Sarah's friend she lost her mind Left him and made it look sexy and all You fear I won't be far behind Thinking I'll be the next to leave I know I might be anxious But I'm still not crazy And I don't need another kind of green to know I'm on the right side I'm on the right side with you I used to be the one you saw Crying alone to sad songs But then we go and hit the wall When nothings changed and nothing's wrong It's not the perfect hand But I don't hit on nineteen And I don't need another kind of green to know I'm on the right side I'm on the right side with you Someday you'll drift away from me Adopt some new philosophy That doesn't keep the two of us in mind Move into someone else's place And stare into some other's eyes And slowly only come to realize That you didn't need another kind of green to know I'm on the right Mine was the right side I'm on the right side with you



Lyrics submitted by plainstupidjane

Track duration: 04:40

"Another Kind of Green" as written by John Mayer

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Another Kind of Green song meanings
Add your thoughts

23 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment:I think that he means he doesn't need to smoke weed anymore to know that he's happy. Because he has talked about smoking continuously throughout his whole life and that is the only way this song makes sense to me!
    Flag rlowe15on September 06, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I agree with most of the comments. Its about someone who knows his feelings about someone are true. And because he knows, he won't let go. But he's scared the girl will because she doesn't know yet.
    Flag thyi319on July 08, 2012   Link
  • 0
    Translation:I love reading everyone's take on this song! This is my own personal feeling on what probably one of my favorite John Mayer song means! Pretty much line by line translation:)


    My girlfriend Sara has a friend who lost her mind
    This friend of Sara left her boyfriend and made it look appealing
    I fear Sara will follow her lead
    And try to end our relationship that I actually want to last
    I might be overanalyzing this
    But I’m not messed up; my reasoning is legitimate.


    I don’t need jealousy to know that were meant to be together.

    When you listen to sad songs
    You try to place me as the bad guy
    But when we’re together [“hit the wall” is probably a sex or drug reference]
    You see that that nothing is wrong with our relationship
    You’re not 100% right for me
    But I’m not going to give you up because you’re not perfect [Poker/21 reference]

    I don’t need this weird type of jealousy/comparison with
    Other people’s relationship or idealistic situations to know that what we have is worth keeping.


    If this is what you really want, go and cut me from your life
    Uphold a mentality where we are no longer a couple
    Take your stuff; leave my place
    Fall in love with someone else
    Just to understand [as imperfections arise with your other relationships]

    You didn't need to fall to this this weird type of jelousy to know that we’re good together.
    I’m good with you.
    You’re good with me
    I was good with you
    [Lesson of the song: You don’t need to say goodbye or “lose” someone or something to
    realize it was worth keeping in the long run.]
    [REPEATS]
    [Conclusion: Suggests Sara let go of John for someone else just to realize
    after facing simililar (or debatably worse) problems that her not-so-perfect relationship was worth
    keeping—she and John “had it good”]


    Additional notes:
    1. "Another kind of green" is most likely a symbol of jealousy, as in his rendition of "Bold as Love, he sings about the cassic image of "envy" as being "green."

    2. "Green" evokes the image of pot. However, I don't think that saying "green" is marajuana is strongly supported anywhere, except on maybe "hit the wall" which could maybe mean "get high."


    Hope this helped!
    Flag JMluvah77on December 28, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this is a total play-off of the old saying "The grass is greener on the other side."
    I know the song refers to a woman, but I think he's kind of singing it about life in general. He's saying "Hey, I don't need to go anywhere (like the other side of the fence where the grass is greener in a metaphorical sense) or change anything to know what I got is good." He likes exactly where he is and he doesn't need anything better, even if there is better out there, because he loves where he is and he's perfectly content.
    Flag carlyyyyyyon April 29, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I always figured it was about our ever-supportive green friend. An environmental song wrapped like a love song: 'You don't need to lose it, to know that you had it good'.(Perhaps the wording 'Kind of Green' could also refer to 'Kind of Blue' by Miles Davis?)

    Just checked, John is involved in a wonderful initiative: reverbrock.org/johnmayer/

    Let's turn of our computer more often and go outside!
    Flag kindofgreenon March 20, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i'm pretty sure he's refering to blackjack when he says "your not the perfect hand But I dont hit on nineteen" meaning the person he's refering to isn't perfect but pretty close, so why risk loosing it all just to get to perfect. and another kind of green doesn't refer to jelousy, it refers to the grass is greener on the other side. if you'll notice, he says " i don't need another kind of green to know i'm on the right side with you" meaning he doesn't need to see what else is better to know he's got something good.

    and the lyrics are wrong up there by the way.
    Flag brittlee4on July 24, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I feel that this song is about two people in a relationship and one person dosent understand that they have a it good and someone else is trying to explain that they dont need to see other people he/she is the right person for them.

    =]
    Flag missmayerxoon August 13, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i'm on the right side with you

    '''stay where you are babe, cause we're the ones who have it good. believe me. ''

    the only song i like by him and its brilliant
    Flag maddilneon May 04, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"Mine was the right side"

    i love this line. I love...
    Flag joanneofmineon February 01, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:alright, you know how people say the grass is greener on the other side, while john is sayin that he doesnt need to go to the other side. He doesnt need to look for something better to know that he has it good.

    " your not the perfect hand, but i dont hit on 19"
    this line is referin to black jack (the card game) Johns sayin that his girl isnt a perfect hand (a 21 in black jack) but hes not gonna go look for something else and lose what he has. get it?
    Flag laxpfef42on May 21, 2006   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain