"Why Georgia" is the third single released by John Mayer

John Mayer

John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...

 from his first album, Room for Squares

Room for Squares

Room for Squares is the debut studio album of American musician John Mayer, released September 18, 2001 on Columbia Records in the United States. Originally released independently through Aware Records on June 5, 2001, the album peaked at number 9 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart...

. As a B-side, the international version single featured the live version of "Why Georgia" as it appeared on Mayer's first live album, Any Given Thursday

Any Given Thursday

Any Given Thursday is a live CD/DVD by John Mayer, recorded in Birmingham, Alabama at the Oak Mountain Amphitheater on September 12, 2002, during the Room for Squares tour. The album quickly peaked at #17 on the Billboard 200 chart...

, as the single followed the live album's release. The international single was released only two months prior to Mayer's second album, Heavier Things

Heavier Things

Heavier Things is the second studio album by American musician John Mayer, released September 9, 2003 on Columbia Records in the United States. The title of the album itself is a subtle response to certain criticism of Mayer's music. The album debuted at number 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart,...

.

Lyrics

The song is autobiographic, and touches on Mayer's experience of having a "quarterlife crisis", a phenomenon of 20-somethings. He moved to Atlanta, Georgia with Clay Cook

Clay Cook

Douglas "Clay" Cook is a songwriter, producer and musician who co-wrote several songs with Grammy-winner John Mayer including "No Such Thing", "Comfortable", and "Neon"...

 after dropping out of Berklee College of Music

Berklee College of Music

Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...

, and, though pursuing his dreams, had doubts if he would be successful or not. In one interview he said

I remember getting into some pretty dismal places money-wise and opportunity-wise. I kind of looked at my guitar and said, 'It's just you and me. I'll go where you take me.'

He expresses this feeling in the song's refrain:

'Cause I wonder sometimes
About the outcome
Of a still verdictless life
Am I living it right?

Response

Rolling Stone magazine said that the song "lifts into a melodic chorus you won't soon forget". Stylus magazine praised "Why Georgia," saying of the single, "pure pop guitar lines resonate." PopMatters

PopMatters

PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...

 bemoaned that on songs like "Why Georgia", Mayer sounds just like Dave Matthews

Dave Matthews

David John "Dave" Matthews is a South African–born American musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band...

.

US version

1. "Why Georgia" – 4:28
2. "3x5" (Live at the X Lounge) – 5:18
3. "No Such Thing
   No Such Thing (John Mayer song)
   "No Such Thing" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American singer-songwriter John Mayer. It was released in February 2002 as the lead single from his first album, 1999's Inside Wants Out. Like many of the songs from Mayer's early musical career, the song was co-written with Clay Cook...
   
   " (Demo Version) (John Mayer & Clay Cook
   Clay Cook
   Douglas "Clay" Cook is a songwriter, producer and musician who co-wrote several songs with Grammy-winner John Mayer including "No Such Thing", "Comfortable", and "Neon"...
   
   ) – 3:51

International version

1. "Why Georgia" – 4:28
2. "3x5" (Live at the X Lounge) – 5:18
3. "No Such Thing" (Demo Version) (Mayer & Cook) – 3:51
4. "Why Georgia" (Any Given Thursday
   Any Given Thursday
   Any Given Thursday is a live CD/DVD by John Mayer, recorded in Birmingham, Alabama at the Oak Mountain Amphitheater on September 12, 2002, during the Room for Squares tour. The album quickly peaked at #17 on the Billboard 200 chart...
   
   version) – 6:51

Cover versions

In 2004, saxophonist Gerald Albright

Gerald Albright

Gerald Albright is an American jazz saxophonist.Albright has sold over 1,000,000 albums in the U.S. alone. His self-produced music features him on bass guitar, keyboards, flutes, drum programming, and background vocals.- Biography :...

covered the song from the album "Kickin' It Up".

External links

• John Mayer plays "Why Georgia" live in New York for MSN.com.
• "Why Georgia" lyrics, at Yahoo! Music