Maren Morris Jokes Her 'Brain Exploded' Duetting with John Mayer at Nashville Show: 'What a Night'
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Mickey Bernal/Getty John Mayer and Maren Morris
Continuing the tradition of performing an unexpected duet at his Nashville tour stop, John Mayer welcomed Maren Morris to the stage Wednesday night in Music City.
The country star dropped in for the show open with Mayer, providing background vocals on "Last Train Home" as she does on the album cut, before returning to the stage later in the evening to join the guitarist on "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room," turning the 2006 song into the collaboration Mayer, 44, later said it "was always meant to be."
Morris, 32, took a bit of creative license with the lyrics, swapping "bitch" for "d---" in the song's second verse, much to the delight of the crowd.
The two shared a hug following the duet, with Morris joking, "My high school self just died" as Mayer deadpanned, "I'm 65 years old."
Mickey Bernal/Getty John Mayer and Maren Morris
Speaking more about the length of his career shortly after, Mayer told the audience, "I know I'm people's high school record/musician and it's an incredible thing, because I never expected to be doing what I'm doing this long. And it's because of you that I get to — 20-something years later — still fill an arena in Nashville and play these songs. And you guys inhabit them, and you guys demand certain ones. There are songs I would have let go if it weren't for you guys demanding that I play them. And at some point when I play them I go, 'Son of a bitch, they're right! There's a lot of life in these songs.' You hold me up to my own songs and go, 'No, we want you to play these ones.'"
He added, "You've done so much for me as a writer and you've inspired me so much as an artist and I can't thank you enough for coming out tour after tour after tour. Thank you so much for keeping this dream going. I'm now able to fully accept and appreciate and be grateful for [it]. I can't thank you enough for sticking around."
Andy Barron John Mayer and Maren Morris
Each of the musicians shared moments from the night to their Instagram pages Thursday, with Morris writing, "Hello, Maren can't be reached right now because she went back to 2006 and told her younger self this would happen in year 2022 and her brain exploded ... Thank you @johnmayer for bringing your new light to Nashville and blessing our ears. WHAT a band."
"For as long as I live, whenever someone mentions the Nashville show in 2022, I'll remember the transcendent moments on stage with @marenmorris on both 'Last Train Home' and 'Slow Dancing in a Burning Room,' where for the first time, the true meaning of the song came to life as the duet it was always meant to be," Mayer captioned his own set of photos.
"Maren is one of my favorite artists, writers and singers of all time, and it's a great honor to share the musical space with her. What a night. The afterglow is strong."
RELATED: Maren Morris Calls John Mayer Grammys Collab 'Kismet': It'll Be a 'Really Beautiful Performance'
Mayer and Morris have long shared a mutual admiration, but the two have only recently begun collaborating. Mayer joined the country star on stage at the Grammys in March 2021, where he played guitar as she performed her smash hit "The Bones," while Morris' background vocals are featured on Mayer's songs "Last Train Home" and "Shot in the Dark."
"He's just smart as a whip. He is also really, really thoughtful and he internalizes every other word he says. I feel like it's kind of adorable," Morris told PEOPLE last year. "He's been just so respectful and complimentary to my music over the years."
Mickey Bernal/Getty John Mayer and Maren Morris
Mayer's Sob Rock Tour continues through early May before he joins Dead & Company for their summer tour kickoff in June.
