Metaphor Meanings in Bruno Mars’s Lyrics Through a Sociolinguistic Lens

Aknal Rosyadi; Dwi Puji Hastuti; Retno Rahayuningsih

doi:10.31294/cakrawala.v26i1.13092

Authors

Aknal Rosyadi Universitas Bina Sarana Informatika
Dwi Puji Hastuti Universitas Bina Sarana Informatika
Retno Rahayuningsih Universitas Bina Sarana Informatika

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31294/cakrawala.v26i1.13092

Keywords:

Metaphor, Bruno Mars Lyrics, Sociolinguistics

Abstract

This study examines the use of metaphor in the song lyrics of Bruno Mars from a sociolinguistic perspective. Focusing on four selected songs: Just the Way You Are, Talking to the Moon, Grenade, and Locked Out of Heaven, the research aims to identify, categorize, and interpret metaphorical expressions to uncover how they construct meaning, emotion, and social context. Employing a descriptive qualitative method, lyrical texts were collected and analyzed to classify metaphors into ontological, structural, and conventional types. [REVISION] The validated analysis reveals 31 metaphorical/figurative expressions across the four songs, consisting of conventional, structural, ontological, and hyperbolic metaphors. Frequency distribution tables are added to clarify the tendency of metaphor types and their sociolinguistic categories. From a sociolinguistic perspective, the metaphors are distributed across 31 instances across four categories: Style, Register, and Genres; Language and Politeness; Language and Gender; and Ethnographic Sociolinguistics. Just the Way You Are shows 3 instances of Style/Register/Genres, 4 of Language and Politeness, and 2 of Language and Gender. Talking to the Moon presents 5 examples of Style/Register/Genres and elements of Ethnographic Sociolinguistics. The grenade contains 4 Style/Register/Genres features and 6 Language and Politeness instances. Meanwhile, Locked Out of Heaven features 4 Style/Register/Genres and 1 Language and Gender instance. These findings indicate that the use of metaphor in Bruno Mars’s lyrics not only strengthens emotional impact but also reflects sociolinguistic patterns that shape how listeners interpret meaning.

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