No Such Thing (John Mayer song)

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“No Such Thing”
Single by John Mayer from the album Room for Squares
Released	April 23, 2002
Format	Digital download CD single
Recorded	2001
Genre	Pop Acoustic rock
Length	3:51
Label	Columbia
Writer(s)	John Mayer Clay Cook
Producer	John Alagia
John Mayer singles chronology
— "No Such Thing" (2002) "Your Body Is a Wonderland" (2002)
Inside Wants Out track listing
"Back To You" (1) "No Such Thing" (2) "My Stupid Mouth" (3)
Room for Squares track listing
"No Such Thing" (1) "Why Georgia" (2)
Any Given Thursday track listing
"3x5" (1) "No Such Thing" (2) "Back To You" (3)
as/is track listing
"My Stupid Mouth" (1) "No Such Thing" (2) "Covered In Rain" (3)

"No Such Thing" is the first commercially released single by John Mayer from his first album, 2001's Room for Squares. Like many of the songs from Mayer's early musical career, the song was co-written with Clay Cook.

The song talks of the cynicism of parents towards their children pursuing careers in the entertaining industry, as Mayer himself encountered as a youth.

Contents 1 Lyrics 2 Response 3 Track listing 4 Footnotes

[edit] Lyrics

The song is sung from the perspective of a high-school student who will soon graduate. He is frustrated with the "typical" path of high school, college and career that the adults in his life endorse. He plans to follow his path to reach his dreams. The song's refrain echoes this:

They love to tell you
Stay inside the lines
But something's better
On the other side

He feels his classmates don't understand. At the end of the song, he proclaims "I just can't wait 'til my 10 year reunion; I'm gonna bust down the double doors."

[edit] Response

Billboard said of the song's vocals, lyrics and melody, "What's not to love?"^[1] Jason Thompson with PopMatters said of the song, "it doesn't move me in any way."^[2] Stylus magazine praised "No Such Thing," calling it "lively."^[3] The song also received a positive commercial response, peaking at #13 on Billboard's Hot 100.

[edit] Track listing

All songs are by John Mayer unless otherwise noted.

1. "No Such Thing" - 3:51
2. "My Stupid Mouth" - 3:45
3. "Lenny" (Live at the X Lounge) (Stevie Ray Vaughan)
4. "The Wind Cries Mary" (Live at the X Lounge) (Jimi Hendrix)

[edit] Footnotes

v • d • e John Mayer Discography Studio albums Room for Squares · Heavier Things · Continuum EPs Inside Wants Out · The Village Sessions Live albums Any Given Thursday · As/Is · Where the Light Is (1st Annual Holiday Charity Revue) Singles "No Such Thing" · "Your Body Is a Wonderland" · "Why Georgia" · "Bigger Than My Body" · "Clarity" · "Daughters" · "Waiting on the World to Change" · "Belief" · "Gravity" · "Dreaming with a Broken Heart" · "Say" Other songs "Go!" · "Beat It" · "Neon" · "City Love" · "Something's Missing" · "Come Back to Bed" John Mayer Trio Try! · "Who Did You Think I Was" · "Live @ Yahoo! Music"