If a TV network asked you to base a new series on one of John Mayer's songs, which would you pick?
Maybe "Your Body Is a Wonderland" could be turned into a rom-com? "Say" could be about a young progressive politician navigating her new role in DC? (Wink, wink.) Even "Daughters" seems rife with familial drama. But in what might be today's most unexpected piece of entertainment news, ABC has decided to base a new series on a track off Mayer's Continuum: "The Heart of Life."
The song from the Grammy winner's third studio album (while catchy, in my very humble opinion) was never even released as a single, and Mayer didn't bother to make a music video for it. Still, the network has clearly been inspired by its emotional lyrics - "Pain throws your heart to the ground / Love turns the whole thing around / Fear is a friend who's misunderstood" - and has already ordered a pilot based on the song, which will reportedly follow two siblings. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the rough plot is as follows:
"Heart of Life follows two sets of adult siblings from wildly different worlds who discover they are related and must reassess everything they thought they knew about their shared father. As they explore the mystery of their separate childhoods, they'll experience the difficulty in overcoming the sins of the past, and learn the joys of reuniting with long-lost family."
What's interesting is that the lyrics themselves don't really seem to tell a concrete story. Rather, they're a more general reflection on resilience during difficult times and the ties that bond us. Fortunately, there's a good team behind the show: Ben Queen (NBC's Powerless) will write the script and executive-produce with Mayer, Melvin Mar (Jumanji), Jake Kasdan (Bless This Mess), and Paul Weitz (Mozart in the Jungle).
Until we find out more about the show's specifics (like who will play those siblings, for instance), feel free to pick apart the lyrics to "Heart of Life" below.
I hate to see you cry
Laying there in that position
There's things you need to hear
So turn off your tears and listen
Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
No, it won't all go the way it should
But I know the heart of life is good
You know it's nothing new
Bad news never had good timing
But then the circle of your friends
Will defend the silver lining
Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
No, it won't all go the way it should
But I know the heart of life is good
Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
Fear is a friend who's misunderstood
But I know the heart of life is good
I know it's good.
from POPSUGAR https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/John-Mayer-Heart-Life-TV-Show-ABC-45740541
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