This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
I know you've been swarmed,
I read your complaint,
You're needing someone older.
And though I've been warned,
To live day by day,
There's something takin' over
Did you expect to kiss me one time,
While lookin' at me with the same eyes ever again?
So come on and say it!
So come on and say it!
It's time that we say it!
You can cross the line whenever you want to,
I'm calling it love soon.
Close your mind and waste sometime if you have to.
I'm calling it love soon
It's not about you now.
It's what we are
Your mother complains, that you need a man
You haven't mentioned me yet.
And all of your friends don't know who I am
I've been your best kept secret
I understand I wasn't part of the plan
A dollar short of it, and early
But I am your man.
So come on and face it
So come on and face it
It's time that we say it!
You can cross the line whenever you want to,
I'm calling it love soon.
Close your mind and waste sometime if you have to.
I'm calling it love soon
It's not about you now.
It's what we are
It's what we are
Let's bypass the bullshit
And move on because the minute hand
Moves faster than you think it does.
And by no fault of yours,
And by no fault of mine,
The bottom line is layin' in
The bed that we've been playin' in tonight
We've been playin' in tonight
I'm callin' it love soon
I'm callin' it love soon
You can cross the line whenever you want to,
I'm calling it love soon.
Close your mind and waste sometime if you have to.
I'm calling it love soon
It's not about you now.
It's what we are
It's what we are
I read your complaint,
You're needing someone older.
And though I've been warned,
To live day by day,
There's something takin' over
Did you expect to kiss me one time,
While lookin' at me with the same eyes ever again?
So come on and say it!
So come on and say it!
It's time that we say it!
You can cross the line whenever you want to,
I'm calling it love soon.
Close your mind and waste sometime if you have to.
I'm calling it love soon
It's not about you now.
It's what we are
Your mother complains, that you need a man
You haven't mentioned me yet.
And all of your friends don't know who I am
I've been your best kept secret
I understand I wasn't part of the plan
A dollar short of it, and early
But I am your man.
So come on and face it
So come on and face it
It's time that we say it!
You can cross the line whenever you want to,
I'm calling it love soon.
Close your mind and waste sometime if you have to.
I'm calling it love soon
It's not about you now.
It's what we are
It's what we are
Let's bypass the bullshit
And move on because the minute hand
Moves faster than you think it does.
And by no fault of yours,
And by no fault of mine,
The bottom line is layin' in
The bed that we've been playin' in tonight
We've been playin' in tonight
I'm callin' it love soon
I'm callin' it love soon
You can cross the line whenever you want to,
I'm calling it love soon.
Close your mind and waste sometime if you have to.
I'm calling it love soon
It's not about you now.
It's what we are
It's what we are
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Being in this exact situation (like most of you all, lol), I believe that this song is about a guy telling his "friend" that she can't just toy with his emotions anymore. I feel like these two have a history together, and although their relationship remained platonic for a while, she eventually crossed the line. And ladies and gents, once you cross that line, you can't ever fully revert back to being "just friends." That kiss, that hand-hold, whatever it was, will always be proof of your chemistry together. I believe that the guy not only wants to define the relationship, but also wants her to admit just how right they are for each other. And I like that he feels conflicted towards her; he wants her to wake up and realize that they should be together, but, at the same time, he's allowing her to "close her mind and waste some time." This wishy-washy attitude of the persona makes the song a lot more realistic and relatable to us, which is why John Mayer is amazing. He covers all the bases.
my favorite line is "you can cross the line whenever you want to, im calling it love soon"
its basically like..we both know we're in love..and im going to admit it. you can when youre ready..
This song means a lot to me right now because I'm dealing with a similar situation. It's almost like man on the side but not as adulterous. It's a girl not accepting the fact that she may be with someone great because she is holding out for something better. The story of my life. I'd be kicking myself if I was the girl he wrote this about.
Everytime i read john mayer lyrics im amazed. Once again i am amazed. This guy is amazing. His goal of reaching people through music has been reached at least to me. This song to me reminds me of this girl whos like my best friend. We get along so well, but shes always looking for someone better. However unlike the song her friends know who i am and i think they can see it, and im sure she can see it 2, but i guess im not part of the plan. maybe i'll go off and tell her everything i feel about her, but i dunno how to do it without losing our friendship.
You dude if you were to respond to this i would be really surprised due to the fact you commented this about 8 years ago. I was just wondering did you ever tell the girl?
Why is everything John writes so biographical of my life? The girl can't make up her mind. What does she want? She isn't willing to recognize what it is that is between her and that guy. And time changes everything. He won't always be around for her when she grows up and changes her mind. grrr.... this love business is frustrating
hahaha this sounds like every relationship i've ever had pretty much...i seem to always be the person on the side...they just forget to tell me that...
wow dont you completely hate that?! it just kinda happens to slip their mind to let you know that you're not really the only one..i agree with brandocommando this love business IS frustrating.
This is my favorite song of John's... thus my nickname: "I've been your best kept secret". This has been me more times than I can count...only I'm girl...
All of John's songs are biographical of our lives because he's a real "normal" guy...a normal person. He's not affected at all...he's just John. And that's the coolest thing about him.
im shocked! this is me. its ME! you know when you find that perfect song to soundtrack your life? a john cd would definitely be the soundtrack of my life. his songs could play in the background of any given situation of mine. thats why i love him. this song relates perfectly to me. you want to say youre in love... but the other has no visible intention of taking it further. you feel like youre putting yourself out there almost.. and theyre not reurning it. it drives you crazy. "it's not about you now it's what we are" you just want to be like.. forget your stupid pride and admit you love me dammit! :)
This song tends to fit atleast one of everyone's situations. One of those "just-for-fun" flings that accidentally turns into something that means a lot to both of the people involved, but it just hasn't been admitted yet. I'm in one of those right now, it started out to be a fun fling, but you realize there's a lot more there than you ever expected. "and though I've been warned to live day by day there's something taking over, " a great line to describe what ends up happening.