We're All Misunderstood: The Story of John Mayer's 'Waiting on the World to Change'

Before being known as one of the greatest guitarists of modern
times - John Clayton Mayer was just a kid from Connecticut who
was obsessed with three things: 


Canadian Actor Michael J. Fox in his Iconic role as Marty McFly
in the 80s sci-fi adventure romp Back To The Future.


The Blues.


And of course - the instrument that tied those other two
obsessions together - The Guitar.


And, by the way - I don’t use the word obsession lightly -
According to John, this wasn’t your run-of-the-mill relationship
with the instrument that many a teenage boy find themselves
enamoured with - John was so single minded with becoming a guitar
virtuoso his parents actually took him to be psychologically
evaluated over his commitment to guitar playing - it was the only
thing he ever wanted to do - like… ever. 


After high school, John Mayer had hoped to skip college
completely to become a full time independent musician - but he
was convinced by his parents to seek further education, and
enrolled in the lauded Berklee College of Music at age 19.


At Berklee, Mayer met eventual Zac Brown Band musician Clay Cook,
who swiftly convinced him to… Drop out of Berklee after only two
semesters. By 1999, John would package up his 9 best songs for
his debut EP Inside Wants Out as a companion record to all of his
touring - and by the year 2000 - with the help of a lawyer, he
would sign with small label Aware Records, who would fund the
original recording of an internet-only release of his debut
record Room For Squares.


Although it was originally a bit of a slow-burner, Room For
Squares would spend 95 weeks on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart,
eventually going platinum off of the successes of No Such Thing
and Grammy-Award Winning Follow up single ‘Your Body is A
Wonderland'.


Just like Room For Squares before it, Mayer’s virtuosity in both
guitar playing and songwriting got him over the line with
discerning pop music fans; his followup, Heavier Things would
debut at Number One on the Billboard 200 - and with the success
of single 'Daughters', would beat Squares’ 95 week run with a 98
week sprint on the chart.


But, after three big hits that launched him into the ‘sensitive
songwriter guy’ stratosphere, John Mayer was ready to break the
space-time Continuum. 


This is the story of John Mayer's Waiting on the World to Change,
with newly unearthed audio from John Mayer himself.