"Fountain of Sorrow" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter

Jackson Browne Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 18 million albums in the United States. Emerging as a precocious teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles, he h ...

. Released as the second single from his 1974 album ''

Late for the Sky ''Late for the Sky'' is the third studio album by American singer–songwriter Jackson Browne, released by Asylum Records on September 13, 1974. It peaked at number 14 on ''Billboards Pop Albums chart. In 2020, the album was deemed "cul ...

'', at 6:42, it was the longest song on the album, and the longest song Browne had yet released ("

For Everyman ''For Everyman'' is the second album by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, released in 1973 (see 1973 in music). The album peaked at number 43 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and the single " Redneck Friend" reached number 85 on the ''Bi ...

" was approximately 6:20). Two minutes were removed from the single release of "Fountain of Sorrow", but the song still failed to chart on ''

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''s

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.Paris, Russ
JACKSON BROWNE COMPLETE DISCOGRAPHY.

Origin

The song is generally assumed to have been inspired by Browne's brief relationship with

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...

Reaction

Many critics have written of the relationship song (and the album it is from) as reflecting a larger, general zeitgeist for the post-

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

, post-

Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

era

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audience, particularly the notable "You've known that hollow sound of your own steps in flight" line in the chorus. "The fondly reflective 'Fountain of Sorrow,' is typical of Browne's ability to make personal experience seem universal," said Gil Asakawa, in ''Musichound Rock: The Essential Album Guide.'' Indeed, Joan Baez immediately recorded her own version of the song for her 1975 solo album, ''

Diamonds & Rust ''Diamonds & Rust'' is the sixteenth studio album (and eighteenth overall) by American singer-songwriter Joan Baez, released in 1975. The album covered songs written or played by Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, The Allman Brothers, Jackson Browne and ...

,'' placing it directly in the song listing after her title track, a remembrance song of her relationship with Bob Dylan in the 1960s and 1970s. In his 1974 ''

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'' review of ''

'',

Stephen Holden Stephen Holden (born July 18, 1941) is an American writer, poet, and music and film critic. Biography Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963. He worked as a photo editor, staff writer, and eventually be ...

wrote that the song "develops parallel themes of sex and nothingness, fantasy and realism, as Browne, looking at the photograph of a former lover, recalls:" :''When you see through love's illusion, there lies the danger :''And your perfect lover just looks like a perfect fool'' :''So you go running off in search of a perfect stranger'' :''While the loneliness seems to spring from your life'' :''Like a fountain from a pool...'' "In the chorus, highly romanticized sexuality becomes a 'fountain of sorrow, fountain of light.' Later in the album the water images are developed into a larger metaphor for death and rebirth," wrote Holden.

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

called the song the best on the album: "I admit that the longest is also the best, an intricate extended metaphor called 'Fountain of Sorrow.'" ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' said that Browne "uses his unique

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

-influenced balladry to his fullest about the highs and lows of love." In his 2008 book ''

1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die Onekama ( ) is a village in Manistee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 411 at the 2010 census. The village is located on the shores of Portage Lake and is surrounded by Onekama Township. The town's name is derived from "On ...

'', Tom Moon wrote that Browne's lost seeker's "inquiry leads him into the minefields of memory" on "Fountain of Sorrow," in which "a photograph opens the floodgates".

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of ''

The Very Best of Jackson Browne ''The Very Best of Jackson Browne'' is a double-disc compilation album by Jackson Browne, released on March 16, 2004, by Rhino Entertainment and Elektra Records in celebration of Browne's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a day earlier ...

''. *Jackson Browne – lead vocals, acoustic guitar *

Dan Fogelberg Daniel Grayling Fogelberg (August 13, 1951 – December 16, 2007) was an American musician, songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his 1970s and 1980s songs, including "Longer" (1979), "Same Old Lang Syne" (1980), and " ...

– harmony vocals *Doug Haywood – bass guitar, harmony vocals *

Don Henley Donald Hugh Henley (born July 22, 1947) is an American musician and a founding member of the rock band Eagles. He is the drummer and one of the lead singers for the Eagles. Henley sang the lead vocals on Eagles hits such as "Witchy Woman", "Despe ...

– harmony vocals * David Lindley – electric guitar *

J. D. Souther John David "J. D." Souther (born November 2, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He has written and co-written songs recorded by Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles. Souther is probably best known for his songwriting abilities, especi ...

– harmony vocals *Jai Winding – piano *Larry Zack – drums, percussion

Other versions

A live solo version by Browne at the piano is available on his 2005 release ''

Solo Acoustic, Vol. 1 ''Solo Acoustic, Vol. 1'' is a live album by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, released in 2005 (see 2005 in music). It reached number 4 on the Top Independent Albums chart and number 8 on the Top Internet Albums chart. History ''Solo A ...

''. *

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...

– ''

'', 1975.

Notes

{{authority control 1974 songs 1975 singles Jackson Browne songs Songs written by Jackson Browne Asylum Records singles Song recordings produced by Al Schmitt