["No Such Thing" introduction]
In my own mind I'm not a singer, I'm a guitar player. My head is like a box of nerds. The grape side is the music side, and the cherry side is always working on the words. But they're completely independent of one another.
I'll always feel a little dopey. I'm always the guy who's always in someone's way. Like, that's not the place to stand. My fly is open, it's just totally disorienting me, I have to start again.
"No Such Thing" is just about the idea that you can do whatever you want to do as long as you can govern yourself. Because there's no sure ticket to anything, and why would you want to trade in what you really want to do for what the odds are in favor of?
The record was recorded from, I think, October to December, or January, with John Alagia, who I always knew I wanted to produce my record. And once I talked to him—and he was one of the first people I spoke to—and he just got it. He understood the kind of statement I wanted to make.
"3x5" is a song that I finished right around the time that Room For Squares was being recorded, and even though it was 99% done, that 1% was figuring out the right way to play it.
It's just about not always trying to synthesize memories from a trip. [If a] dude asked me five years ago would you rather take a $3,000 trip or take a thousand dollars in cash, I woulda been like, cash baby, cash. Sometimes trips are better than money. Nobody else would have gotten the same kick or the same thrill that you did, but it's the confidence that you have seen some beautiful stuff.
I think for me, I've always tried to be the historian, but the problem in trying to be your own future historian is that you miss what is going on. Wasn't that profound? Did you guys hear that? I said "Your own future historian." I'm sorry, are you guys half asleep?
[Fans talking about John Mayer]
I have a very strong connection with my fans, because I feel like to be a fan and to come to a show means that they've gotten what I'm saying, and I say, I think I'm only person who's nervous or I think I'm the only person who's scared or lonely or lost. And you look out to people who are moving and singing along to a song you wrote about being lost, it's a great way to feel like you know where you are, cause everyone's with you.
My Stupid Mouth is probably the most emotionally autobiographical song that I've ever written. Every year before school started I said, This is gonna be the year that I'm gonna go to school and be quiet. And I'm gonna be very sort of tactful, and speak when spoken to. And I could never do it. Twenty minutes into class I just ruined it. I'm never speaking up again, starting now.
People really grabbed onto that one because I think everybody has had that experience where they just—they sort of go, You know what, I'm just not talking anymore.
["My Stupid Mouth" playing]
"Your Body Is a Wonderland" is sort of, uh, it's very—within the confines of a real loving relationship, it's very objectifying. In a beautiful way, I hope. Which is, I want to use your—I love your body. It's just all about play time. It's about sort of romance, but in a very sort of, "let's play doctor" sort of way.
To be 23, and to be able to make a record a say, This is how I feel at 23, want to follow me to 24, to 25, to 26? I'm as proud as can be to be in that position.