The Remedy (I Won't Worry) (LP Version)

Jason Mraz's "The Remedy (I won't worry)" was the hit that brought "Mr. A-Z" out of obscurity. No longer the indie musician on the coffeehouse circuit,pop stations were playing this song... endlessly. This song was one of the summer hits of '02-'03. It got played ad nauseam. Unfortunately. Jason Mraz has clever lyrics; he started out good (check out his turgid "Lucky" duet with Colbie Caillat to hear how far he's come)

"The Remedy" has an electrifying opening riff. It's one of rock music's best hooks. It catches you. It's tantalizing. Would Jason Mraz be better off as a musician than a singer? The melody makes the song worth it. "The Remedy" has creative pop culture references,such as the '80s art house hit "Dangerous Liaisons" as well as the '80s Tom Cruise hit "born on the 4th of July." "The Remedy" remedied repetitious pop radio... for a time. It suffered from overexposure. The opening of "The Remedy" sounds like a fireworks show. It's too bad Mraz's inspiration has fizzled. Enjoy his remedy,and don't worry.

Jason Mraz is definitely an underrated artist in the music world. It's all too easy to write him off as another John Mayer/Dave Matthews type artist. Nope, M.R.A.Z. is a whole nother breed. He has a little bit country, little bit rap, bit adult alt, bit pop, bit folk, the point is, Mraz can do it all. And this song shows all those elements, and the song writing style of Mraz. Even though this song was co-written by The Matrix song writing group, you can tell which parts are theirs, and which parts are Mraz.

First off, the opening lines are awesome, and really set the tone for the verses. They're out of the ordinary, but seem to fit, and most importantly flow. And that's what this song's got going for it the most, flow. The verses, the pre-chorus, the chorus all flow freely even though they all have their unique style. This is accomplished for the most part by Mraz's vocals. The structure is also unique in that it has the verses which are great in of themselves, then you have the pre-chorus which could be a chorus in its own right, and then you have the chorus, which is in true radio-friendly style to grab those radio people, and has the true influence of The Matrix.

In fact, the only thing you could really criticize the song about is the pre-chorus, as it may just be one chorus too many, or maybe it could be a thinly veiled reference to sex or something. In either case, it both works, and it doesn't. I personally think it should have its own song, although it does great in this song.

So overall, definitely not your everyday radio fare. It may have a few of those elements, but it has enough originality to keep you interested and tuned in. Kudos to everybody involved with song. It's well-written, well-sung, and well-structured. This song is just another in the long list of reasons to love Jason Mraz.