OO NEN ELS MUSIC BY JOHN MAYER CONTENTS 4 WAITING ON THE WORLD TO CHANGE 10 | DON'T TRUST MYSELF (WITH LOVING YOU) 17 BELIEF VAMC LING SU aa ea 35 VULTURES CRS aS 49 SLOW DANCING IN A BURNING ROOM 54 BOLD AS LOVE 62 DREAMING WITH A BROKEN HEART Cas ag eRe MS NNO rll cele Me Seen een eUr uu a onos ee ete Director of Publications/Project Editor: Mark Philips Manager of Publications: Gabrielle Fastman SCR rca i creeJOHN MAYER CONTINUUM “With any trilogy,” says John Mayer, “the third in the series blows it open.” On Continuum the singer/songwriter/ guitar slinger meets that challenge head- on, Mayer's third studio album follows the multi-platinum Room for Squares (2001) and Heavier Things (2003) and marks his first turn as producer. Itis his most soulful, cohesive collection yet and he says it's no accident that this project is where all of his efforts, his potential, and his disparate influences fully come together. “The night | was recognized for Daughters’ at the Grammys was the night this record started,” he says. “I knew | had bought the time to learn everything | needed before | started this one. Continuum is not a shot in the dark, it’s not a guesstimation. This is the first endeavor in my entire life, music or otherwise, that | did not cop out on for a second. The last few years have seen Mayer maintaining a frantic pace. In addition to his own writing, recording, and touring he has collaborated with icons and contemporaries alike—Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and Herbie Hancock, as well as Kanye West, the Dixie Chicks, and Alicia Keys. In doing so, Mayer says his own interests have grown and his perspectives have expanded. Mayer also credits his collaboration with Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino (collectively known as the John Mayer Trio) and the intimate-venue tour that produced the 2005 live album Try! with helping to recalibrate his musical priorities. “As a songwriter, the Trio helped me focus on being more raw,” he says. “As a guitar player, it helped me get a lot out of my system, If it weren't for the Trio, Continuum would have been less accessible. It let me settle up with my needs as amusician, and get to a point somewhere between the Trio record and Room for Squares—and that’s a really good place to be.” While the Trio tour showcased Mayer's blazing fretwork, he says he learned lessons from those shows about restraint. “When | made my first record, there was no trust in space because it was all me; everything was just on those six strings,” he says. “With Steve and Pino it was all about space, using a whole different palette. When your tone is good on the guitar, you need, like, four notes. The more concise and right you have it, the less you need around i.” One listen to such spare, carefully crafted songs as “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” or “! Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)” instantly reveals this new approach Mayer points to one song in particular as the turning point for Continuum. “I wrote ‘Gravity’ last summer, and it changed everything,” he says. “You talk less when you trust that people understand you. ‘Gravity’ had to be sparse. And when | listened to it fr the first time, holding back, it was a whole new game. That might be the most important song | ever wrote.” Armed with this outlook, Mayer knew Continuum would tackle larger ideas than those that defined his previous albums. “A big challenge was writing about big themes,” he says. “I'm not a better writer in terms of sitting down in front of a pad, but I'm better in terms of receiving inspiration and converting it into something ‘teal’ quicker. I'm better equipped to deal with those moments.” The hard-hitting “Belief” tackles an infinitely complex subject. Over a slinky, hypnotic guitar groove, he sings, “We're never gonna win the world, we're never gonna stop the war/We're never gonna beat this if belief is what we're fighting for,” questioning the power and the limitations of faith and convictions. “It’s an intellectual landmine—how do you write a song about what people believe without impugning their beliefs?” he asks. “I wanted to get right next to people's beliefs and look at them without threatening them. It's tricky. You only get x number of syllables and you have to write something you can defend.” With “Waiting on the World to Change,” Mayer shot for something even more ambitious— something like an attempt to explain his generation's attitudes about politics. “It's meant to shed a litle light on inactivity and inaction,” he says, “because | don't believe that inaction is a lack of interest. | think inaction is preservation—nobody wants to get involved in a debate in which the rules and facts will change so that they'll lose. So we end up with this other option, which is, | guess we'll just have to wait for things to get better. Continuum also includes the first cover Mayer has put on an album, his version of “Bold As Love" by the incomparable Jimi Hendrix. “To me, it’s the quintessential Jimi Hendrix song,” says Mayer. “The sensitivity the imagery the power. also think the third record is the time when you challenge everybody. It’s your throw- down. | ike inviting the challenge of, Should this guy even touch Hendrix's music? To which | answer, Well, everybody should. Why not?” Ultimately, Continuum represents maturity, both musically and thematically, for John Mayer—a concept that he wasn’t comfortable with until now. “A lot of these songs are about coming to terms with getting older,” he says. “My generation was never told we were going to get older. We thought we were going to hear our names on Romper Roont for the rest of our lives For a long time, | was really upset about getting older, worried that things were just going to level out. But then | realized that everyone around me was getting older at the same time. We're all fighting it together, and we're always going to be those kids, the first really emotionally aware generation. When I realized that, | could relax about it a little bit. And I thought that maybe | can be the guy to sing about i.”Waiting on the World to Change Moderately a-Fb s fe fie) & Me andl my frends, — if we're all__mis- un = der we had thepow -" er bring our neigh - bors home from we stand for noth ing and et missed 8 Christ there's no way y we ev = er could mo more tb bons on thei door ee ye FF sight © 2008 Sony/ATY Tunes LLC and’ con ‘Aight Admoasy SoiATV tune Pulaing.@ Musk Square West, Rashi, 1 97209 Intemational Copyright Secu Words and Music by John Mayer They they would have ‘And when you= © ev "Fy-thing tha’s go- ing wrong inst your tele with the what you world and Bet those who lead i is what you got We just ‘Cause when they SSS = A Bm = == = Sa a feel like we don’t have the means — to the own the infor - ma > tion, Gh hey cn __ OS Se vit ing (ovat — ing Wwait-ing on the world. to changeie 4 i = —— ee = = : F a waiting (vat = nga ing. on he worl chan {us e VOne 3 = ———- = ea pee See pe ISS ars $F oF z SS Zz s aS a ae 2 emt om em ff Ea Sy il hard 10 bea day our gen the sys - tem a dis- tance. la ion a = ~ So we keep | So we keep” on} To Code t DS. 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See, you beg my way St your gar en, and then Tl Amtadas © F weak my way out when it rns, And if my just to Aad c F co ie SS) = == pat isan = y sign of your fu wre, you should be warmed et back tothe place— where I start, ed, So 1 can want ——t 5 oF = SSS ESS = side, ) (1 don’t realty un = der stan) ; nu 5 = om au 4 aul au! aun ul Amaia c e ie & @tat = SSS = Sj Hold onto what = ev er you find, ba ae a fof 4 Sa ~ SS SS aa yy SS} = =|‘Anas ©Am? set e SESS Who & you love? wuAmada 1S SS8 i i et 2 : 5 — = + a ee BE ; = 2 3 3% 3 = Ds aco ——— ay sel with Jo = ing you. 1 dont inst "hg" : ze ‘Repeat and fade = ——— Fl se 1 don't natBelief Words and Music by John Mayer Moderately ight © 2008 Sony/ATY Tunes LLG ane Specie Harm Music Aarihts Admin by Sonat hse Fusion es Se Wat Mecha, 157208 Intemational Copynght Securod Al Fights Reserved 7hic Gm chang = ing their mind the paint on a really calls phic Dm Gm SS ing rank at all forSome-thing some - one yelled — real londBhai? = = SSS SSS FF SS = in how they think ought tote. aS == = =| eS Bbmaj7 SS and they’ not go-ing easDm Gut fa but makes for the heaw Bbc ey ® Like punching un - ; ; hit who you're ty wo know they ted —BbIC Dm Gm ty ee = SSS = = E SSS ee ia g¢ss2 ee 2 : ¥ S| 3 oe age 01 a & ta = wearers fz Oe er = "yon te ten == ee = S i SSS SSS = —— + = a3 gas 7? oe : Day ® 2 =. £ pee SS S| eeF Bbmaj? 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Nasvile, TN 37203, Insematonal Copyiga Sesured’ All Righs Reserved 25sey -er know twice as: much SS SSS = z =] . ‘makes this man, with all the love that his 4 = = a == i SS or Oo an i ps : ee —— ee nos * SS SSS heart can stand, dream — of ways Te ” = — — SS — = aa = =a Won, woh One i = stay the hellrs How could that he? “era, Just keep me where — the light ?The Heart of Life Words and Music by John Mayer Moderately, in 2 c Am J = ot with pedal Portrr ‘Recorded haf step higher. col © 208 Son/ATW Tues LLC and Spee Hem Mis [Al Rights Adminseredey SoIRTY Muwe Passing. 6 hase Square Week Nasi, TN 37208, 30 iniratinel Copyram Secured Al Bighs Reservedthrows — your © itt 2 whole thingRepeat ond fe 34Vultures ‘Words and Music by John Mayer, Pino Paladino ‘and Steven Jordan Moderately Feat su wu “ a q i ou. uy " sul] | eas be ie ou « bom to dis ap - pear How do 1 stop my-self from }. : = aS SSS SSS SSS Petty: = £ zg 33" sey G3 Cenviah © 2008 SonyiATY Tunes LLC, Specie Ham Muse Bug Music ne. omblo Bug [Al Eights on Bhat ot Sony/ATV Tues CLC and Spacte Hes, Music Ltd. and Jove Publishing Muse ‘Aiministered by Sony/ATV Music Pubeahing, 8 Muse Souare West fonts TW 37208 Intemational Copyright Soeured Al Rights Resotves 35S Ama How will 1 ok! my Beads koop from go - ing un Down to the wi - re ‘but TH walk through the ff ~ re We this wakes 10 Ama? Bisust eT frp i ge SSS =a take mee = von high = ex then Tl come through like 1 do when the world keepsSSS SS SS == SS o How id hey find me here? What do fe SS * SSS a= = = =| of these vul = tures ight out = side myDS. al Cola 1 ‘They've never gone this long with - out Coda Ama? Hou beat feawe thisNe T can't seem fo shake these ul - tues off of my tait DS. al Coda SSS SS 1 keep on run = ning pro. tect, <= = o 3Emit you gon-na doa - bout, Fem ai, Repeat and fadeStop This Train Words and Music by. John Mayer and Pino Palladino Moderately, in 2 ss? Dotesi) Daj? aso a " i ig! nf Gna ih peat cts) Gaus Dsus? Dstt) ‘Conyont © 2008 Sony/ATY Tunes LLC, Soesife Harm Music and Sup Music ne. abo Bug Msi Ls Fights on bei of Sony/ATV Tunes LLC ana Spee Harm Musee sonyiATY Music Publishing, Music Square West, Nashvil, TN-37203 Amiistred Tniernatonal Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved aotha) Guus Gsus2 ; “i i 1 just can't sleep on this to = ight — from fighting Be out, on may ow Dewsd Dotmai?) Daj Daud § Gonimgi?> Gn Gonimaj?> Gms pyreeT ToCoda Daus2 tana) Dai? Dsus stint) mat DazGoa? ota Daz tana Dax Gmajt De(maj?) Gaus! ogi Dsus Dai? oy) Guus!Dawsz tia?) Dai? Deusd Gms? Gut Hada tlk with my oldman, = der = stand" prt ET He said, “Turn Gmina?) Gms Gmimaj7 Gime nf oli oft tieAdsuss 9 cia. Gia. Daz Dotmayn Dmair Dsusd “ ii iaand you're stl And you don't op. act° > 5 a DS. al Coda sing ~ ing ca Gs Daz (Sing Istime ont), Dena?) Dag? Dad Repeat and fede ie 5Slow Dancing in a Burning Room Words and Music by John Mayer chm ‘Amajo E — SS ts ots = = . | | | | = Ws not a = ges = « sul, ull aul Copyright © 2008 Sony/ATV Tunes LLC and Specitic Harm Music Al Rights Acmiistered by SonyiATY use Pubishing, & Music Square West Nashvile, TN 37203 interational Gopyiget Secured Al Rights Reserved 49itt SSS ae . silly ede mo - mem We wot the som te fre te calm This is te doe you lcvapsdeamed” Hewmete “Soe YRS SS amen Hw de Jou 7 : : =, 7 Sse zt = == — = == ges Zz e 3 = 3 E sat => ~ =—=_ = aoe = Ss = a eepand dy ing breath of. this love that we've been work ing on Can't seem to say itsnoth-ing 10 me? Ba-by,you'rethe on - ly lig [ev ver Saw Tit make the = a © — = oo hold you like 1 want to So 1 can feel you in my arms. — No bod-y's most of all the Sad - ness You'll be a em SSS = 1 i = SS SSS a SSS Ow ———— = — w. = yee Z 50po [Play 2nd tine ony a E chm a Saat a es er eae aa aaa eee _ bitch be - cause you cam You'lluy t© hit-me just 10 hurt me so you fen te feeling dint- aie 5 ree tee ESS = - Ss Ss = , ( wu mt leagty - ae ? = z = 3 “je = z A eo 8 EEE — i geet FAS oe = = = = : a - z 7 Zz 7 * chm A B g a {= — ee ree == SS = se wo Were wo bg sows, male Sp — : = 6 f = = = SS rae —— 3 SSS SSS 2 Z Zz ge 2 chm = —=— =. = — . now that we're doomed. — My dear, were ow dane = ing in : _— ; SS a Pe PF = + ¥ = a Sj = 3g 3s = ase 33 3cy a= bout why don’t you? a auf 82. Go A E i fee —— ow dane-ing in @ burn ~ ing. room, — _— u r ui 4Don't you think we ought - a } = A SS = SSS learned some: how? — a Don’t you think we ought-a know by now? Don’t you think we ought- a = RS _~, = gate 3S = Se, == = - = gee 53Bold As Love Words and Music by ‘Jimi Hendrix Fast 4, with a half-time feel (JJ=J )) * Guitar —> 4 E Fem a ae bia Pino —> Ab cs Fm he smiles tow-"ving in shin-y-me-tal ~ tie Fem ct D i fey iy Fm AbIC Db the grassy ground. — Blue are the hie. Guitarists: Tune down a half ste. CCopytigh © 1968, 1977, 1980 by EXPERIENCE HENOAIK, LLC Copyright Renewed 1996 [Al Fights Corvalled and Adrunistored by EXPERIENCE HENDAIX, LLC 54 ‘Fights Rageroedbo te _ diss ae eS © = e Pore yt £ 3 _ SSS SS 2 5 = = — # z z * > > A Bn i ig cy Db Ab, i Bom once hap py wr-quoise ar = mies lay op ~ po site ready, but won-der why the fig ison7 Dous2 BT DPsusz They're all, — they're boldFen Fin : = = ore $ conf dent dat he flashes t0-phiss of war ands bons of cu-phoni a Ws very un-stead - y for the first go-round My yell - low in this casefight ened tke He: De ‘Ab mss os (hese €— mo- tions of mine Keep hold Inge from eiv-ing my life = Fem a Bb? Fm, ai7 ii 7 Ss st aaa 6 oot = Yeah 'm bol Tm bold as ES SS eS * au so gg UG =f = Fa ie 3 SS=2 = Vm be Vm old ay dove : pp SSS Z J ei ae = # z= = f—*A E Fem DKm bold as fave, — = On, ba~ by, talk in” to you, Vm bold, — 3 2Dreaming with a Broken Heart Words and Music by ‘John Mayer vith pedal When you're dream = ing hard = est part — You roll out of bed and down on your. knees, Copyright © 2006 Sony/ATV Tunes LLC and Specie Harm Music ‘Figs Aamir by SonyATV Ms Pubting, @ Muse sae West, Nasvil, TN 97203 62 Internatonal Copyright Secured All Fights Reservedrmo- ment, you can hard = ly won der ing, Is she stand = ing in my room? Gasenye cal? GB GeyB> Am “cause she’s gone, gone,When you're dream ing witha bro ee Eis a is the hard ~ est part She takes you in with her ery ing eyes you have to say good bye, wonderingEm? byt GiB cats Cal? G/B GmyBh Am? GG oe Ho Q % ~ — a ——s = aa SS +— re] e SS 2 ===. SSS SSS oe oes = a = lay j =— SSS Pe ie gai wu2 — And do 1 have to | — = = = i is —S—S—= f CP tt askew me ap Det te 1 | je we = = a= c se =F == SSS SS + roses in my hn ‘And would you ¢ im SSS SSS oa No. you fan! =|, wa. ww al al IL fn $l 67Gadaz/B Cals? G/B GayBh Ami? ctyc & ee “eause you're gone, with pedal oG G che OG ae i When you're dream + ing 68In Repair Words and Music by John Mayer and Charlie Hunter Moderately slow (23 A G D 3 Ea or SSS SS = =| = ‘Too man=y_ shad-ows amy room, Stood ‘on the ‘cor et 2 while ‘And ow Pn walking the pu = Copyright © 2008 Sony/ATV Tunes Lic, Specfe Harm Music and CHT Musle Fights on peal of Sony/ATV Tunes LLC and Specie iam haus ‘Administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, 8 Music Square Wost Nachle TN 37203 Intemational Copyright Secured Al Fights Reserved 69Too man = y ho = urs inthis mid igh. to wait” Tor the wind blow down on me, and al ‘ofthe binds, they dance be - low me ‘Too man-y —_cor- ners hoping it takes ‘Maybe when things tum green So much 1 do satya and brings. some brand-new Nick up = on it will “he good to say you knowBm Baya Br iB Ht — is wk ~ ing so tong 1 = == ? z ? tet — ges =5 z —. + > SS € Ey ———=s Sa $F == ae — SSS —— : ; : e2. . zs & a si 5 opt = — ‘= = = = SE —— — a = = 2 SSS = SSS A G D eb eT Es B me pasa ee a 3 jr == 4} St iS is HS = asDS. al Coda Pam Bm Ey ry simes EERE me un stead =I’m Gonna Find Another You Words and Music by John Mayer Stow 4 (23-73) ADA Fm Be Hig @ i > Ws real-ly 0 + ver, a pyre aH tH You got me ery ing. > pty rtm EB ia fy — your plan, But when my = Tiemess is though, opytight © 2008 Sony/ATV Tunes LLC and Speesfe Harm Muse - Rights Acinoodby Sonyat Mune Publi. 8 Mase Sauare West, Rasvile, 7 37200 74 Intemational Copyright Secured Al RigsBm eB A Db id Vm gon-na_ find an-oth = er you You ake your sweat = er, a9 Dd EB EB — your time, You might have your rea — sons, but you will nev-er pi Anda Fhe i bag a have my rhyme, — rm gon-na sing my way a — way from blue 5Dis Es # i 4 eh an-oth = er you — Bm Fm ae ae by When I was your lov- er, Bm Fem Bm ran IF Pim forced t© find another, looks like you. yeah, and she's nicerBluesy Ea = —s =: r = —— te = by, make you I~ te | 4: Z a Z Z g 2 i @ es » Bo, ae = SS SS SS] = My =] aT : = SS SS oF = + $ =| Eaage = 7 3 2 3 2 = 2 2 yours all a = way.chat Fer some things — you would - 0° A doa Fem Et ‘Aad?