No Such Thing (John Mayer song)

"No Such Thing"
Single by John Mayer
from the album Room for Squares
Released April 15, 2002
Format CD single, digital download
Genre Pop rock
Length 3:51
Label Columbia
Writer(s) John Mayer, Clay Cook
Producer(s) John Alagia
John Mayer singles chronology
"No Such Thing"
(2002)		 "Your Body Is a Wonderland"
(2002)

"No Such Thing" is the debut single of John Mayer. It was released in April 2002 as the lead single from his first album Room for Squares. Like many of the songs from Mayer's early musical career, the song was co-written with Clay Cook. The song has been used in episode 15 of the first season of Alias. It was Mayer's breakthrough hit, peaking at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, and becoming his highest charting song until "Say" hit #12 in 2007.

Content

This song was written in about a week's time in 1998 in Duluth, Georgia. It was Cook's and Mayer's response to the standard high school practice of guidance counselors telling students to "stay inside the lines" when instead it's better to follow the path you want and not do something you might like to do just because the odds aren't in favor of it. This song is perhaps the most autobiographical and personal song Mayer has played a part in, mainly due to the fact unlike his classmates he didn't go to college right away, instead working at a gas station to save up money to buy a guitar. He eventually went to school for about 6 months at the Berklee College of Music before dropping out to move to Atlanta to begin his career with Clay Cook. The song is sung from the perspective of a soon to be high school graduate. He is frustrated with the "typical" path of high school, college and career that the adults in his life endorse. He plans to follow his path to reach his dreams. The song's refrain echoes this:

They love to tell you
Stay inside the lines
But something's better
On the other side

He feels his classmates don't understand. At the end of the song, he proclaims, "I just can't wait 'til my ten-year reunion / I'm gonna bust down the double doors / And when I stand on these tables before you / You will know what all this time was for".

Music video

The song's promotional video was debuted on Mayer's official website.[1] VH1 chose the video for its Inside Track promotion, a distinction which endorses emerging artists.[1]

Response

Haley Jones, who was the assistant PD of KFOG San Francisco—an early station to play the song, said, "It sounds great on the radio."[2]

Billboard said of the song's vocals, lyrics and melody, "What's not to love?"[3] Jason Thompson with PopMatters said of the song, "it doesn't move me in any way."[4] Stylus magazine praised "No Such Thing," calling it "lively."[5] In the U.S. pop charts, "No Such Thing" peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 11 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart.

Track listing

All songs are by John Mayer unless otherwise noted.

  1. "No Such Thing" - 3:51
  2. "My Stupid Mouth" - 3:45
  3. "Lenny" (Live at the X Lounge) (Stevie Ray Vaughan)
  4. "The Wind Cries Mary" (Live at the X Lounge) (Jimi Hendrix)

Personnel

Chart performance

Chart (2002) Peak
position
Australia ARIA Top 40 Digital Tracks 28
Dutch Singles Chart 97
New Zealand (RIANZ) 14
UK Singles Chart 42
US Billboard Hot 100 13
US Billboard Pop Songs 8
US Billboard Adult Pop Songs 5
US Billboard Adult Contemporary 11

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 Hay, Carla (April 6, 2002), "Aware/Columbia's John Mayer Makes 'Room For Squares' A Hit." Billboard. 114 (14):22
  2. ↑ Newman, Melinda (November 24, 2001), "Mayer Proves He's No 'Square' With Release Of Aware/Columbia Disc." Billboard. 113 (47):14
  3. ↑ C.T.; Taylor, Chuck (2002-05-18), "No Such Thing". Billboard. 114 (20):22
  4. ↑ Thompson, Jason (2001). "Room for Squares" PopMatters.com Retrieved 2007-11-19
  5. ↑ Blanford, Roxanne (2003-09-01). "Room For Squares" Stylus Magazine Retrieved November 19, 2007
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