On Being Young: A Note on How I Interpret John Mayer’s Edge of Desire

I have a lot more time at home now

So often, I like to lay in bed and just sing

I’ve always listened to John Mayer

I have never really paid attention to the lyrics

I just memorized them

But now that I have the time

I often read the lyrics while singing

I was listening to Edge of Desire

A song that I really like

Most interpret the song as an intense longing for someone or wanting someone so bad even though you know you’re not the type to commit

(I dove through Reddit)

But I interpreted it as something else

Which was why I did a little “investigation”

To make sure if anyone thought the same thing

(Note: no one did, but I’m writing this anyway…)

I interpret it as wanting something so desperately

Could be someone, could be something

To the point that you forgot to take care of everything around you, including yourself

I remember just wanting to hit certain goals to the point that I tortured myself

“Young and full of running

Tell me where is that taking me?

Just a great figure eight

Or a tiny infinity?”

“I’m just about to set fire to everything I see”

“I have to have you now”

“Think I’ll sleep in my clothes on the floor”

I’ve experienced these moments before and it’s such a nice feeling to see someone conveying them so beautifully in writing

In a way, it’s a reminder for me to not go insane and out of control again

To just slow down, focusing on what I have now

Another song that I’d like to add as a reminder to slow down and not to always look ahead is Dasutt’s “Youth”

The song is in Korean, and I used the song as a learning material for me since I’m studying Korean now, but this is for another day.

Thank you for reading.