The “retro” tag is added to almost any contemporary work that sounds like it was originally recorded between 1966 and 1974, and Hawthorne, among the newest contributors to the genre, is aware of how trends come and go. After being introduced to Stones Throw Records label head Peanut Butter Wolf by mutual friend Noelle Scaggs of the Rebirth, even his current boss was skeptical. “He showed me two songs and I didn’t understand what I was listening to,” Wolf recalls. “I asked him if they were old songs that he did re-edits of – I couldn’t believe they were new songs and that he played all the instruments.”
And after meeting in person, it was even harder for Wolf to believe that Hawthorne was also the lead vocalist. Few expect such heartfelt sentiment to come from a 29-year-old white kid from Ann Arbor, but he has caught the ear of his family at Stones Throw, as well as BBC Radio 1 host Gilles Peterson and producer/DJ Mark Ronson. Expectations are high for the admitted vinyl junkie who never planned on taking his crooning public. Hawthorne’s hanging-by-a-string falsetto and breakbeat production on his first recorded effort, the tender “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out,” are simultaneously Smokey and J Dilla – equal parts “The Tracks of My Tears” and “Fall in Love.” “It’s soul,” he explains, “But it’s new.”
Hawthorne has produced and played instruments for much of his life, but never intended to become a singer. He isn’t formally trained, and never sang in a choir or in any of the bands he was in before founding the County (formerly the County Commissioners). But here he is, new school soul sensation, who has taken the Motown assembly-line production model and eliminated nearly every element but himself and a few hired hands. “I think Mayer is the only artist in the history of the label that I’ve signed after hearing only two songs,” says Peanut Butter Wolf. “Sometimes, you just know it’s the right thing to do.”
And for those willing to believe anything is possible, be grateful to have Mayer Hawthorne on the scene. It’s not just throwback music anymore – this revival is all about progression.
No Strings
Mayer Hawthorne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I first set foot into the room
You didn't want me to see girl
You didn't wanna lay your cards so soon
I see you rollin' it over
You wonder what your friends might think of you
Angel on your shoulder, but you know just you wanna do
No I just want one night with you no strings attached
And I know that we might not be a perfect match
I just want one night with you no strings attached
I know you tryin' to be good girl
But you imagine what I'm like in bed
You try to push it aside girl
But it already went through your head
It's one o'clock in the morning
And you're buzzin' like a honey bee
Oh why you trying to control it
When you wanna just come home with me?
Well I don't need to know a thing about your past
No I just want one night with you no strings attached
And I know that we might not be a perfect match
I just want one night with you no strings attached
I don't want to think this through
I just want one night with you
No I don't want to think things through
I just want one night with you girl
Mayer Hawthorne's song "No Strings" is about a man who meets a woman at a party and is immediately drawn to her. Despite her initial reluctance, the man tries to convince her to come home with him for a one-night stand, with no emotional attachments. The song is about the struggle between temptation and morality and the idea of allowing oneself to live in the moment with no regard for consequences.
The lyrics portray the man's desire for the woman and his willingness to forego any knowledge about her past or any potential long-term relationship. The woman is depicted as cautious, struggling with her own desires and the expectations of society. She wants to be viewed as a "good girl," yet she is conflicted by her own yearnings.
The song reflects the dynamics of casual relationships and the fleeting nature of desire. The lyrics suggest that sometimes all someone wants is a moment of pleasure without the pressure of consequences or attachment.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw you lookin' at me girl
From the moment I walked in, I sensed your gaze on me
When I first set foot into the room
I just arrived
You didn't want me to see girl
You tried to mask your interest in me
You didn't wanna lay your cards so soon
You didn't want to show your hand too early
I see you rollin' it over
You're considering your options
You wonder what your friends might think of you
You're worried about how your peers will judge your decisions
Angel on your shoulder, but you know just you wanna do
You have a moral compass, but your desires are pulling you in a different direction
Well I don't need to know a thing about your past
Your history doesn't matter to me
No I just want one night with you no strings attached
I'm only interested in a casual encounter with you
And I know that we might not be a perfect match
Our connection may not be ideal
I know you tryin' to be good girl
You're attempting to uphold your values
But you imagine what I'm like in bed
You're picturing us being intimate
You try to push it aside girl
You're trying to suppress your desires
But it already went through your head
Your thoughts have already wandered
It's one o'clock in the morning
It's late at night
And you're buzzin' like a honey bee
You're feeling excited
Oh why you trying to control it
You're attempting to restrain yourself
When you wanna just come home with me?
You're considering the possibility of coming home with me
I don't want to think this through
I don't want to overanalyze the situation
I just want one night with you
I'm only interested in spending one night with you
No I don't want to think things through
I don't want to contemplate the consequences
I just want one night with you girl
I only desire to spend one night with you, nothing more
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ANDREW M COHEN, MICHAEL DAVID, Michael Brian David
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@StretchNEra
While I'm playing this in my office...I like how people walking by stop, dance and say...you're listening to that old school music today...I reply NOPE this is today's music with an old soul :-)
We can NO LONGER listen to old school music and say...(they don't make good music like this anymore)!!!
Thanks Mr. Hawthorne & company!
@bellaj2000
Well the old school sound was seriously borrowed so I think the argument still stands. But this is a smooth jam. :-)
@gustotron
bella j Yes, respectively.
@michaelwinn2508
Preach it my friend.
@jackimohney1606
Love Meyer even though I am a senior citizen. Music transcends age...
@ClarebearOb1
I've seen him live twice, and I'd have to say he's better live. He's so goddamn awesome!
@vicm3009
I've never heard of Mayer...WOW I'm a fan. I listened to almost all of his songs on YouTube. I dig him
@intarsiator
Sounds like good old Hall&Oates song. I am feeling like to be set out back in time. Howthorne you are more and more my best favorite. :)
@StretchNEra
Mayer Hawthrone is a black man reincarnated into a white man :-)...such a soulful voice. One of the most underrated artist!!!
@goldengoddess2378
Yes he is and I love his sound.