John Mayer Rhetorical Devices
Music is a form of expression, and many artists have come forth with works that tackle social issues. The infamous singer-songwriter and Grammy Award winner, John Mayer, has written many influential pieces over the years. In August of 2006, Mayer released his song “Waiting on the World to Change”. The lyrics express how society keeps waiting for global change to take effect instead of stepping up and resolving the apparent issues. The song is targeted towards a younger generation who is not making any effort towards improvement as a society. John Mayers lyrics compel his audience to act upon his message with use of the persuasive device repetition, and the persuasive appeal pathos. To begin with, the piece uses repetition of the word “waiting”
to stress the need for change to take place. For instance, the text reads, “So we keep waiting (waiting) / Waiting on the world to change / We keep on waiting (waiting) / Waiting on the world to change” (John Mayer). To elaborate, Mayer uses repetition to enforce his idea that nothing is being done to change the current condition of the world. This verse acknowledges that there are issues in society, but little is being done to resolve those issues. Furthermore, the writer uses the persuasive appeal, referred to as pathos, to influence his listeners to take action. The verse states, “Now if we had the power / To bring our neighbors home from war / They would have never missed a Christmas / No more ribbons on their door” (John Mayer). This quote is an example of pathos, because the writer is trying to spark emotion within his audience. Mayer is stating that our soldiers should be able to come home to their families when an opportunity is presented. This is an issue that many can make a personal connection to whether they have a family member or close friend who is enlisted in the military. Correspondingly, when the song states, “No more ribbons on their door” (John Mayer), this is referring to ribbon military families tie on their doors after losing a loved one at war. For this reason, the writer is intending to make the audience emotional by referring to fallen soldiers. The songwriters use of pathos causes the songs message to have greater influence, since it provokes the audience's emotions. In conclusion, John Mayer's “Waiting On The World To Change” encourages his listeners to make a difference in the world with use of the persuasive devices and persuasive appeals, specifically repetition and pathos. The musical piece is directed towards his following who he urges to take action, instead of waiting for things to get better on its own. Mayer sees the potential for a younger generation to stand up and make the world a better place. By using rhetorical devices, Mayer is sending his fans a powerful and convincing message that he hopes will encourage society to make a difference.
to stress the need for change to take place. For instance, the text reads, “So we keep waiting (waiting) / Waiting on the world to change / We keep on waiting (waiting) / Waiting on the world to change” (John Mayer). To elaborate, Mayer uses repetition to enforce his idea that nothing is being done to change the current condition of the world. This verse acknowledges that there are issues in society, but little is being done to resolve those issues. Furthermore, the writer uses the persuasive appeal, referred to as pathos, to influence his listeners to take action. The verse states, “Now if we had the power / To bring our neighbors home from war / They would have never missed a Christmas / No more ribbons on their door” (John Mayer). This quote is an example of pathos, because the writer is trying to spark emotion within his audience. Mayer is stating that our soldiers should be able to come home to their families when an opportunity is presented. This is an issue that many can make a personal connection to whether they have a family member or close friend who is enlisted in the military. Correspondingly, when the song states, “No more ribbons on their door” (John Mayer), this is referring to ribbon military families tie on their doors after losing a loved one at war. For this reason, the writer is intending to make the audience emotional by referring to fallen soldiers. The songwriters use of pathos causes the songs message to have greater influence, since it provokes the audience's emotions. In conclusion, John Mayer's “Waiting On The World To Change” encourages his listeners to make a difference in the world with use of the persuasive devices and persuasive appeals, specifically repetition and pathos. The musical piece is directed towards his following who he urges to take action, instead of waiting for things to get better on its own. Mayer sees the potential for a younger generation to stand up and make the world a better place. By using rhetorical devices, Mayer is sending his fans a powerful and convincing message that he hopes will encourage society to make a difference.