Syair lagu merupakan rangkaian dan tatanan kata indah yang diberi notasi dan dilagukan. Syair lagu memuat simbol-simbol pesan yang hendak disampaikan pencipta kepada pendengarnya. Simbol dalam syair lagu tidak mudah dimengerti dan perlu penafsiran. Pencipta lagu menggunakan simbol verbal pada syair lagu guna mewakili segala hal terkait dengan maksud, harapan, perasaan serta kondisi yang terjadi di lingkungan fisik serta menerjemahkan kehidupan di dunia yang diketahuinya. Untuk memahami sistem tanda yang menggambarkan budaya kemaritiman dalam syair lagu digunakan pendekatan semiotik. Penelitian ini bersifat deskriptif kualitatif, mengkaji bahasa berupa tanda atau simbol dalam syair lagu kemaritiman. Teknik pengumpulan data dengan mendokumentasikan lagu di Museum Musik Indonesia (MMI) di Malang serta eksplorasi di internet. Data berupa aspek kebahasaan yang mengandung sistem tanda budaya kemaritiman dari 14 lagu. Tujuan penelitian mendeskripsikan bentuk penanda dan petanda budaya kemaritiman pada syair lagu dan aspek budaya kemaritiman masyarakat Indonesia. Hasil penelitian ditemukan penanda dan petanda yang menunjukkan budaya kemaritiman pada syair lagu kemaritiman serta empat aspek sistem budaya masyarakat maritim meliputi, sistem mata pencaharian hidup, sistem peralatan hidup dan teknologi, sistem pengetahuan, dan sistem keorganisasian sosial. Lagu-lagu kemaritiman Indonesia merepresentasikan budaya kemaritiman masyarakat pesisir melalui simbol tanda yang ada. Untuk itu, lagu merupakan rekaman budaya masyarakat di masanya.
Song verse is a series and arrangement of beautiful words that are noted and performed. The song verse contains symbols of the message that the creator wants to convey to his listener. The symbols in the verse of the song are not easy to understand and need interpretation. The songwriter uses verbal symbols in the song's verse to represent everything related to the intentions, expectations, feelings and conditions that occur in the physical environment and translate life in the world he knows. To understand the sign system that describes maritime culture in song verse, a semiotic approach is used. This research is qualitative descriptive, studying the language in the form of signs or symbols in maritime song verse. Data collection techniques by documenting songs at the Indonesian Music Museum (MMI) in Malang as well as exploration on the internet. Data in the form of language aspects that contain a maritime cultural sign system of 14 songs. The purpose of the study describes the form of markers and signs of maritime culture in song verses and aspects of maritime culture of Indonesian society. The results of the study found markers and signs that show maritime culture in maritime song verses as well as four aspects of the maritime community cultural system including, livelihood system, living equipment system and technology, knowledge system, and social organization system. Indonesian maritime songs represent the maritime culture of coastal communities through the symbol of existing signs. For this reason, the song is a recording of the culture of the people of his time.