John Mayer: Going

“Everybody is a stranger, but that's the danger in going my own way.”

John Mayer

Source: John Mayer: Battle Studies

Way

“The saddest kind of sad is the sad that tries not to be sad. You know, when Sad tries to bite its lip and not cry and smile and go, "No, I'm happy for you?"”

John Mayer

That's when it's really sad.
Rolling Stone magazine/iTunes podcast (December 2005)
On the "chin-up sad" tone of one of his new songs on his upcoming album "Continuum"

Sadness , Smile , Cry , Happiness

“You gotta be able to explain things to yourself when the lights go off and you get in the bed. You gotta deal with you at the end of the day.”

John Mayer

Light

“It was so frightening at the time to be seventeen and have heart monitors hooked up to you. That was the moment the songwriter in me was born. I discovered a whole other side of me. I came home that night and started writing lyrics. I discovered it all at once: It was like opening up a lockbox, and inside was a depth that I didn't even know I had as a person, or a writer — incredible creativity and vision and neurosis, complete neurosis. They all go together in a package.”

John Mayer

On the effects of having a critical cardiac arrhythmia at age 17
Hiatt, Brian (2006-09-21), "My Big Mouth Strikes Again" http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/11515443/john_mayer_speaks_listen_to_his_hilarious_takes_on_paris_hilton_brad__angelina_living_in_ny. Rolling Stone. (1009): 66-70

Home , Time , Heart , Personality

“Something about the way your hair falls in your face
I love the shape you take when crawling towards the pillowcase
You tell me where to go and
Though I might leave to find it,
I'll never let your head hit the bed
Without my hand behind it.And if you want love,
We'll make it.
Swim in a deep sea
Of blankets.
Take all your big plans
And break them,
This is bound to be a while.”

John Mayer

Your Body Is a Wonderland
Song lyrics, Room for Squares (2001)

Love , Way , Sea

“Absolutely, because during sex, I’m just going to run a filmstrip. I’m still masturbating.”

John Mayer

In answer to the question, "Masturbation for you is as good as sex?"
The Playboy interview (2010)

Sex

“If you told me I was going to live to 240, I would take 10 years off and try and act. I don't have that kind of time, so I'd much rather stick to playing guitar.”

John Mayer

On why he has no plans to go into acting any time soon
AP (2006). "John Mayer looks for magic, sneakers" http://edition.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Music/09/20/qa.johnmayer.ap/ CNN.com (accessed September 22, 2006)

Time

“I am not in Us Weekly. I'd have to be going out with someone who is in there to be in there myself.”

John Mayer

The (now ironic) quote on how he shows self-restraint with his fame
Small, Mark (2005). "John Mayer '98: Running with the Big Dogs" http://www.berklee.edu/bt/172/coverstory.html Berlee.edu (accessed February 22, 2007)

“The first thing I said was a question: Does this really come from the family? I think that was essential to me sort of processing the honor. And when I found out that, in fact, it had, it took me about 48 hours to sort of strike the balance in how I was going to approach being -- you know, being invited to this unbelievable event without actually having the proximity to Michael Jackson personally. I'd never met him.”

John Mayer

Mayer on performeing Human Nature at Michael Jackson's Memorial service
"Episode title unknown". Larry King Live. July 7, 2009. No. unknown, season 24.

Family , Question , Thinking , Personality

“Did you know that you could be wrong
And swear you’re right?
Some people been known to do it
All their lives.
But you find yourself alone
Just like you found yourself before.
Like I found myself in pieces
On the hotel floor.
Hard times help me see.I’m a good man with a good heart;
Had a tough time, got a rough start.
But I finally learned to let it go,
Now I’m right here, and I’m right now.
And I’m hoping, knowing somehow
That my shadow days are over.
My shadow days are over now.”

John Mayer

Shadow Days
Song lyrics, Born and Raised (2012)

People , Hope , Learning , Time

“I never worked with T. I. Here's the back story to that Wikipedia nugget: I was a guest on TRL and happened to get my hands on the list of goofy, un Andrew-Miller-like questions I was going to be asked before I walked on set. One of the questions was "Who do you like more, T. I. or [I forgot the other southern rap artist]?" So I snuck to the bathroom and searched "T. I." on my Blackberry. I memorized as much information as I could and then announced that we were working together.”

John Mayer

On how rumors got started that he was working with rapper T.I. (and how they made it to Wikipedia).
Mayer, John (2007). "10 ANSWERS FOR ANDREW MILLER" http://www.johnmayer.com/blog#274 JohnMayer.com (accessed January 25, 2007)

Search , Question

“Me and all my friends
We're all misunderstood.
They say we stand for nothing and
There's no way we ever could.
Now we see everything that's going wrong
With the world and those who lead it.
We just feel like we don't have the means
To rise above and beat it.So we keep waiting,
Waiting on the world to change.
We keep on waiting,
Waiting on the world to change.
It's hard to beat the system
When we're standing at a distance.
So we keep waiting,
Waiting on the world to change.”

John Mayer

Waiting on the World to Change
Song lyrics, Continuum (2006)

World , Way , Feeling , Change

“What I've learned in my life, it's a very interesting social study for me, to go back and forth between being the guy at home and being the guy on the road and being the guy in studio and being the guy in the interview. The environment around you has so much to do with your character, and when I'm home, my character really changes quite a bit. I become very domesticated, it becomes riding my bike, and the music thing — the music thing doesn't leave but it's kind of less put upon me by other people as a musician.”

John Mayer

On whether or not he misses being home with friends and family when he is on tour.
Savino, Jessi, et al (2007) "John Mayer talks life on the road, latest album" http://media.www.nu-news.com/media/storage/paper600/news/2007/02/14/TheInside/John-Mayer.Talks.Life.On.The.Road.Latest.Album-2718892.shtml NU-News.com (accessed February 14, 2007)

Life , People , Music , Guy

“I don’t think I open myself to it. My dick is sort of like a white supremacist. I’ve got a Benetton heart and a fuckin’ David Duke cock. I’m going to start dating separately from my dick.”

John Mayer

In answer to the question, "Do black women throw themselves at you?"
The Playboy interview (2010)

Thinking , Heart