In honor of his latest album, The Search for Everything coming out on April 14 (my misguided self thought it came out this week), so I decided to compile a list of some of my favorite musical musings by John Mayer. Personally, I think the soul, passion, and lyricism of Mayer makes him truly special. His lyrics are meaningful and relatable, and above all, beautiful. Here are some of the best:
1. Edge of Desire
"Young and full of running
Tell me where's that taking me?
Just a great figure eight or a tiny infinity"
Running away from feelings: love, pain, resentment, hope takes many forms, but really it gets us no where.
The truth is we are scared of getting left behind or failure. We are on standing on the edge before making the terrifying leap of faith.
2. Age of Worry
"Dream your dreams but don't pretend.
Be friends with what you are.
Give your heart then change your mind
You're allowed to do it."
We are so afraid of seeming disingenuous or fake anymore that we worry. We worry about our next move, how consistent we're being, and how other people are seeing us. We live in this "Age of Worry" where we are most concerned about our self-image. What Mayer says is that it's okay to not stand with the crowd, fall in and out of love with someone or something, and to actually like where you are in life, who you are, and where you're going.
3. In Repair
If you're still healing, hurting, and trying, really it's okay to be that way. You're getting there, working towards being okay.
4. Stop this Train
"Stop this train
I want to get off and go home again
I can't take the speed it's moving in
I know I can't
But, honestly, won't someone stop this train?"
I don't know about you, but I fear growing up and being alone. It's hard to get older, and life doesn't help much. It's like a train: it keeps going down the track.
5. Unreleased, The Hotel Bathroom Song/ Everything You'll Ever Be
"Days are long and words are cruel.
They won't get the best of you.
Cause everything you'll ever be
You have always been to me."
You are already beautiful, wonderful enough. As someone who struggles with self-worth and validation, this is one of my all-time favorite Mayer songs despite never being studio released. You are already enough.
6. Heart of Life
"Pain throws your heart to the ground.
Love turns the whole thing around.
No, it won't all go the way, it should,
But I know the heart of life is good."
Despite all the awful, terrible things that can happen, life really is worth living. There is so much good in the world even through it may seem hopeless.
7. All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye
"I bought a ticket on a plane,
And by the time it landed you were gone again."
Sometimes it's just not meant to be despite how much we want things to work. However the past is the past, and sometimes, we have to leave it there.
8. Daughters
"Fathers be good to your daughters, and daughters will live like it too. Girls become lovers who turn into mothers, so mothers be good to your daughters too."
We carry emotional baggage with us. That's a part of us. So be good to each other, because your actions can severely wound a person's experiences for the rest of their lives.
9. Why Georgia
"Either way I wonder sometimes
About the outcome
Of a still verdictless life."
Mayer states here about the questioning we all have. Am I doing the right thing? Is that what my life is meant to be? Should I just leave it all and start again? Valid, regular questions.
10. You're Gonna Live Forever in Me
"Life is full of sweet mistakes,
And love's an honest one to make."
This is all about leaving a legacy. The things someone does or is can live on within another person. They carry you with them forever.
