John Mayer: Keep Me Where The Light Is

John Mayer performed his Grammy winning title Gravity, on his Where the Light Is: John Mayer Live in Los Angeles concert, back in 2008.  It was one of the most organized and well performed (in terms of vocals and instruments) live performances of his.

I love all his lyrics for the sole reason of having so much depth.  The way he writes his songs leaves one to decipher its meaning.  Although, Gravity never was among my top favourites until I watched this performance.  There was grace in every action; the way he started the song, his strong vocals and the maddening guitar tunes.  What I love about this guy is how he gets involved with his creations.  Seems like he feels every bit of moment while playing through every cell of his body.

I never really paid attention to the meaning of this song.  I kind of had a feeling that somebody was struggling not to feel down, when I first listened to it in Continuum.  I guess one needs to have a certain kind of experience to feel the meaning of each sentence of this song.  I've been reading what other people thought about its meaning.  So I thought to write my own dissection of Gravity. 

The song starts with, "I've got dreams, dreams to remember...", like a reminder to oneself.  This verse is not included in the original song.

Gravity is working against me

And gravity wants to bring me down

Oh I'll never know what makes this man

With all the love that his heart can stand

Dream of ways to throw it all away

  

Gravity refers to the force of attraction between two objects, or temptation between two people, may be.  Someone is being strongly pulled towards an individual, yet being so incognisant of how the feeling is taking over him/her, but trying so hard to resist himself/herself not to feel in that particular way, because he/she doesn't want to throw all the love that he/she is already receiving from someone else. 

Gravity is working against me

And gravity wants to bring me down

Oh twice as much ain't twice as good

And can't sustain like one half could

It's wanting more that's gonna send me to my knees

  

"Twice as much, ain't twice as good" - knowing that high expectation would only cause disappointment in the end, knowing that the consequences of wanting more would bring nothing but disaster in the existing relationships, still, one half doesn't feel enough.

Gravity, stay the hell away from me

Gravity has taken better men than me

How can that be? 

Just keep me where the light is

This temptation has destroyed lives of many, he/she knows it well.  And he/she can't let that happen.  "Just keep me where the light is" - is like self control to keep his/her mind where he/she already was, without letting him/her wander away towards the temptation. 

Our mind wanders around the places where it shouldn't be, many times.  Sometimes we feel something, but don't really understand the rationale behind that feeling.  This song is about a self struggle to define that feeling and defy its effects.