Hello Adam! It's 9am where you are, is this the earliest a pop star has ever got out of bed?

Oh no. No, that's a misconception.

You don't get to No1 by being lazy, that's for sure – and you're No1 over here with Payphone. Now, when did you last use an actual payphone?

Ummm … in the video.

I'm not sure that counts.

OK, I didn't use it but I was inside an actual old phone booth and it was a very nostalgic feeling.

How much does a payphone call cost these days?

Ummm. Is it still 35c? (1)

Over here it's 60p. 60p! That's like $1 of your money …

Jesus. What a rip-off. You could call China for $1 on a cellphone. You can get a lot of long distance. A dollar!

Why do you think people relate to the lyrics of Payphone, given that nobody uses them any more?

I think in the age of the cellphone the payphone has transitioned from this thing we used to use on a very regular basis to this thing that is only associated with being used by someone under duress or in an emergency. If you're using a payphone that illustrates the point that you're struggling somehow or you've lost your cell. You're stranded. It indicates something much more than it used to mean, and that's kinda cool.

Could you extend it? Write a song about fax machines? Betamax videos?

Not sure they have the same ring.

In the song you also say old fairy tales are "full of shit" – which ones are you talking about?

I'm talking about fairy tales in general. The disillusionment one experiences through being let down by love. I think a lot of people would argue that some people are lucky enough to live the … [Massive yawn] (2) … sorry, live the fairy tale. But then there are times when they wake up and think: "This is all crap." That happens to me sometimes.

Did that happen to you when you got told to get up and call me at 9am?

Precisely.

It's time we talked about Moves Like Jagger in a scary and forensic level of detail (3). Is that OK with you?

You got it.

There are so many intricacies on that record – every drum fill and vocalisation adds something.

I'm glad to hear you say these things because everything was very twiddled over (4) and we felt we had to go in there … [Another massive yawn] (5) … sorry, yawning again, we felt we had to go in there and really pick it apart. It's a very delicate song, you're treading so many lines and so many tightropes that I truly believe it's an inch away on any side from being a disaster.

When my wife heard it she ran into the room and said: "I've just heard the worst song ever written." By the second time she had upgraded it to "the best song ever written".

Yeah! Chris Martin said the same thing (6). He told me: "I fucking hated that song." It had that effect. Even on us!

Would Mick Jagger have retired if he'd ever written a song that good?

Hahaha! I can't touch that question. But I remember watching an old Stones live show once and the energy was beyond belief. I thought: "What the hell have I been doing? This is bullshit. I'm bullshit." That's when I realised I needed to create that much energy when I play.

I spoke to will.i.am recently and he revealed his skills as a sprinter. What is your sporting triumph?

Basketball when I was six. I was a very shy child. I hadn't come out of my shell, didn't have much confidence. Anyway, my dad was coach of the basketball team and he made a technical foul which meant we were about to lose and he was responsible for all these kids having their dreams crushed! So heroically I dribbled down the court, saw the countdown on the clock – 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 – hurled a hideous looking shot from the corner of the gym and it fell in. Everyone lost their minds, I got lifted up on their shoulders. It was a fairy tale that wasn't full of shit.

Without that shot – no Maroon 5?

Honestly? Life is a bizarre random series of events that greatly affects the outcome. I think that everybody has moments in their lives that defines who they are or sends them down a certain path.

You recently asked a music magazine to "just make me look cool". Do you care about being cool?

It was kind of a joke. Said with a wink. But c'mon, I don't consider myself very cool. But who doesn't want to be cool?

Were you cool at school?

I thought I was. I went to a very preppy, athletic, academic school. I was the rebellious long-haired rock'n'roll guy. But back then being in a band wasn't the coolest thing in the world. Not like now where every kid is in a band.

Did you throw good parties?

One summer I got grounded for throwing a party on the roof of our apartment. As a punishment I had to work in my dad's warehouse all summer ticketing shoulder pads.

Doing what?!

My father owned a chain of clothing stores and it was back in the early 90s so shoulder pads were still around. I had to ticket boxes of them for about eight weeks.

Was the party worth it?

No, it was awful. Throwing your first illegal party is far more stressful than you think. I would not recommend it. All you kids out there that want to break the rules – break them some other way. Throwing a party? It's just not worth it.

Foot notes

(1) Wrong! It's 50c in most US states, although Verizon do apparently undercut this in New York

(2) Adam is very busy and it was early. He is forgiven for his yawn.

(3) Here's a sample of the chat that didn't make it into the interview: "Matching the electronic fills with organic drums was extremely key to this"

(4) Adam might not have said "twiddled" as the phone crackled a bit but it's a good word so I stuck with it.

(5) Two yawns? A bit rude really.

(6) Adam is a fan of Chris Martin and admires his "honesty".