John Mayer

[Torpid]

Several interesting songs even simply reading the lyrics. One of my favorites is "Waiting on the World to Change."

me and all my friends
we're all misunderstood
they say we stand for nothing and
there's no way we ever could
now we see everything that's going wrong
with the world and those who lead it
we just feel like we don't have the means
to rise above and beat it

so we keep waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

it's hard to beat the system
when we're standing at a distance
so we keep waiting
waiting on the world to change
now if we had the power
to bring our neighbors home from war
they would have never missed a Christmas
no more ribbons on their door
and when you trust your television
what you get is what you got
cause when they own the information, oh
they can bend it all they want

that's why we're waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

it's not that we don't care,
we just know that the fight ain't fair
so we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

and we're still waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting waiting on the world to change
one day our generation
is gonna rule the population
so we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

His other songs are a good listen too :).

 

[JGeropoulas]

When someone told me Eric Clapton had compared John Mayer's guitar skills to Jimi Hendrix, I just had to give him more than a casual listening to. I was pleasantly surprised. I wouldn't think Hendrix exactly (except perhaps on "Bold As Love"), but I did I finally came to appreciate this guy's talents as a lyricist and muscian on this CD.

But as much as I like the music, as well as several lines in "Waiting On The World To Change", it's dominant message greatly disturbs me. Doesn't it disturb you?
PROBLEM: "we just feel like we don't have the means to rise above and beat it."
SOLUTION: "so we keep waiting, waiting on the world to change."

To me, "waiting" sounds extremely passive and naive. Waiting for what? Santa Claus? A Knight In Shining Armor? The Second Coming? With that strategy, it could be a long wait, considering that the Cassiopaens have said that 4th Density STS entitities have been manipulating humanity for 74,000 years or so.

Mayer's lyrics are good at pointing out some definite obstacles (e.g. "those who lead it...it's hard to beat the system...if we had the power...the fight ain't fair"), but he always offers that same doomed solution of "waiting". The comedien, Rose Ann Barr once said she'd learned from being a woman in Hollywood, "No one ever gives up power or shares it. You have to take it!"

But all that said, I would nearly absolve Mayer of his error about "waiting" because he proclaims a truth that is in desparate need of attention:

When you trust your television,
What you get is what you got
Cause when they own the information,
They can bend it all they want.

And maybe I'm giving him too much credit for his lyricist skills, but I'm hoping it's not just a typo, and that he's tucked the real clue about this song in the next-to-the-last line--tucked so well unfortunately, that I'm sure most listeners--including even you--missed it. He's the artist, it's his song, and I respect that. But, in my opinion, if his real intent was actually to mock the error of "waiting," he shouldn't have let so much ride on a single, subtle change of one consonant (in blue below).

And we're still waiting
Waiting on the world to change
We keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change
One day our generation
Is gonna rule the population.

So we keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change
No we keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change

Without a decisive repudiation of this "waiting" strategy, Mayer's generation will never "rule the population." (Aside from debating the validity of that goal in itself, there's also the problem that 4th Density STS currently holds that position has no plans to share it anytime soon. That's a good one! "STS sharing" :) )

 

[Mr. Premise]

I was also disturbed by the "waiting" thing. Ruined what could have been a good song, I thought.

 

[Amanecer]

When I first heard this song I had the same reaction...waiting....HUH?? As I thought about the lyrics, I began to wonder if John Mayer was perhaps trying to evoke the exact response that some of us have had... "If all this #@*& is going on...I don't want to WAIT!!" Maybe, it will get people to "think"...this is a difficult task, but you never know. Of course, I don't know what the artist's intentions were either, that's just my take on it.

I posted other John Mayer lyrics from "Bigger than my Body" here:

http://www.cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php?topic=4045

It reminded me of our 3D existence and our struggle to get out!

 

[anart]

I've enjoyed John Mayer, his voice is really nice, and, for the most part, he does great things with it - but this song has bothered me from the first time I heard it.

It's an anthem of apathy - and anthem of waiting for things to change, instead of working toward change (whether that change is internal or external).

It actually made me rather sad the first time I heard it because I've liked his music so much - sort of like, 'hey, John, you have an enormous audience and you could have actually helped people to start to think' - but, I suppose, at this point, that's rather a lot to expect of anyone who makes it to the spot light.

~ahem~ - that's anne's happy thought for the evening. ;)

 

[JGeropoulas]

For me, there's no doubt which song lyrics I like best on "Continuum." It's not hard to resonate with themes like: being vs. not-being here, having predators on my trail, walking through the fire, trying to get to higher consciousness, and being tested by this world.

But the very best part is that insightful line about "power" that sums up STS very well.

(The music ain't bad either!)

VULTURES

Some of us
We're hardly ever here
The rest of us
Were born to disappear
How do I stop myself from being just a number?
How will hold my head to keep from going under?

Chorus:
Down to the wire
I wanted water but I'll walk through the fire
If this is what it takes to take me even higher
Then I'll come through like I do
When the world keeps testing me, testing me, testing me

How did they find me here?
What do they want from me?
All of these vultures hiding right outside my door
I hear them whispering
They're trying to ride it out
They've never gone this long without a kill before

Chorus

Wheels up
I've got to leave this evening
I can't seem to shake these vultures off of my trail
Power is made by power being taken
So I keep on running to protect my situation

Chorus

 

[Torpid]

Well, It does depend on how you view the waiting part.

Theres a couple ways to look at it, the way you've mentioned, but also you can take the perspective that due to the fact people are waiting the seed of truth has been planted in their heads, and they are waiting for direction to take action. Maybe they're waiting because they've given up, or maybe they're waiting for us :).

Or you can follow his grammar to the conclusion that hes either criticizing our inaction or being a cynic.

I personally believe the second two which led me to the first, that people are indeed waiting, and that gives me hope.

I cant remember which podcast it was, excuse my pure torpidity for not going and listening through all the ones I have, but somewhere in it a philosopher from the past was discussed who made a prediction on his death bed (I think?) which I consider to relate largely to this.

Because thats what we're doing in effect aren't we? just planting that seed of truth and preparing people for the world to change

Well, great song , regardless :)


Edit: Some more relevant music in my opinion, Lost prophets - Make a Move. This one inspires action but points no direction, but with a second look between the lines no direction is a direction. Actually, the more I look at it it has a very clear direction.

So are we lost or do we know
Which direction we should go
Sit around and wait for someone to take our hands and lead the way - [I think this quite accurately explains John Mayer's meaning of waiting.]

Cause every day we're getting older
And every day we all get colder
We're sick of waiting for our answers

Wake up, Wake up, Wake up,
Yeah so tired of waiting, waiting for us to
Wake up, Wake up, Wake up,
Yeah so sick of waiting, for us to make a move

Are we meant to take the pain
Should we sit around and wait
Are we being saved
Or was I another lie you made to make us hate

Cause every day we're getting older
And every day we all get colder
We're sick of waiting for our answers

Wake up, Wake up, Wake up,
Yeah so tired of waiting, waiting for us to
Wake up, Wake up, Wake up,
Yeah so sick of waiting, for us to make a move

Wake up, Wake up, Wake up,
And we will never lose
Wake up, Wake up, Wake up,
it's time to make a move
Wake up, Wake up, Wake up,
And we will never lose
Wake up, Wake up, Wake up,
it's time to make a... move!

It's not enough
To let it run
Where's the truth
It's all wrong

So sick of waiting for our answers...

Wake up, Wake up, Wake up,
Yeah I'm so tired of waiting, waiting for us to
Wake up, Wake up, Wake up,
Yeah I'm so sick of waiting, for us to make a move

Wake up, wake up, wake up
And we will never lose
Wake up, wake up, wake up
It's time to make a move
Wake up, wake up, wake up
And we will never lose
Wake up, wake up, wake up
Make a move (move, move, move, move).