John Mayer admits Katy Perry inspired his new song

Three years have passed since John Mayer and Katy Perry were a celebrity couple. But in an intimate new interview with The New York Times, where he shares that he's been through rehab and is currently dating using an exclusive match-making app, Mayer admitted he's still writing songs about his ex-girlfriend, who he dated on and off for a year and a half.

Mayer referenced his new song Still Feel Like Your Man, which features lovelorn lyrics like, "I still keep your shampoo in my shower. In case you wanna wash your hair. And I know that you probably found yourself someone somewhere. But I do not really care."

“Who else would I be thinking about?” he said about Perry. “And by the way, it’s a testament to the fact that I have not dated a lot of people in the last five, six years. That was my only relationship. So it’s like, give me this, people.”

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While several of his latest songs reference his heartbreak, Mayer explained that his new record, The Search for Everything, is more than just a breakup album. “There were times when tears came out of me, and I went, 'O.K., John, this is not about an on-again, off-again relationship. This is something more profound,'” he said.

In fact, Mayer seems to regret the bad-boy lifestyle he cultivated through crazy interviews and years of dating fellow stars like Taylor Swift and Jennifer Aniston. “I wish there was somebody to throw me the 40th,” he said, referencing his upcoming birthday. "I want the baby with the protective earphones...I’m right on time for my career, and I’m running late for my life.”

Mayer laughed through plenty of jabs about his personal life at a recent Comedy Central roast. “In college, I would listen to your live recordings,” comedian Matthew Broussard told Mayer. What did he learn? That "you can be funny, while staying true to yourself as a cocky, pretentious douchebag.” 

Adding insult to injury, comedian Joe Dosch asked Mayer, “Don’t you have to go sing for a pair of Ugg boots?”