Roll It on Home

Album: The Search for Everything (2017)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The closing song of The Search for Everything: Wave Two, this laid-back country tune is the closest in sound to Mayer's rootsy Born & Raised and Paradise Valley albums.
  • Mayer explained to Rolling Stone the song is about the moment you realize you've been at the bar so long that "tonight's already yesterday."

    Nobody's gonna love you right
    Nobody's gonna take you in tonight
    Finish out the bottle or step into the light
    And roll it on home


    Mayer said: "We have this bar in Livingston, Montana called The Murray Bar, and that's the room I've always pictured this playing in. It's like the singer in the jukebox is putting their arm around you, like, 'You did not get what you wanted tonight. Tomorrow's another chance.'"
  • Mayer wanted the song to feel like a pick-up band was playing it, so he ensured it retained some small imperfections that gave it a lazy feel. "It's supposed to be like a worn-in pair of jeans," he noted. "It reminds me of JJ Cale or Eric Clapton, and those unsung great records like Clapton's 'Promises,' which sounds like it's performed in a reclining chair, with a cigarette burning in the headstock of the guitar."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Tanita Tikaram

Tanita TikaramSongwriter Interviews

When she released her first album in 1988, Tanita became a UK singing sensation at age 19. She talks about her darkly sensual voice and quirky songwriting style.

Jeff Trott

Jeff TrottSongwriter Interviews

Sheryl Crow's longtime songwriting partner/guitarist Jeff Trott reveals the stories behind many of the singer's hits, and what its like to be a producer for Leighton Meester and Max Gomez.

Barney Hoskyns Explores The Forgotten History Of Woodstock, New York

Barney Hoskyns Explores The Forgotten History Of Woodstock, New YorkSong Writing

Our chat with Barney Hoskyns, who covers the wild years of Woodstock - the town, not the festival - in his book Small Town Talk.

Song Cities

Song CitiesMusic Quiz

Nirvana, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen are among those who wrote songs with cities that show up in this quiz.

Country Song Titles

Country Song TitlesFact or Fiction

Country songs with titles so bizarre they can't possibly be real... or can they?

George Harrison

George HarrisonFact or Fiction

Did Eric Clapton really steal George's wife? What's the George Harrison-Monty Python connection? Set the record straight with our Fact or Fiction quiz.