John Mayer

By Lara Smith

Biography

• Born on October 16, 1977 in Fairfield, Connecticut.

• Son of Richard and Margret Mayer

Early years

• Played flute in elementary school.

• Played guitar for the first time at age 13.

• Performed in blues clubs with local band Villanova Junction.

inspiration

• A major musical influence of John’s is Stevie Ray Vaughn.

• Hospitalization over cardiac arrhythmia inspired him to begin writing his own music.

Development

• John attended Berklee College of Music for one year.

• Moved to Atlanta shortly after.

• Performed with several groups.

• Quickly picked up by Columbia Records.

Composition history

• Bigger Than My Body

• 3X5• Why Georgia

Bigger than my body

• Released on album Heavier Things in 2003 with Columbia.

• Ranked #33 on the charts.

• John was inspired to write this song after attending a Coldplay Concert

"I knew when I wrote that song that damn, I'm gonna have to explain another 'Body' song (...) It's dumb luck. And it wouldn't have been as good a song if I had changed the title, believe me, I thought about it."

3X5

• The song is written like a letter.

• Performing this song at the Southwest Music Festival in 2000, John was picked up by Columbia.

“If you can make a connection happen between the image and the music, it almost doesn't matter what you are singing about. People will understand it.”

Why georgia

• Performed alongside 3X5 at the Southwest Music Festival in 2000.

• This song puts to music John’s “quarter life crisis.”

• Released on Any Given Thursday

“I remember getting into some pretty dismal places money-wise and opportunity-wise. I kind of looked at my guitar and said, 'It's just you and me. I'll go where you take me.”

Listening Guide

Bigger than my body• 0:00 -  The song starts with a loud drum hit. The key is

major. The tempo is moderate. • 0:17 - Verse One begins. The melody has a descending

contour, and remains in a major key.• 0:52 - Begin Chorus. The dynamic level is forte. There is a

key signature change between the chorus and the verse every time.

• 1:16 - Begin Verse Two• 1:51 - Begin Chorus (again!)• 2:24 - The bridge takes on a minor quality, however, major

chords are still used. No vocals here.• 3:27- Chorus. The climax of the entire song, at the highest

dynamic level of the entire song, fortissimo, with fully developed chords.

• 4:04 - Vocals back in “oooo”-ing, with an ascending contour to the melody, as the song decrescendos until you can no longer hear it.

3X5• 0:00 - The song starts. The chords have a minor quality. The

dynamic is piano.• 0:21 – Verse one begins. The lyrics vary between major and minor,

starting major, but having a minor feel as they get lowerThe melody has a descending contour.

• 0:40 – Chorus begins, and the phrase becomes ascending. The dynamics here are mezzo forte.

• 1:13 - Verse two. Dynamics are at mezzo forte. The melody and chord progression is the same as the first verse.

• 1:32 - The second repetition of the chorus. At a forte dynamic level.

• 1:55 - This is a bridge, and was lead into by a decrescendo followed by a crescendo. The melody is ascending and major.

• 2:34 - Vocals drop out, and dynamics drop to piano. • 3:13 – Vocals come back in. Large crescendo, dynamics go from

piano to forte. The melody is like the chorus, but the lyrics are different.

• 4:26 - Vocals drop out, and only guitar, and a brush stick on snare is used. The range of the notes used is wide.

• 4:44 - The song was major in the melody, and it is unusual that it ends in a minor chord.

Why georgia • 0:00 - The song starts major, at a pianissimo dynamic. Tempo is

moderate, but the rhythm is complex.• 0:15 - Vocals come in. The melody has an arch shaped contour,

starting up, going down a few notes, and going back. The range of this melody is very small and repetitive. Dynamic level is at piano, or mezzo piano.

• 1:09 - The key changes and the melody becomes major. and the chorus begins. The dynamics move to mezzo forte.

• 1:23 - The lyrics here are “Why, Why Georgia?”, which is what the song is named off of.

• 1:38 - Verse two begins. John takes more artistic liberty with here, and doesn’t sing true and exact the the melody like he did in the first verse.

• 2:24 - The second chorus at fortissimo. • 3:12 - The vocals cut off, and the guitar plays a solo. Gradually

more instruments come in, a synthesizer, and a drum set• 2:41- All instrumentation drops out and vocals are a cappella. • 4:25- Here is the final repetition of “Why Georgia, Why?” And

John shows off his vocals singing with a broad range, and drawing it out. The chords are unresolved and minor.

• 4:35 - The song resolves in a major chord, and it is over.

Bibliography • IMDB. (n.d.). Biography for John Mayer. Retrieved October

5, 2011, from IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1243604/bio• Lets Sing It. (February, 11 2011). John Mayer - Biography.

Retrieved October 5, 2011, from Lets Sing It: http://www.people.com/people/john_mayer/biography

• Moss, C. (2003, July 24). John Mayer Tries Hip Hop With Help From ?uestlove. Retrieved October 5, 2011, from MTV: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1474672/john-mayer-hooks-up-with-uestlove.jhtml

• People Magazine. (n.d.). Celebrity Centeral /Top 25 Celebs: John Mayer. Retrieved October 5, 2011, from People: http://www.people.com/people/john_mayer/biography

• Small, M. (n.d.). John Mayer '98: Running With The Big Dogs. Retrieved October 5, 2011, from Berklee College of Music: http://www.berklee.edu/bt/172/coverstory.html