Your Body Is a Wonderland

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"Your Body Is a Wonderland"
File:Your Body Is a Wonderland (John Mayer single - cover art).jpg
Single by John Mayer
from the album Room for Squares
B-side "No Such Thing"
(acoustic version)
"Your Body Is a Wonderland"
(acoustic version)
"Not Myself"
(demo version)
Released October 14, 2002
Format Digital download, CD single
Recorded 2001
Genre Pop rock, Soft Rock
Length 4:09 (album version)
3:46 (radio edit)
Label Columbia
Writer(s) John Mayer
Producer(s) John Alagia
Certification Gold (RIAA)
John Mayer singles chronology
"No Such Thing"
(2002)
"Your Body Is a Wonderland"
(2002)
"Why Georgia"
(2003)

"Your Body Is a Wonderland" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter John Mayer. It was released in October 2002 as the second single from his debut studio album, Room for Squares (2001). Its commercial success was greater than Mayer's prior single, "No Such Thing."[citation needed]

Song information

Mayer once said during his "As/Is" tour, that the song was about "girly parts", but this was later denied. During his "VH1 Storytellers" performance, Mayer stated that he wrote the song about his first girlfriend at age 14. The song was actually named "Strawberry Wonderland" but was later changed by Mayer.

There has been speculation that Mayer wrote the song about actress Jennifer Love Hewitt, whom he dated in 2002, but she denied it.[1][2][3] Hewitt told Entertainment Weekly, "My body is far from a wonderland. My body is more like a pawnshop. There's a lot of interesting things put together, and if you look closely you'd probably be excited, but at first glance, not so much".[4]

According to the liner notes, a toy piano is used as an instrument in the song.

Lyrics

The line "I'm never speaking up again", sung in the background, is also prominently featured in the chorus to the song "My Stupid Mouth", which appears just before the song on Room For Squares.

Track listing

All songs are written by John Mayer except where noted otherwise.

  1. "Your Body Is a Wonderland" – 4:09
  2. "No Such Thing" (Acoustic version, live from WXPN) (John Mayer & Clay Cook) – 3:46
  3. "Your Body Is a Wonderland" (acoustic version, live from WXPN) – 5:46
  4. "Not Myself" (demo version) – 4:05

Personnel

  • John Mayer – vocals, guitar, toy piano, vibraphone, Korg Triton synthesizer
  • David LaBruyere – bass
  • Nir Z – drums
  • Brandon Bush – Wurlitzer electric piano
  • John Alagia – percussion, Hammond organ
  • Chris Fischer – congas

Reception

Billboard said the song showcases Mayer's "smooth, casual singing style and barroom instrumentation."[5] In 2003, "Your Body Is a Wonderland" won Mayer the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.[6] The song ranked at No. 28 on Blender magazine's list of the "50 Worst Songs Ever".[7]

Video

The video starred the actress Holly Lynch.

Appearances in the media

In 2006, the song was used in an episode of U.S. version of The Office, entitled "A Benihana Christmas". Characters Michael Scott and Andy Bernard sing the song as a karaoke duet. Mayer agreed to let the show use the song, in exchange for a Dundie,[8] which was for "Tallest Music Dude".

In the episode of Family Guy titled "Stew-Roids", Stewie sings a song in which he pronounces the word "body" like "bah-dy", which he then explains "That's how John Mayer would say it"; a reference to the pronunciation of the word in "Your Body Is a Wonderland".

Lance Bass and Lacey Schwimmer performed a rumba to the song on Season 7 of Dancing with the Stars.

Chart performance

Chart (2001–03) Peak
position
Australia Top 40 Digital Tracks (ARIA) 23
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 75)[9] 48
Germany (Media Control AG)[10] 51
New Zealand (RIANZ) 9
US Billboard Hot 100 18
US Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks 3
US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 17

References

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  5. Taylor, Chuck (2002-06-29), "Your Body Is a Wonderland". Billboard. 114 (26):33
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  7. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
  8. John Mayer wins a Dundie in exchange for letting The Office use "Your Body Is a Wonderland".
  9. http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=John+Mayer&titel=Your+Body+Is+A+Wonderland&cat=s
  10. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links