John Mayer's "In the Blood" is his first release to country radio and country radio's first song about mama drama. The singer's dark ballad takes aim at one of country music's purest tenants: mothers.

"In the Blood" was getting unsolicited airplay on country radio already, so Sony Music Nashville chose to deliver the song to country officially this week. The unexpected move marks an introduction that seemed destined to happen at some point. Slow down any of Mayer's songs, switch some instruments and bam! You've got a pretty good country lyric.

This song isn't countrified, however. The singer, an acoustic guitar and heavy rhythm section make up the production on the track from his new The Search for Everything album. "In the Blood" begins and ends with his lyrics. Softly he torches his mother, making his father a sympathetic character in the second half of the first verse.

Kudos to Mayer for coming with something bold, as a weak statement would be dismissed like every other pop-to-country crossover not named Darius Rucker. The sheer weight of "In the Blood" makes it an unlikely chart-buster, but that's not to say it won't be successful. These days more than ever fans are willing to seek out great songs that speak to the heart, something the 39-year-old does here.

Did You Know?: Mayer has flirted with country before. He taped an episode of CMT's Crossroads with Keith Urban in 2010.

Listen to John Mayer, "In the Blood"

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John Mayer's "In the Blood" Lyrics:

How much of my mother / Has my mother left in me / How much of my love / Will be insane to some degree / And what about this feeling that i’m never good enough / Will it wash out in the water or is it always in the blood.

How much of my father / Am I destined to become / Will I dim the lights inside me / Just to satisfy someone / Will I let this woman kill me or do away with jealous love / Will it wash out in the water or is it always in the blood.

Chorus:
I can feel the love I want / I can feel the love I need / But it’s never gonna come the way I am / Could I change it if I wanted / Can I rise above the flood / Will it wash out in the water or is it always in the blood.

How much like my brothers / Do my brothers wanna be / Does a broken home become another broken family / Or will we be there for each other like nobody ever could / Will it wash out in the water 
or is it always in the blood.

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