there. This is what I think thought

    -Timma


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