(no subject)
I Love this Song.... "wheel"...this guy wrote about it and this is exactly how i feel about the song
This song is so simple. Why is so tough for me to write about? If it's any consolation, it sounds like it's difficult for John to perform, too -- not technically, but in an emotional sense. The way his voice breaks off when he pleads "Just sing, OK?" and "Don't stop!" sounds like part of him wants to cry. "Wheel" signals the shift from an emphasis on clever lyrics and flashy guitar licks to sincere emotion. He's not trying to show off to all those people at his 10-year reunion, he's just singing about the way he feels.
There's nothing particularly original about a metaphor of a wheel, and when I first read transcriptions of the lyrics, I was skeptical. "Oh great," I thought... "The Circle of Life." But just because a metaphor has become part of our collective consciousness doesn't mean it can't be used in a new way -- and, contrary to my first misgivings, John does that here... brilliantly.
So why is this hard for me to write about? Because the song makes me miserable and ecstatic at the same time. Miserable, because... well, for now let's just leave it at the fact that it's a sad song. Ecstatic, because it's been a while since a song touched me so deeply, sad song or no. That's the magic I've come to expect from John Mayer.
I think the reason John's music has had such a strong personal connection for so many people is that so many of his songs seem like they could be straight from our own diaries. They are intensely personal for him, but are so universal that they are intensely personal for us, too -- or at least for me. "Wheel" hits me hard. The line about waving goodbye smacks of "Can't Always Get What You Want" ("you just might find..."), but that's nothing to hold against it -- it's such a beautiful image. "You can't build a house of leaves and live like it's an evergreen," he sings in what might be his best lyric ever.
But again, it's not just the lyrics that make this so great. They don't read as well on paper as in the song. That's because "Wheel" also has John's best melody ever. It's chilling -- gives me goosebumps every time. Brilliant.
Back to why this song makes me sad: Like "St. Patrick's Day" did only a few months ago, it rings incredibly true for me, painting a reality that I hope doesn't happen. As many of you know, I'm in love -- but is it built on a "house of leaves"? Only time will tell. Either way, "Wheel" sends an instantaneous charge of emotion through my body as only the best tunes can.
I'll give this song an: A. I can't wait to hear this on the album. Wouldn't it be cool with a gospel choir? I just hope it doesn't get a cheesy synth.
This song is so simple. Why is so tough for me to write about? If it's any consolation, it sounds like it's difficult for John to perform, too -- not technically, but in an emotional sense. The way his voice breaks off when he pleads "Just sing, OK?" and "Don't stop!" sounds like part of him wants to cry. "Wheel" signals the shift from an emphasis on clever lyrics and flashy guitar licks to sincere emotion. He's not trying to show off to all those people at his 10-year reunion, he's just singing about the way he feels.
There's nothing particularly original about a metaphor of a wheel, and when I first read transcriptions of the lyrics, I was skeptical. "Oh great," I thought... "The Circle of Life." But just because a metaphor has become part of our collective consciousness doesn't mean it can't be used in a new way -- and, contrary to my first misgivings, John does that here... brilliantly.
So why is this hard for me to write about? Because the song makes me miserable and ecstatic at the same time. Miserable, because... well, for now let's just leave it at the fact that it's a sad song. Ecstatic, because it's been a while since a song touched me so deeply, sad song or no. That's the magic I've come to expect from John Mayer.
I think the reason John's music has had such a strong personal connection for so many people is that so many of his songs seem like they could be straight from our own diaries. They are intensely personal for him, but are so universal that they are intensely personal for us, too -- or at least for me. "Wheel" hits me hard. The line about waving goodbye smacks of "Can't Always Get What You Want" ("you just might find..."), but that's nothing to hold against it -- it's such a beautiful image. "You can't build a house of leaves and live like it's an evergreen," he sings in what might be his best lyric ever.
But again, it's not just the lyrics that make this so great. They don't read as well on paper as in the song. That's because "Wheel" also has John's best melody ever. It's chilling -- gives me goosebumps every time. Brilliant.
Back to why this song makes me sad: Like "St. Patrick's Day" did only a few months ago, it rings incredibly true for me, painting a reality that I hope doesn't happen. As many of you know, I'm in love -- but is it built on a "house of leaves"? Only time will tell. Either way, "Wheel" sends an instantaneous charge of emotion through my body as only the best tunes can.
I'll give this song an: A. I can't wait to hear this on the album. Wouldn't it be cool with a gospel choir? I just hope it doesn't get a cheesy synth.