Kayla Pendleton

Studio #3

Step 1: Provide a primary source of whom or what you are analyzing: an audio file of a song, a
video, an artists painting, etc.

The person I decided to analyze is John Mayer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oNIwG2zTRo

Step 2: Define the audience (in terms of discourse community) that is the primary audience to
which artist, musician, etc. wants (or does!!) appeal.

One thing that makes John Mayer different from the rest of my favorite artists is how he
has many different audiences. When John Mayer first brought out his talent, he recognized with
an audience who preferred blues-type music which was not a highly populated audience.
However, as time went on he uses his exceptional guitar skills, and his smart-ass lyrics to get into
the pop culture, but is still able to recognize with all of his old fans. With some of his songs, such
as, Daughters and Waiting on the World to Change, he is successful in appealing most of the pop
culture audience to express his perspective on life and love. John Mayers music discourse is
different than other discourses because he is able to have a connection with people who he does
not encounter on a daily basis and know on a personal level. He has to rely on these connections
in order to be successful in the music industry. John Mayer does a beautiful job in connecting
with his audience through his truthful lyrics.

Step 3: Define authenticity; performance; and representation.

Authenticity- the fact or quality of being true or in accordance with fact; veracity; correctness.
Also, accurate reflection of real life, verisimilitude
Performance- An instance of performing a play, piece of music, etc., in front of an audience; an
occasion on which such a work is presented; a public appearance by a performing artist or artists
of any kind. Also: an individual performers or groups rendering or interpretation of a work,
part, role, etc.
Representation- something which stands for or denotes another symbolically; an image, a
symbol, a sign.

Step 4: Use Notice and Focus or The Method in The Five Analytical Moves as well as
either Seems to be about X but is Really about Y or Paraphrase X 3.

Paraphrase X3 Heartbreak Warfare, John Mayer

How come the only way to know how high you get me; Is to see how far I fall
1. How come the only way to know how huge you get me; Is to see how
many miles I drop
2. How come the only way to know how grand you get me; Is to see how
much I diminish
3. How come the only way to know how immense you get me; Is to see how
deep I plummet
Kayla Pendleton

While listening to the song I did not think much about this line, but now I see how important it is
in order for the listener to understand the situation of this relationship. I realized that the
character is truly hurting by the other person in the relationship. John Mayer is trying to say why
is the only way for the girl to understand how much he loves her, is by showing how much he
hurts and risks for her. This is significant because the listener is immediately able to recognize
who is the victim and how the relationship is. Not only is the listener able to understand John
more, but they are able to connect and relate to him more.

Notice and Focus- Waiting on the World to Change, John Mayer

Step 1: What do you notice?
John Mayer conveys that within his community there is no way for him
to be able to make a stand and produce change for something he is
passion about because they are misunderstood.
John Mayer coveys that there is something wrong with the way the
world is led, probably referring to those objects that rule our worlds,
such as, money and fame.
John Mayer sets the tone of how powerless he is in society
John Mayer believes there is nothing he can do, but just keeping
waiting for some change.
John Mayer conveys that the media has hold over all of us and that
they are in control of what and how we see things
John Mayer talks about how war impacts families
John Mayer feels as though it is not fair how things work in society
John Mayer talks about how his generation will eventually lead the
world, but until then he has no say or can make an impact on change

Step 2: Top 3 most interesting

1. John Mayer conveys that within his community there is no way for him
to be able to make a stand and produce change for something he is
passion about because they are misunderstood.
2. John Mayer conveys that the media has hold over all of us and that
they are in control of what and how we see things
3. John Mayer talks about how his generation will eventually lead the
world, but until then he has no say or can make an impact on change

Step 3: Why??
1. This seemed the most interesting to me because this is the overall
moral of the song. He repeats over and over in the song how he feels
powerless and misunderstood. It shows a lot about Johns character
and his beliefs on how he thinks change should be made in order for
the world to revolve right. Despite this passion of wanting change, he
feels as though he has no control or power to change, so he is just
waiting for the world to change.
2. The idea that John Mayer has on the impact on media is very
interesting. He believes that media has more on an impact on society
Kayla Pendleton

than he ever will. The more I read the lyric, And when you trust your
television, what you get is what you got, cause when they own the
information, oh, they can bend it all they want. John Mayer believes
that the media has a tremendous amount about the way we think and
what we believe. This is important because it shows the negative
aspects John Mayer thinks media has on people, yet he is part of the
media.
3. John Mayer also relies on his generation to make a difference when
they rule. He believes that when his generation is in charge there will
be change and it will be the change he is waiting for. This was
interesting to me because I do not think that his generation would be
able to make any difference by just being in rule. It takes more than
that and it made me question on what he wants to be changed.

Step 5: Finally write a well-developed academic paragraph [using multiple

examples and focusing on the relationships (coherence) between your
examples] to argue whether or not your artist, musician, etc. is authentic or
represents authenticity; performs authenticity; fails at authenticity; or does
not attempt to perform authenticity at all (in case of the latter, make sure to
describe what they ARE representing).

I believe that John Mayer strongly represents authenticity. Authenticity

to me is when an artist accurately and truly reflects on life and through John

Mayers lyrics, the listener is able to recognize issues with society and love.

In Waiting on the World to Change, John Mayer delivers a strong message

about society and how impossible it is to make change. With the song lyric,

We just feel like we dont have the means; To rise above and beat it, John

Mayer feels it is so impossible to change the way society works that he feels

like there is no point in trying to change it. This song represents authenticity

because John Mayer is truly and accurately reflecting on society. John Mayer

is most passionate when he writes about love. In his song Daughters, John

Mayer touches on the importance of fathers and mothers on their daughters

lives and how childhood defines a person. In the chorus, So, fathers., be

good to your daughters; Daughters will love like you do, John Mayer
Kayla Pendleton

constantly concludes that the way people are brought up by their parents

makes a huge impact on how someone loves. Through these lyrics John

Mayer is impactful and truly reflects on his life, but what is most important

about his music is how he makes his audience reflect on their lives as well.