Discursive Leadership in the Beatles’ Lyrics: Positioning, Feminism, and the Cultural Management of Meaning

Abstract Previous studies examining feminist elements in Beatles songs primarily focus on critical and qualitative analysis of the narratives within the lyrics, often overlooking the dynamics of power between males and females, as well as their roles in relationships. More importantly, the leadership discursively constructed and performed by the band has been underexplored, despite its impact on the cultural management of the meanings of genders. Drawing upon positioning theory, this study conducts a thematic analysis supplemented by corpus linguistic analysis to uncover the predominant themes in the lyrics of Beatles songs released in 1963 and 1964. This study elucidates how the Beatles discursively positioned males in relation to females, especially in romantic relationships, in lyrics that apparently reflect feminism, as well as the cultural management conducted by the band. The thematic analysis reveals that a significant portion of the lyrical content relates to feminist themes, where females are positioned as having a higher interpersonal status alongside male empowerment. Conversely, males are portrayed as sacrificers who offer unconditional love to females, despite the challenges posed by the latter. It is argued that the Beatles are cultural leaders managing social perceptions on gender equality through discursive positioning strategies in the lyrics, and that language plays an important role in (re)shaping gender identities that challenge conventional images of gender in society.