It was all the way back in 1983 that Pat Benatar famously likened love to a battlefield (winning a Grammy for her effort). Just last year, the very same metaphor was deployed in songs by American Idol vets Blake Lewis and Jordin Sparks (a shared history that began when the two were the last soldiers standing in the 2007 edition of pop-music boot camp). Well, John Mayer went and got his armor in 2009 too, venturing into similar lyrical territory for current single, “Heartbreak Warfare.”

“Heartbreak Warfare” is the first song on (and in fact, was the first song recorded for) Mayer’s fourth studio LP, Battle Studies, which the singer-songwriter has described as a concept album about “the art of war of love.” As a sometime fan who much prefers the non-bluesy side of Mr. Mayer*, the charms of comparatively light-as-air first single “Who Says” eventually snuck up on me, but it was love at first listen with “Heartbreak Warfare.” The song’s atmospheric guitar bit flirts with the edges of electronica, a loop-like sound that brought to mind this track by Certain Distant Suns, an all-but-forgotten Chicago shoegazer band from the early ’90s.

While it’s true that Mayer breaks no new lyrical ground in “Heartbreak Warfare” (excepting his first-ever use of a curse word in song), the performance (and production) is what really matters. And on that note, he is nothing but victorious, with his tale of love gone wrong winning at least one heart and mind—mine. Hear here:

If it’s more “Warfare” you’re after (and you’ve got a webcam), check out Mayer’s augmented reality music video. And to hear the true tale behind the song, tune in to Vh1’s Storytellers on January 28th at 8/7c (though the clip of “Heartbreak Warfare” is up right now).

Purchase John Mayer – “Heartbreak Warefare” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.

Whether or not you’re a fan of his music, I highly recommend following John Mayer on Twitter (@johncmayer). And @popservations too, though I’m much less witty, know way fewer guitar chords, and have yet to date a single starlet.