In 2003, he won the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for the 2002 single "Your Body Is a Wonderland" from the album Room for Squares.
In February 2005, he was awarded the Song of the Year Grammy for his song Daughters, which he composed while in the shower, from the album Heavier Things. In winning the award, he beat out such contenders as Alicia Keys, and Kanye West. He dedicated this award to his grandmother, Annie Hoffman, who died in May 2004. He also won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, for which Elvis Costello, Prince and Seal were also nominated. In 2007, John won 2 Grammys, one for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, for the song "Waiting On The World To Change," and also Best Pop Vocal Album for his album Continuum.
To date, Mayer has toured with many groups, including Maroon 5, Guster, Counting Crows, The Wallflowers, Teitur, Ben Folds, and Sheryl Crow.
In 2004, Mayer worked with hip hop artist and producer Kanye West, appearing both on Go and Kanye West's Bittersweet (released in the summer of 2007 as an iTunes pre-order bonus track to the album Graduation) and received praise from rap heavyweights like Jay-Z and Nelly. When asked about his ubiquitous presence in the hip hop community, he said, "It's not music out there right now. That's why, to me, hip-hop is where rock used to be."
It was around this time that he began hinting at a change in his musical interests, announcing that he was "closing up shop on acoustic sensitivity." In 2005, he began a string of collaborations with various blues artists, including Buddy Guy, BB King, Eric Clapton and jazz artist John Scofield. He also toured with the legendary jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, which included a show at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee.
Although Mayer has maintained a reputation for being a sensitive singer-songwriter, he is also an accomplished guitarist influenced by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Freddie King and B.B. King. In this regard, he has released an album with his band The John Mayer Trio Try!, which features a blues-rock style reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix.
In September 2006, Mayer released his third studio album, Continuum. The album, written and produced exclusively by Mayer (with the help of Steve Jordan from the John Mayer Trio) is a culmination of Mayer's growth as an artist and continues with the blues-rock style that he began to flirt with on Try!.
Also notable is John Mayer's various adaptations in style. He always maintained a blues tone, he introduced a rockier edge. However, in Continuum, he adopts a calmer genre, returning to his previous styles.
On November 17, 2009, Mayer's fourth studio album, Battle Studies, was released and debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart. The album consists of 11 tracks with a total time of 45 minutes. The first single from the album, "Who Says", was released on September 24, 2009 in advance of album, and was followed on October 19 by the single "Heartbreak Warfare" and the single "Half of My Heart" released on June 21, 2010. Despite the album's commercial success, critics were mixed with their praise; while some reviews were glowing, calling it his "most adventurous", others called the album "safe" and noted that "Mayer the singer-songwriter and Mayer the man about town sometimes seem disconnected, like they don't even belong in the same body.
Following his recovery from vocal surgery, Mayer returned to the studio. On June 18, 2013, Mayer announced from his Facebook page that his sixth album, Paradise Valley, would be released on August 13, 2013. On the same day, he released a lyric video for the new album's first single, "Paper Doll", on his YouTube page. The release date was later changed to August 20, 2013. "Who You Love" featuring Katy Perry followed as the album's third single and a music video was released on December 17, 2013 for the song. The album, which also includes a collaboration with Frank Ocean, was met with positive reviews from music critics. Mayer embarked on a tour, his first in three years, in support of Born and Raised and Paradise Valley. The American leg of the tour ran from July to December 2013 with Interscope recording artist Phillip Phillips serving as support act. The tour will visit Australia in April 2014.
Dear Marie
John Mayer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dear Marie, tell me what it was I used to be
And if you're further up the road can you show me what I still can't see
Remember me, I'm the boy you used to love when we were fifteen
Remember me, I'm the boy you used to love when we were fifteen
Now I wonder what you think when you see me on the magazine
From time to time, I go looking for your photograph online
Some county judge in Ohio is all I ever find
Dear Marie, tell me do you still believe in me
Dear Marie, tell me do you still believe in me
Yeah I've got my dream but you've got family
Yeah I've got my dream but you've got family
Yeah I've got my dream but I guess it got away from me
The lyrics of John Mayer's "Dear Marie" tell the story of a man who is trying to reconnect with a woman from his past. Throughout the song, he asks her to remember what he used to be and wonders what she thinks of him now that he's in the spotlight. He also worries that his dream of fame and success may have caused him to lose sight of what's truly important in life, namely love and connection with others.
The chorus of the song is particularly poignant, as the singer asks Marie if she still believes in him. He has achieved his dream of being a famous musician, but he's not sure if that's enough to make him happy. Meanwhile, Marie has started a family, which highlights the different paths their lives have taken.
The song's theme of nostalgia and longing for the past is underscored by the fact that the singer keeps looking for Marie's photograph online. He's clearly stuck in the past and struggling to come to terms with how much he's changed since he and Marie were teenagers.
Overall, "Dear Marie" is a bittersweet reflection on the passing of time and the choices we make in life. It's a reminder that success and fame don't necessarily bring happiness, and that our relationships with others are what truly matter.
Line by Line Meaning
Dear Marie, tell me what it was I used to be
Addressing his old flame, the songwriter is asking her to remind him of what he used to be in the past.
And if you're further up the road can you show me what I still can't see
Requesting her guidance, he asks if she can help him see what he has missed and still can't perceive.
Remember me, I'm the boy you used to love when we were fifteen
He is indirectly asking if his former flame can recall him as the boy she was fond of when they were teenagers.
Now I wonder what you think when you see me on the magazine
He's curious about what she thinks when she sees him featured in popular magazines or media content.
From time to time, I go looking for your photograph online
He confesses to searching for her picture on the internet whenever he feels nostalgic, missing her presence and reminiscing about their past.
Some county judge in Ohio is all I ever find
He’s saying that all he has been able to uncover online is information about a Judge with a similar name to hers who lives in Ohio.
Dear Marie, tell me do you still believe in me
He wants to know if she still has faith in him as a person and has confidence in his ability to achieve success.
Yeah I've got my dream but you've got family
He recognizes that while he's still chasing after his aspirations and pursuing his goals, she has prioritized her family life and has different priorities now.
Yeah I've got my dream but I guess it got away from me
He admits that though he had a dream of being successful, it appears to have slipped away from him, leaving him feeling unfulfilled.
Lyrics © REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: John Clayton Mayer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@shintuanthanh4091
Dear Marie, tell me what it was I used to be
Dear Marie, tell me what it was I used to be
And if you're further up the road can you show me what I still can't see.
Remember me, I'm the boy you used to love when we were fifteen
Remember me, I'm the boy you used to love when we were fifteen
Now I wonder what you think when you see me on the magazine.
From time to time, I go looking for your photograph online
From time to time, I go looking for your photograph online
Some county judge in Ohio is all I ever find.
Dear Marie, tell me do you still believe in me
Dear Marie, tell me do you still believe in me
Yeah I've got my dream but you've got family
Yeah I've got my dream but you've got family
Yeah I've got my dream but I guess it got away from me
@silverstaralchemist
Did some digging and discovered the infamous Marie's birth name may be Marie Hoover. Graduated Fairfield High the same year as John and shares a name with a county judge in Ohio. Unfortunately, a yearbook of John and Marie's graduating year isn't available online so I guess we'll never really know what she looks like. In the midst of my digging I did find a photo of John's brother, Carl Mayer, in the Fairfield High 1991 yearbook! So I got close, but no cigar.
@ruthylalruatdiki
Really???
@BrewerUMich91
Whatever year he was born add 17 years to it. Thats the year he graduated
@TheRightGuy777
@Cesar Jimenez her first name starts with an A, has one L
@NAJMFAN
She went to a different school than him
@user-grpa1
I think she was one year ahead of him and went to a different school.
@MrWTFNJ
His music reflects the soul of someone who's lived life and has plenty of first hand experience guiding the song writing.
@kangjungho1820
Agreed.
@mariannegarcia2373
We shared our naivety and innocence with people when we were young, and it's inevitable for us to eventually lead different lives. But sometimes we think about those memories and wonder about things.
@187onaPigeon
Such a genius track. Makes me sad and happy at the same time.