No Such Thing

Have you ever felt this soothing feeling while listening to music, or a romantic feeling that is just so good inside, or while doing something you're really passionate about? That's what this song is about. The world we see is made up of big fake lies and materialistic things but the satisfaction of intellectual fulfillment is ALWAYS greater. And when we do get that feeling, we know that's what the world is. Not the world that we're living. If we just try to get a glimpse of that world, and believe that this world we see is really not all of the constituent, we'd see the real world. And also its about how the people who are limited to the world they see believe in getting the better jobs and money and all. But only the person who affords to take the risk and step out of the line, can reach where no stereotype could. They get all the good degrees and everything, and read all the books but never get the intellectual part of the story. Only the people who know that this is not the real world could take the risk and step outside because of the simple belief that its not the real world after all. Awesome work John Mayer. You got it right again.

@easyteezyy81866 THAT IS EXACTLY THE STORY OF MY LIFE. MY DAD KEEPS ON URGING ME TO TAKE UP STUDYING SOFTWARE ENGINEERING AS THAT'S WHERE THE JOBS ARE AND ALL AND WELL, I AM CRAZY ABOUT THE PC A BIT, but damn guitar is where my heart is. Where my life, the purpose is. And I made a mistake. I've started dreaming. And once someone dreams, it's nearly impossible to quit. Damn, I need a counsellor. A friend. Why am I brooding here? I dont know. sigh

I should say that people who lived life on their own terms AFTER high school will totally get this song.

My aunt KT used to play this for me when I was little. Now that I have started high school, I get what he's talking about. High school is hard, and you're always looking to impress somebody in some way. And in high school, they give you all this crap about how after high school or college, that you have to live a correct life, and you should start now. (Like to stay in the lines). And he wants to run through his high school acting out now that he's an adult, and he's having fun still, and he's not staying in the lines, he's living his life, and is being invincible because he's "alive".

This is the best lyrical interpretation of a John Mayer song (or any song, for that matter) that I've ever seen:

youtube.com/watch

It's a video that's highly engaging, educational, funny, and controversial. The discussion about "the real world" and what John Mayer means by that lyrics is particularly powerful.

Be sure to check it out!

I heard this song on the radio last night while driving home from work.. I completely identify when he says, "they love to tell you "stay inside the lines" but something's better on the other side"... Don't you hate it when you're restricted from doing what you want? To me, that includes all of society-- Society tells you that you must do this, or that.. and yet you can't help but. ::sigh:: I wish I were a TRUE non-conformist! "I want to run through the halls of my high school I want to scream at the top of my lungs "

How can you not love this song! I get so sick sometimes of songs on the radio being so depressing, but this song is def. one that makes you think about how little some things in life really are. Everything I had ever been told in high school and by my parents is exactly what the song is talking about... "they love to tell you 'stay inside the lines' but something's better on the other side"
I don't think that there's anything worng with taking the straight path though...what's straight for you is totally wrong for someone else, you just need to remeber to do what makes you happy no matter how much people dissaprove of you.

They always use the prase "out in the real world" in school... don't believe them! You're already there, it never changes, the powers that be just keep sucking at you... there's no escape!

Enjoy the now.... now is all you'll ever have!

I didn't take the time to read all of the posts here, but I don't think this song is primarily about being "nonconformist" or whatever. It's fairly clear that there is an element of nonconformity but more importantly this song is about being comfortable doing things your own way even if it isn't the popular way. The perspective that I see in this song is one of somebody who is about 22 or 23 and in college or who just finished with college and is really developing into their own person and accepting that.

All through high school and most of college people discount you like you aren't a part of the real world because you are still in school and aren't really part of the "real world" yet. You aren't out there in a career or working 40+ hours a day with full adult responsibilities.

In college and even to some degree high school, people are always trying to get you to "take a seat and plot your life in black and white..." pick a major, a career, and set your life up before you've even had any experience or really lived life! That's the "right" track, but few people ever do this successfully and are actually happy in doing so. I think the point of the song is you don't have to do it that way. At that point in life, everybody is looking for answers, some are looking in books, some were prom kings or drama queens, or whatever else. You can live your life and make a plan and try and stay inside the lines, or you can get out there and live life and really find out what life is about. The people who do this are going to be far happier and better off then those who sort of walk the prescribed path.

I think that the main character or narrator of this song has done that and realizes that the whole process is a sham and that living life is what it is all about, and doing things your own way is all that really matters. There is no such thing as the real world and all of this responsibility and heavy handedness that everyone always references, there really is only yourself and your life and whatever you want to make of it.

Sorry if this rant made no sense, but I think the song has much more of an existentialist slant than simply being about not conforming.

its about high school and how they tell u to be just like everyone else