"Why Georgia" is the third single released by

John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Born and raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Mayer attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but left and moved to Atlanta in 1997 with ...

from his first album, '' Room for Squares''. As a B-side, the international version single featured the live version of "Why Georgia" as it appeared on Mayer's first live album, ''

Any Given Thursday ''Any Given Thursday'' is a live CD/DVD by John Mayer, recorded in Birmingham, Alabama at the Oak Mountain Amphitheater on September 12, 2002, during the ''Room for Squares'' tour. The album quickly peaked at #17 on the Billboard 200 chart. It f ...

,'' as the single followed the live album's release. The international single was released only four and a half months prior to Mayer's second album, '' Heavier Things''.

Lyrics

The song is autobiographic, and touches on Mayer's experience of having a " quarterlife crisis", a phenomenon of 20-somethings. He moved to Atlanta with

Clay Cook Douglas "Clay" Cook (born April 20, 1978) is an American songwriter, producer, and musician who is best known as a member of the Zac Brown Band. After dropping out of college, he and classmate John Mayer formed the band Lo-Fi Masters. Cook co-wrot ...

after dropping out of

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cou ...

, and, though pursuing his dreams, had doubts if he would be successful or not. In one interview he said

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.'Small, Mark (2005)
"John Mayer '98: Running with the Big Dogs"
Berklee.edu. Retrieved on April 23, 2007.

He expresses this feeling in the song's refrain:

'Cause I wonder sometimes
About the outcome
Of a still verdictless life
Am I living it right?

Response

Rolling Stone magazine said that the song "lifts into a melodic chorus you won't soon forget".Decurtis, Anthony (December 6, 2001)
"John Mayer"
''Rolling Stone''. (883/884):152 Stylus magazine praised "Why Georgia," saying of the single, "pure pop guitar lines resonate."

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, f ...

bemoaned that on songs like "Why Georgia", Mayer sounds just like Dave Matthews.

Track listing

All songs by John Mayer unless otherwise indicated.

US version

# "Why Georgia" – 4:28 # "3x5" (Live at the X Lounge) – 5:18 # " No Such Thing" (Demo Version) (John Mayer &

) – 3:51

International version

# "Why Georgia" – 4:28 # "3x5" (Live at the X Lounge)(feat.

Brad Paisley Bradley Douglas Paisley (born October 28, 1972) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Starting with his 1999 debut album '' Who Needs Pictures'', he has released eleven studio albums and a Christmas compilation on the Arista Nash ...

) – 5:18 # "No Such Thing" (Demo Version) (Mayer & Cook) – 3:51 # "Why Georgia" (''

'' version) – 6:51

Personnel

— vocals, guitar *David LaBruyere — bass *Nir Z — drums, loops *Brandon Bush — Hammond organ *John Alagia — percussion *

— backing vocals *Doug Derryberry — backing vocals

Cover versions

In 2004, saxophonist

Gerald Albright Gerald Albright is an American jazz saxophonist. He earned Grammys for 24/7 in 2012 and Slam Dunk in 2014 and has been nominated for New Beginnings in 2008 and for Sax for Stax in 2009. Biography Born in Los Angeles, Albright grew up in its ...

covered the song from the album "Kickin' It Up".

Charts

Certifications

References

External links

*
John Mayer plays "Why Georgia" live in New York for MSN.com.
{{John Mayer 2001 songs 2003 singles John Mayer songs Songs written by John Mayer Columbia Records singles Songs about Georgia (U.S. state)