Intro
Ever since I was in high school, I was interested in the music of John Mayer. I remember driving in a car with my best friend listening to Why Georgia and knowing that I needed to start playing the guitar. I felt that if I could play the Why Georgia lick, I would feel like a decent guitar player. My best friend Kristina and I would listen to Room For Squares, his first big album (which happened to be released the summer before my freshman year in high school), day in and day out.
As John Mayer has continued to put out music, I've always felt that his music matched up with where I was in life. His albums started out light-hearted, but slowly
became more serious and more connected to the musical roots that inspired him. I have an immense amount of respect for his work and I will continue to follow him as he creates music and engages on social media. Even though he has somewhat of a sordid reputation, I feel like I know him better (which is probably ridiculous) through his music and how he interacts with his fans in concert, of which I've been to two.
Artist Background
John Mayer background
Song Introduction
The song I have decided to focus on today is one of my favorites by John Mayer. It is called Wheel and it's the last track on this album Heavier Things (2003). This song tells the story of time, relationships, and cycles. It focuses on how we will come back around to things if we are patient and that the love we put out into the world will be given back to us. Have a listen to the song:
People have the right to fly
And will when it gets compromised
Their hearts say "Move along"
Their minds say "Gotcha heart"
Let's move it along
Let's move it along
And airports
See it all the time
Where someone's last goodbye
Blends in with someone's sigh
'Cause someone's coming home
In hand a single rose
And that's the way this wheel keeps working now
That's the way this wheel keeps working now
And I won't be the last
No I won't be the last,
To love her
You can't build a house of leaves
And live like it's an evergreen
It's just a season thing
It's just this thing that seasons do
And that's the way this wheel keeps working now That's the way this wheel keeps working now And you won't be the first No you won't be the first To love me
You can find me, if you ever want again
I'll be around the bend
I'll be around the bend
I'll be around,
I'll be around
And if you never stop when you wave goodbye
You just might find if you give it time
You will wave hello again
You just might wave hello again
And that's the way this wheel keeps working now
That's the way this wheel keeps working now
You can't love too much, one part of it
You can't love too much, one part of it
You can't love too much, one part of it
You can't love too much, one part of it
I believe (You can't love too much, one part of it)
That my life's gonna see (You can't love too much, one part of it)
The love I give (You can't love too much, one part of it)
Return to me (You can't love too much, one part of it)
I believe (You can't love too much, one part of it)
That my life's gonna see (You can't love too much, one part of it)
The love I give, return to me
I believe, that my life's gonna see The love I give
Return to me
Song Analysis
The images represent some of the themes from the song. Friendship, love, going away, returning, and remembering. The song makes me feel hopeful, sad, and nostalgic all at the same time. Why is that?
Musically it starts out with a clean guitar and mellow drums. The guitar has a repetitive sequence that repeats throughout most of the song, grounding us in the soundscape. The drums play a key role in the piece, but the way they are played is pretty interesting to me. There is a lot of use of cymbal and snare rolls, unusual for a pop/rock song. I think these musical touches create a reflective mood.
His lyrics at the beginning start with the image of travel and why we move on to different places, immediately asking the listener to reflect on where they currently are. Into the second verse he talks about airports more specifically, people are coming and going, but we don't always know whether they are coming or going to stay. Are they leaving a loved one? Returning? Will they leave again? Return again? There's an air of mystery at airports that has always lasted in my mind because of this song. I'm always curious to know people's stories when they travel.
I am also reminded of the opening scene of Love Actually, where we see embraces, tears, love, and heartbreak all converged in one place. It's hopeful, sad, and nostalgic all at the same time.
The ending of the song has a repeated phrase that is almost mantra-like in its repetitive nature. "I believe that my life's gonna see the love I give return to me". This line has been a pole star for me in my life. It reminds me and reminds me again that the love that I put out into the world is going to come back to me some way, even if it might be different than I expect. This line has guided me through bad relationships, hard days, even a pandemic. It has also reminded me on my good days, when I feel love and appreciation from the people around me and the relationships that I foster, to appreciate the love I am receiving. This song has had a lasting impact on my life and for that I am grateful.
Conclusion
This song is one example of many from John Mayer that has impacted my life. I love how he speaks through his thoughtful, witty lyrics and how he is recognizable on the guitar. Throughout his career, he has opened my eyes to new artists, he has pushed me to explore more of the blues greats, and he has inspired me to play music. The song Wheel has long been one of my favorites because of its reflective lyrics, grounding musical timbre, and reminders of what life is about. Thank you for reading!
Sources
3 outside sources in MLA format
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