There is no hiding the fact that I love John Mayer. And, since my awesome fiance took me to see him in concert last month, I have been mildly obsessed with him. I have ordered any CD’s of his that I didn’t own, and started listening to his music, all the way back to the very beginning of his career. Although I don’t know all the words, to all of his songs, I know a lot of them. And, there are more than a few that seem to speak to my soul.
The more that I have been listening to his music over the years, the more that I have been sure that when the day comes that we are to meet in person, we will be fast friends. That is how well I believe this man gets me. It doesn’t matter that the words that he uses speak to millions of other people in the world.
In the moment, between me and the song, it is just the two of us. John, speaking, and singing, directly to me.
I came to this realization today, after listening almost exclusively to his music for the last three weeks. In so many songs that he sings, whether live or recorded in a studio, I hear about my life. In “The Age oF Worry”, I hear about my own anxiety about my life at times, and how I enjoy telling it to hit the road most days now. In “Belief”, off of the Continuum album, I hear him tell me that believing in something can create choices we didn’t know we had, and don’t always affect us in the way that we think. “Dreaming with A Broken Heart”, tells the story of waiting for love to come, and to stay, and how we heal from it all.
“My Stupid Mouth” is about saying too much, showing too much of ourselves too soon, yet being willing to not speak again if it means we don’t have to be alone. And, one of my all time favorites, “Walt Grace’s Submarine Test, January 1967” attests to the fact that no one should ever give up on themselves, even when those around us may give up on us.
Over the years of his music, I hear his growth, lessons, and wisdom that has come to him. I hear him be more playful, more serious, less cynical, and more carefree.
And, just like in the songs, I find myself on that same journey. We are all so similar in this world, so human, so wanting the same things to happen for us. The same dreams to come true. We all want love, understanding, compassion, forgiveness, salvation even.
We all want it, no matter who we are. And, I for one am so grateful for where ever it is that I get to see what truly connects us all as human beings.
Pink Haze and the Star Cluster 