John Mayer Says He 'Can’t Sing;' Explains Why He's Taken Time Off

May 15 2012, Published 8:00 a.m. ET

Emerging from his self-imposed exile, singer John Mayer opens up to The Ellen DeGeneres Show Tuesday about the ongoing problems he's had with his throat, and how that and some poorly-received comments and more led him to take some time out of the spotlight.

"I can’t sing so I’m writing … it’s a thing in my throat," the Your Body Is A Wonderland singer said. "It’s not a health concern whatsoever, but it has taken me out of signing. Tried to beat it the first time and couldn’t."

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The 34-year-old Daughters singer opened up about the procedure he's undergone to get his chops back.

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"What they actually do is they cut this thing out of your throat, and then they inject your vocal cords with botox, which freezes your vocal cords so that this thing can heal with out smacking up against the other side," he said. "I just need more botox next time. So I got to do it all over again get more botox which kind of paralyzes for vocal cord for longer."

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The outspoken singer, no stranger to controversy, said a series of media miscues -- including comparing ex Jessica Simpson to "sexual napalm" and using the N-word for an ill-conceived reference -- also led him to take a step back.

"It was a very strange time and it sort of rocketed me into adulthood -- it was a violent crash into being an adult," Mayer, who's also dated Jen Aniston, said. "For a couple of years it was just figuring it all out, and I'm glad I actually stayed out of the spotlight. Because I think back then I would of said, 'Give me two weeks or let me get out and do Ellen and let me explain myself.'