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THE COMPARISON OF FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE IN PUNK SONG

LYRICS BY “GREENDAY AND SUPERMAN IS DEAD”

I Putu Angga Permana Putra

Program Non Reguler Sastra Inggris Fakultas Sastra Unud

Abstrak

Penggunaan bahasa figurative dalam penulisan lirik sebuah lagu seringkali menimbulkan satu pemahaman dan pemaknaan baru dari setiap pendengarnya. Bahasa figurative juga mampu memperindah dan menguatkan makna yang disampaikan melalui lirik lagu tersebut. Tujuan tulisan ini mengklasifikasikan jenis jenis bahasa figuratif yang terkandung di dalam lirik lagu oleh dua grup band berbeda yaitu Green Day (Amerika Serikat) dan Superman Is Dead (Indonesia) serta selanjutnya menjelaskan makna dari setiap bahasa figuratif yang terdapat dalam lirik lagu dari dua band tersebut. Ada delapan jenis figuratif yang di gunakan oleh Green Day (simile, personification, hyperbole, metonymy, synecdoche, dead metaphor, paradox and allusion) dan Sembilan jenis figurtif di gunakan oleh Superman is Dead (simile, metaphor, personification, synecdoche, metonymy, hyperbole, irony, paradox, and allusion) Figuraif tersebut di klasifikasikan ke dalam makna konotasi dan denotasi dan teori yang di gunakan adalah teori yang di tulis oleh Knickerboker and Reninger (1967:367) dan teori yang di tulis oleh Geoffrey leech (1974:64).

Kata Kunci : lirik lagu, bahasa figuratif, dan makna figuratif

  • 1.    Background of the study

Figurative language is a literal language device that achieves a special effect by using words in distinctive ways, which has special characteristics. Figurative language is defined as a certain literary device which is commonly applied by the authors to gain strength and freshness of their literary work expression. Generally, figurative language is divided into several kinds. Each of these kinds has a specific characteristic in strengthening the meaning of certain works. Figurative expression can be found in most writings. Dramas, poetries, and the common example are the song lyrics.

When we are hearing a song, it is often found that the language or words used in communication sound artistically or beautifully, interesting, sharp, nice and smart. Besides, we also find that the language or words of a songs sometimes are meaningless, ambiguous,

even boring. As the development of music, the definition of song itself is large. Song is a short musical composition which is sung by human voice, and has a certain lyric. People often use lyric to express their feeling and ideas because a lyric has very strong emotion of someone’s soul. The musicians can tell their ideas, feeling, protests, stories, and moral values in beautiful and emotional language.

Punk can be a genre of music, life style, and fashion. Punk also can also be defined as an ideology called DIY (Do It Yourself), as the result of protest about social, economic, political, cultural, and religious problems. The first impression about punk is only the negative aspect. People may think that the punkers are pretty odd, horrifying, trouble makers, scum of society, drugs addict, alcoholic, and have bad attitudes. What people think of them is not totally true. Some people do not really understand the definition of punk. The term “punk” has a large meaning.

Based on the explanation above, the data in this study are the punk’s song lyrics composed by Green Day (America Punk band) and Superman is Dead (Indonesia Punk band). There are three song lyrics by Green Day; Good Riddance (Time of Your Life), Give Me Novacaine, and Are We the Waiting, and also three song lyrics by Superman is Dead; Lady Rose, Money Money Money, and King, Queen and Poison that were used as the data sources.

  • 2.    Problems of the Study

The problems that discussed in this writing are as follows:

  • 1.    What are kinds of figurative language used in the lyric of punk sung by “Green Day and Superman is Dead”?

  • 2.    What are the meaning of the figurative language used in the lyric of punk band by “Green Day and Superman is Dead”?

  • 3.    What are the differences in the use of figurative language between the song lyrics of punk band by “Green Day (America) and Superman is Dead (Indonesia)”?

  • 3.    Aim of Study

Based on the problems above, the aims of study are formulated as follows:

  • 1    To identify and analyze the kinds of figurative language used in the lyric of punk sung by Green Day and Superman is Dead.

  • 2    To find out the meaning of the figurative language used in the lyric of punk sung by Green Day and Superman is Dead in order to get the deeper meaning of what the lyrics tell about.

  • 3    To analyze the differences of figurative language used in the lyric of punk band by Green Day and Superman is Dead.

  • 4.    Research Method

In order to limit the discussion, the research was conducted as follows:

  • 1.    Identified and analyzed of the figurative language used in the Punk band song lyrics composed by Green Day and Superman is Dead.

  • 2.    Analyzed of the meaning of figurative language used in the lyric of punk song by Green Day and Superman is Dead.

  • 3.    Analyzed of the differences the used of figurative language between the punk’s song lyrics composed by Green Day and Superman is Dead.

    • 4.1.    Data Source

Based on the explanation above, the data in this study were the punk’s song lyrics composed by Green Day and Superman is Dead. There are three song lyrics by Green Day; Good Riddance (Time of Your Life), Give Me Novacaine, and Are We the Waiting, and also three song lyrics by Superman is Dead; Lady Rose, Money Money Money, and King, Queen and Poison that were used as the data source. Therefore, there were six songs analyzed in this study. Those six songs were used as the main data source because of several reasons: They contained a lot of figurative language which can help the study to analyze the focus points. They are very famous and the language used multiple meaning.

  • 4.2.    Method and Technique of collecting data

The data were collected through documentation method, the songs and the lyrics used as data were downloaded from the internet website. The lyrics were printed out, and then the next step was listening to the song and read the lyrics carefully, repeatedly, and intensively. Note taking and coding were conducted to collect the data and finding the deeper meaning of what the lyrics told about.

  • 4.3.    Method and Technique of analyzing data

Based on the theory of figurative language proposed by Knickerbocker and Reniger (1963:367), and the theory about various types meaning proposed by leech (1974:64). The technique of analyzing data involved the following stages:

  • 1.    Described each theme and understanding the feeling of the song lyrics.

  • 2.    Identified the key words to classify the type of figurative language found in the song lyrics.

  • 3.    Analyzed each type of figurative language and the meaning found in the song lyrics based on the theory used in this study.

  • 4.    Compared the use of figurative language between the song lyrics composed by Green Day and Superman is Dead.

  • 5.    Analysis

This sub section analyses the type of figurative language, to find out the meaning of figurative languages used in the punk’ song lyrics, and analyzed the comparison of figurative languages used in the punk band composed by Green day and Superman is dead.

  • 3.2.1    Types of Figurative Language and Their Meaning in the Song lyrics composed by Green Day

Three songs are Good Riddance (Time of Your Life), Give Me Novacaine, and Are We the Waiting. From those three songs there are eight types of figurative language used, and totally 20 figurative languages used. They are Personification, Simile, Synecdoche, Metonymy, Hyperbole, Dead Metaphor, Allusion and Paradox. The description of each type of figurative described at the table below:

No

Type of

Figurative

Song Title

Figurative Expression

Meaning

1

Personification

Time of your life

A fork stuck in the road

Connotative

2

Personification

Time of your life

Time grabs you by the wrist

Denotative

3

Personification

Are we the waiting

Starry night city light coming down over me

Connotative

4

Simile

Give me a novacaine

The sensation is like a bird

Connotative

5

Synecdoche

Time of your life

Take the photographs and still frames your mind

Denotative

6

Metonymy

Time of your life

So make the best of this test

Denotative

7

Metonymy

Time of your life

I hope you had the time of your life

Denotative

8

Metonymy

Time of your life

Tattoo of memories

Connotative

9

Metonymy

Give me a novacaine

Give me a long kiss good night

Denotative

10

Metonymy

Give me a novacaine

So give me novacaine

Denotative

11

Metonymy

Are we the waiting

This dirty town was burning down in my dream

Connotative

12

Metonymy

Are we the waiting

Second though live in isolation

Connotative

13

Hyperbole

Give me a novacaine

Bitter sweat migraine in my head

Connotative

14

Hyperbole

Give me a novacaine

Drain the pressure from the swelling

Connotative

15

Hyperbole

Give me a novacaine

It’s better than air

Denotative

16

Hyperbole

Are we the waiting

Skyscrapers and stargazer in my head

Denotative

17

Hyperbole

Give me a novacaine

Kiss the demons out of my dream

Denotative

18

Dead Metaphor

Time of your life

Dead skin on trial

Connotative

19

Allusion

Are we the waiting

The Jesus of suburbia is a lie

Denotative

20

Paradox

Are we the waiting

Tails and fairytales in my head

Connotative

As we can see from the analysis, Metonymy is the most used by Green Day in the song to represents the humanity and nationalisms theme. Metonymy describes Symbol of something that has close associated with nature, their country, life style and the condition between government and society in their country. The lyrics become poetically stated as quite easy to be understood.

  • 3.2.2    Types of Figurative Language and Their Meaning in the Song lyrics composed by Superman Is Dead

    No

    Type of

    Figurative

    Song Title

    Figurative Expression

    Meaning

    1

    Simile

    King, Queen and Poison

    My money you shine like a star

    Denotative

    2

    Simile

    Lady Rose

    Kiss of angle as sweet as heaven

    Connotative

    3

    Metaphor

    Lady Rose

    You are my lady rose

    Connotative

    4

    Personification

    Money, Money, Money

    Do you still love me if my money is dead

    Connotative

    5

    Personification

    Money, Money, Money

    Hey my money where you wanna go

    Denotative

    6

    Personification

    King, Queen and Poison

    My pain explains the true meaning of life

    Connotative

    7

    Synecdoche

    Lady Rose

    You’re the heart of the crown

    Connotative

    8

    Synecdoche

    Money, Money, Money

    I feel so numb and lost in the sand

    Denotative

    9

    Metonymy

    Lady Rose

    Got a love song, broken line yea

    Connotative

    10

    Metonymy

    King, Queen and Poison

    Everything is blur, a picture of your kiss

    Denotative

    11

    Hyperbole

    Lady Rose

    I can sing a thousand song, I can bring your kiss around town

    Connotative

    12

    Hyperbole

    Lady Rose

    When you sleep for a thousand years

    Connotative

    13

    Hyperbole

    King, Queen and Poison

    Oh my lady, this song made of gold

    Connotative

    14

    Irony

    Lady Rose

    Can you stay a little while, can you bring this cheap bottle of wine

    Denotative

    15

    Allusion

    King, Queen and Poison

    The queen has left this thorned alone

    Denotative

    16

    Paradox

    King, Queen and Poison

    Thorn sticks in my veins

    Connotative

    17

    Paradox

    King, Queen and Poison

    Inject my self with angles wings

    Connotative

Superman is Dead, on the other hand, brings the theme of love in most of their songs. The result shows that hyperbole is the most frequently used in their song. As we know, to present the feeling of love there should be some exaggerated statements and expression, so that Superman is Dead used hyperbole to convey it to Their song. The use of figurative language in their songs also affects their way to build the themes in every lyrics.

6. Conclusion

There are eight kinds of figurative language used by Green Day to express their feeling in the song lyrics. there are nine kinds of figurative language used by Superman Is Dead in the lyrics from three songs based on the theory of figurative language proposed by Knickerbocker and Reninger (1967:367) and Geoffrey Leech (1974:64). Most of those figurative languages found in the song lyrics were classified into connotative meaning since they cannot be translated literally and contain hidden messages. Green Day took a humanity and nationalism theme which shown by the use of Metonymy that mostly appeared in their songs, while superman is Dead took love and daily life themes shown by the use of hyperbole and personification that mostly appeared in their songs.

References

Hornby, A.S. 1995. Oxford Advance Learner’s Dictionary.Oxford : Oxford University Press.

http://supermanisdead.net//. 2012. The Official Website from Superman Is Dead Band

Knickerbocker, K.L and WilliardReninger. 1963. Interpreting Literature. New York : Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Leech, Geoffrey. 1974. Semantics. Middlesex : Penguin Books.

www.greenday.com. 2012. The Official Website from Greenday Band. United States.