THEME REVEALED FROM METAPHOR IN MICHAEL BUBLÉ’S CALL …
Transcript of THEME REVEALED FROM METAPHOR IN MICHAEL BUBLÉ’S CALL …
THEME REVEALED FROM METAPHOR IN MICHAEL
BUBLÉ’S CALL ME IRRESPONSIBLE ALBUM
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
BERNADETTA ASTRID WIDYASARI
Student Number: 174214027
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
UNIVERSITAS SANATA DHARMA
YOGYAKARTA
2021
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THEME REVEALED FROM METAPHOR IN MICHAEL
BUBLÉ’S CALL ME IRRESPONSIBLE ALBUM
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
BERNADETTA ASTRID WIDYASARI
Student Number: 174214027
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
UNIVERSITAS SANATA DHARMA
YOGYAKARTA
2021
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A Sarjana Sastra Undergraduate Thesis
THEME REVEALED FROM METAPHOR IN
MICHAEL BUBLÉ’S CALL ME IRRESPONSIBLE ALBUM
By
BERNADETTA ASTRID WIDYASARI
174214027
Approved by
Arina Isti’anah, S.Pd., M.Hum. July 7, 2021
Advisor
Simon Arsa Manggala, S.S., M.Hum. July 7, 2021
Co-Advisor
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A Sarjana Sastra Undergraduate Thesis
THEME REVEALED FROM METAPHOR IN
MICHAEL BUBLÉ’S CALL ME IRRESPONSIBLE ALBUM
By
BERNADETTA ASTRID WIDYASARI
174214027
Defended before the Board of Examiners
On July 26, 2021
And Declared Acceptable
BOARD OF EXAMINERS
NAME SIGNATURE
Chairperson : Arina Isti’anah, S.Pd., M.Hum. _______________
Secretary : Simon Arsa Manggala, S.S., M.Hum. _______________
Member 1 : Anindita Dewangga Puri, S.S., M.A. _______________
Member 2 : Arina Isti’anah, S.Pd., M.Hum. _______________
Member 3 : Simon Arsa Manggala, S.S., M.Hum. _______________
Yogyakarta, July 30, 2021
Faculty of Letters
Sanata Dharma University
Dean
Dr. Tatang Iskarna
iv
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STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY
I certify that this undergraduate thesis contains no material which has been
previously submitted for the award of any other degree at any university, and that,
to the best of my knowledge, this undergraduate thesis contains no material
previous writtern by any other person except where due reference is made in the
text of the undergraduate thesis.
July 6, 2021
Bernadetta Astrid Widyasari
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LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH
UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma
Nama : Bernadetta Astrid Widyasari
Nomor Mahasiswa : 174214027
Dengan pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberiksn kepada Perpustakaan
Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul
THEME REVEALED FROM METAPHOR IN MICHAEL
BUBLÉ’S CALL ME IRRESPONSIBLE ALBUM
beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan
kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan,
mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan
data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di internet atau
media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin kepada saya
maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya
sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya.
Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Pada tanggal 6 Juli 2021
Yang menyatakan,
Bernadetta Astrid Widyasari
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So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am
your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you
with my righteous right hand.
~ Isaiah 41:10 ~
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For my beloved parents,
And my lunatic friends,
Thank you for all the support and love
For this sluggish and lifeless Astrid
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to God for His
precious blessing in giving me health, capability, and strength so that the research
paper can be done on time. He gives me His grace more than I deserve. He always
be my guidence even when I am complaining about His plan especially in the
process of making this research paper.
My gratitude goes to my thesis advisor, Arina Isti’anah, S.Pd., M.Hum.,
for the support and encouragement throught out the entire process of compiling
this research paper as well as my thesis co-advisor, Simon Arsa Manggala, S.S.,
M.Hum., for the helpful advices in completing this research paper.
Thirdly, I would also express my gratitude for my family, especially my
mom, who have supported me directly through their prayer and have fulfilled
everything from the begining to end. I am also thankful to my brother, who from
the beginning could give a supportive sentence "Ayo putus asa, jangan
semangat!".
Last but not least, I would also thank to my friends of Apa itu Belajar?,
Gadis Jawa, Anak Presiden, and Gossip Girls grup, Bapak Rio, kak Yustina Rosa,
and my beloved Crocodylus Blangus, as known as Hieronimus Fredy Morgan, for
the love, advice, support, and also some insults.
Bernadetta Astrid Widyasari
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE .................................................................................................... ii
APPROVAL PAGE ......................................................................................... iii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE .................................................................................... iv
STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY .................................................................. v
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH .. vi
MOTTO PAGE ............................................................................................... vii
DEDICATION PAGE .................................................................................... viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................. ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................... x
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .......................................................................... xii
LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................... xiii
ABSTRACT .................................................................................................... xiv
ABSTRAK ......................................................................................................... xv
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ..................................................................... 1
A. Background of the study ............................................................................. 1
B. Problem Formulation .................................................................................. 6
C. Objectives of the Study ............................................................................... 6
D. Definition of Terms .................................................................................... 7
CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE.................................................. 9
A. Review of Related Studies .......................................................................... 9
B. Review of Related Theories ...................................................................... 11
1. Semantics ............................................................................................ 12
2. Figurative Language ............................................................................ 14
3. Metaphor ............................................................................................. 14
4. Theory of Theme ................................................................................. 17
C. Theoretical Framework ............................................................................. 18
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ............................................................... 21
A. Object of the Study ................................................................................... 21
B. Approach of the Study .............................................................................. 22
C. Method of the Study ................................................................................. 23
1. Data Collection .................................................................................... 23
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2. Data Analysis ...................................................................................... 24
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION .......................................... 26
A. Types of Metaphorical Expressions and Semantic Features are Used in
Michael Bublé’s Call Me Irresponsible Album ......................................... 26
1. Dead Metaphor .................................................................................... 27
2. Stock or Standard Metaphor ................................................................. 42
3. Original Metaphor ............................................................................... 47
B. Theme Revealed from Metaphors and Semantic Features in the Album Call
Me Irresponsible ....................................................................................... 49
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ...................................................................... 55
REFERENCES ................................................................................................ 57
APPENDICES .................................................................................................. 60
Appendix: The classifications of the metaphoric expression ........................... 60
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
OALD : Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary
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LIST OF TABLES
No. Table Page
1. Table 1. Example of the Analysis of Metaphor 24
2. Table 2. Types of Metaphor in Call Me Irresponsible Album 26
3. Table 3. Dead Metaphor 27
4. Table 4. Analysis of Metaphorical Expression “You’re falling
star”
28
5. Table 5. Analysis of Metaphorical Expression “You’re the
getaway car”
29
6. Table 6. Analysis of Metaphorical Expression “You’re the line
in the sand”
30
7. Table 7. Analysis of Metaphorical expression “You’re the
swimming pool on an August day”
32
8. Table 8. Analysis of Metaphorical Expression “You’re a
wishing well”
33
9. Table 9. Analysis of Metaphorical Expression “You’re a
mystery”
34
10. Table 10. Analysis of Metaphorical Expression “You’re from
outer space”
35
11. Table 11. Analysis Metaphorical Expression “The road is warm
now”
36
12. Table 12. Analysis Metaphorical Expression “Some people get
their kicks, stompin’ on a dream”
37
13. Table 13. Analysis Metaphorical Expression “I’ve got the world
on a string”
41
14. Table 14. Stock or Standard Metaphor 42
15. Table 15. Analysis of Metaphorical Expression “You’re a
carousel”
43
16. Table 16. Analysis of Metaphorical Expression “You’re every
line”
44
17. Table 17. Analysis of Metaphorical Expression “You’re every
word”
45
18. Table 18. Analysis of Metaphorical Expression "You're every
song"
46
19. Table 19. Analysis of Metaphorical Expression "I'm sitting on a
rainbow"
47
20. Table 20. Analysis of Metaphorical Expression "Out of the tree
of life, I just picked me a plum"
48
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ABSTRACT
WIDYASARI, BERNADETTA ASTRID. (2021). Theme Revealed from
Metaphor in Michael Bublé’s Call Me Irresponsible Album. Yogyakarta:
Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.
Song lyric is a literary work which uses figurative languages in expressing
the song writers’ feeling and emotion. Each song writer uses either similar or
different figurative languages. This research discusses about one of figurative
languages which is metaphor in Michael Bublé’s Call Me Irresponsible album.
This research aims to determine the use of metaphorical expressions in
Michael Bublé’s Call Me Irresponsible album by identifying the literal and
metaphorical meaning. Afterward, those metaphorical expressions are classified
into six types of metaphor. The purpose of this research is also to declare the
theme depicted from the expressions used in the songs so that it can be seen if the
album refers to a particular theme or not.
Semantic approach is used to find the use of literal and metaphorical
meanings from song lyrics, thereby facilitating the analysis process. Theory of
metaphor is also applied since this research is about metaphor and to classify each
metaphorical expression into dead, stock, recent, adapted, cliché, and original
metaphor. The researcher depicted the theme by conceiving semantic features
drawn from literal meaning of each metaphorical expression.
As a result, there are twenty-three metaphorical expressions from five
songs in one album with seventeen dead metaphors, five stock or standard
metaphors, and one original metaphor. From the classification of the metaphor
types, the dead metaphor reaches the highest number. This indicates that the
metaphors are easy to understand because it relates to human activities, such as
place, time, and universal terms, reflected in the meaning of the dead metaphor
itself. The theme revealed from the use of metaphors is “Best Part of Life”.
Keywords: song lyrics, theme, metaphor
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ABSTRAK
WIDYASARI, BERNADETTA ASTRID. (2021). Theme Revealed from
Metaphor in Michael Bublé’s Call Me Irresponsible Album. Yogyakarta:
Program Studi Sastra Inggris Sastra, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Lirik lagu adalah karya sastra yang menggunakan bahasa kiasan dalam
mengungkapkan perasaan dan emosi pencipta lagu. Setiap penulis lagu sering kali
menggunakan bahasa kiasan yang berbeda. Penelitian ini membahas tentang salah
satu bahasa kiasan yang merupakan metafora dalam album Call Me Irresponsible
Michael Bublé.
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui penggunaan ungkapan metafora
dalam album Call Me Irresponsible dari Michael Bublé dengan mengidentifikasi
makna harfiah dan kiasannya. Selanjutnya, ungkapan metafora tersebut
diklasifikasikan menjadi enam jenis metafora. Tujuan dari penelitian ini juga
untuk mengungkapkan tema yang tergambar dari ungkapan metafora yang
digunakan dalam lagu, sehingga dapat diketahui jika dalam satu album tersebut
merujuk pada satu tema tertentu atau tidak.
Teori semantik digunakan untuk menemukan penggunaan makna harfiah
dan kiasan dari lirik lagu, sehingga memudahkan proses analisis. Teori metafora
juga diterapkan karena penelitian ini adalah tentang metafora dan
mengklasifikasikan setiap ungkapan metafora ke dalam metafora mati, stok, baru,
adaptasi, klise, dan asli. Peneliti menggambarkan tema dengan memahami ciri-ciri
semantik yang diambil dari makna harfiah dan kiasan dari setiap ungkapan
metafora.
Sebagai hasilnya, ada dua puluh tiga ungkapan metafora dari lima lagu
dalam satu album dengan tujuh belas metafora mati, lima metafora standar, dan
satu metafora asli. Dari klasifikasi jenis metafora, metafora mati mencapai angka
tertinggi. Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa ungkapan metafora yang digunakan mudah
dipahami karena berkaitan dengan aktivitas manusia, seperti tempat, waktu, dan
istilah universal yang tercermin dalam makna metafora mati itu sendiri. Tema
yang terungkap dari penggunaan metafora adalah “Bagian Terbaik dalam Hidup”.
Kata kunci : lirik lagu, tema, metafora.
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the study
In daily life, there are many ways to deliver thought about something to
other people. One of ways of revealing ideas is by using figurative language.
Figurative language is a language expression whose meaning is different from its
literal one. According to Perrine, figurative expression is an expression that
cannot be taken literally (Perrine, 1969, p.65). It means that figurative language is
one of language aspects which is stated in a different way than its usual way and it
can be found in written and spoken expression. Locke in Goatly’s also states that
figurative language is an application of words that allows us to interpose one idea
with other ideas (1997, p.1). There are some types of figurative language such as
metaphor, hyperbole, affiliation, metonymy, personification, simile, synecdoche,
litotes, paradox, etc.
Metaphor is one of figurative language types. According to Lakoff and
Johnson, metaphor is the device that people like the most in expressing poetic
imagination and creating extraordinary languages rather than ordinary use (1980,
p.72). Not only to express the poetic imagination of the perception or language of
each individual, but metaphor also has other functions. Newmark distinguishes the
functions of metaphors into two, which are cognitive function and aesthetic
function (p.104). Newmark also distinguishes six types of metaphors which are
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dead metaphor, cliché metaphor, stock metaphor, adapted metaphor, recent
metaphor, original metaphor (p.106-113). Metaphor is usually used in many
literary works such as poems, fables, legends, and also song lyrics or music. One
simple example is "Hope is the thing with feathers, / That perches in the soul,” by
Emily Dickinson with “hope” as the figurative expression which is classified into
metaphor.
Music, in Oxford Learner’s Pocket Dictionary, is “a sound arranged in a
way that is pleasant to listen” or “art of writing or playing music” (2008, p. 289).
People typically listen to music throughout their activities, such as when they are
studying, taking a bath, waiting for something, and even as their lullaby. Music
can represent their feeling and emotion and that is one of reasons why people like
to listen to music. Music consists of several elements such as pitch, rhythm,
melody, tone, and song lyric. As the language of emotions, music is probably a
bridge to the way of human feeling and thinking (Korsakova-Kreyn, 2010, p.3)
which is generally expressed through the lyrics of the song.
The use of song lyrics is for creating an atmosphere in the song and to
convey and express the message of the song itself. The lyrics which contain poetic
words can affect the imagination of the listeners about the story behind the song.
The lyrics of the song can also indicate people's expressions, feeling, experiences,
and thought. Through the lyrics, the listeners more easily comprehend the
message that the songwriter wants to convey.
In writing a song, songwriters usually explore ideas or get inspired by
issues that have occurred around them or from events they experience in their
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lives, for example issues about love, family, economy, and politics that they have
experienced before (Laratsemi, 2020, p.1). As explained above, there must be a
message in a song through the lyrics. The message represents the theme of the
song. The theme reveals the messages that are carried out by the song lyrics itself.
This research will focus on the use of metaphor in the song lyrics that
revealing the theme of Michael Bublé’s album Call Me Irresponsible and each
song. The writer chose Call Me Irresponsible album to analyze because if
compared with the other albums, the songs in this album contain more metaphors
which can provide strong evidence in the analysis. Michael Bublé is a classic jazz
singer from Canada who cites Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra, and Ella Fitzgerald
as his main influences (biography.com. 2019). When Michael Bublé was 17, he
took part in a talent show named the British Columbia Youth Talent Search and
won the competition, which launched his name career. He started with his first
album “First Dance” in 1995. The ups and downs in the music world he has been
through, from singing the songs of his own to the old songs he popularized back
in. After his long journey as a musician, he already has twenty-two albums. Some
of his albums have reached number one on the US Billboard 200, Canadian
Albums Chart, and other music awards.
Michael Bublé is a jazz singer who is famous not only because of his
unique voice which can hypnotize his fans but also his talent in creating beautiful
song with its good melodies and attractive lyrics. Michael Bublé is one of singers
who like to use metaphorical expression in his song. The use of metaphor in the
lyric is for aesthetic purposes to produce a lovely song that is pleasurable to be
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heard. The interpretation of metaphor is also helpful for the listeners to conceive
the information and details in the songs. Some of the lyrics, however, use
uncommon or unique metaphor words, which is a metaphor that is not often used
in a song lyric. One of Michael Bublé’s songs which contains metaphoric
expression is “Everything” from Call Me Irresponsible album:
‘You're a mystery’
‘you're from outer space’
The quoted lines above contain extension meaning. In other words, those
two lines can be expanded either literally or metaphorically. In addition to what
has been specified, lexically the lines consist of words which mostly refer to
metaphorical meanings. Those lines have certain meanings that cannot be defined
literally. It is shown in the word "mystery" which refers to the girl because for the
writer, the girl is difficult to understand and unpredictable. The two lines above
carry a message that supports the revealing theme of the song Everything.
Metaphors is a part of figurative language that compare one thing is
another thing with similar meaning. In the other side, metaphor define the
expansion meaning besides the lexical meaning. Lexical meaning is the smallest
sense or meaning of a word or lexeme as it appears in a dictionary or the true
meaning of the word. This supported by the statement from Harimurti (1982) that
lexical meaning is the meaning of the word when the word is seen in isolation,
either in form or shape lexeme affixes whose meaning more or less fixed, as can
be read in a particular language dictionary (p. 103). Lexical meaning is important
to find the metaphorical meaning. In linguistic studies, there is a study of lexical
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meaning, named lexical semantics. Lexical semantics is the study of word
meaning. Lexical semantics is associated with inherent aspects of word meaning
and the semantic relations between words, along with how syntactic structure is
related to the words meaning (Stringer, 2019). The main problems are the
complexity of natural meanings and their contextual variability lexical semantics
(Cruse, 2001).
This study is aims to analyze the types of metaphor used in the song and
how the use of metaphor and sematic features can reveal the theme of the album.
The writer discusses and examines the theme of the song as well as one album as
a whole because the writer wants to learn whether there is a relationship between
one song and another song in the same album. With the theme, it can be seen
whether there is an alignment in the same category or not. The concept which is
used in this study is lexical-semantic. The data of this research are taken from the
lyrics of the song. The writer chooses Michael Bublé’s song to be the research
data because the song lyrics used in the songs contain various metaphors that can
carry the messages of the songs.
Some previous studies discuss the phenomena related to the theme or
focus on the metaphor used in some literary works. Isti’anah (2019) analyzed the
choice of theme in the headlines as it is the departing message of the headlines in
South-East Asian Newspaper Headlines on Rohingya Issue. Nasrul (2018)
analyzed the functions of the metaphor used in the lyrics of Rayola’s song. Then,
Darmayanti (2018) analyzed the metaphor of the characters in The Old Man and
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The Sea by Ernest Hemingway. Metaphor has been widely used as a research
discussion because it has its uniqueness in conveying a message in words.
B. Problem Formulation
In the purpose of analyzing the metaphoric expression and to reveal the
theme in Michael Bublé’s Call Me Irresponsible album, the writer has formulated
two problem formulations in this research. The questions are as follow:
1. What types of metaphorical expressions and semantic features are used in
Michael Bublé’s Call Me Irresponsible album?
2. What theme is revealed from the metaphors and the semantic features in
the album Call Me Irresponsible ?
C. Objectives of the Study
There are two objectives of the study. The first is to discover the
metaphorical expressions in Michael Bublé’s Call Me Irresponsible album and
interpret the meaning of each metaphorical expression. After knowing the
meaning of the metaphor, the metaphor will be categorized into each type. In
other words, the meaning of each metaphorical expression will elaborate the types
of metaphors found in the song lyrics.
The second objective is to discover the theme of the song which is
depicted in the metaphor used in the lyrics of the song. The interpretation of the
metaphors that have been done can assist to understand what themes are contained
in the songs. The meaning of the metaphorical expression is influenced by the
classification of the metaphor, for example one of metaphorical expressions is the
line “You're falling star”. In lexical meaning, it means the celestial body which is
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a very beautiful rare luck symbol, but in metaphorical meaning, it describes a
beautiful and rare special human whose presence is as a lucky.
D. Definition of Terms
The meaning of several terms is to avoid misunderstanding of each term.
The writer uses some explanations from some experts. This study is focused on
the theme of the songs that is revealed from the use of metaphors in the song
lyrics. As explained before, the object of the study is analyzing the song lyrics
which contain metaphors. By analyzing the metaphoric expressions, it will help
revealing the theme of the album as well.
Metaphor is the device that people like the most in expressing poetic
imagination and creating extraordinary languages rather than ordinary use
(Lakoff, Johnson. p.72). Metaphor is one of figurative expressions which uses
different word to describe something similar to the context. Metaphor makes the
meaning of the first word similar to the second word and vice versa.
Song lyric is the composition of words, sentences, or phrases that are
used as lyrics and are related to one another with instrumental aspect as the
complement (Jackson and Prins, 2014, p.1). The lyrics in poetry and song are
different. The difference is in the way the lyrics are delivered. In song, the lyrics
are sung while the poetry is read. Klarer (2004) stated that poetry is closely related
to the term lyric (p. 26). Etymologically, poetry and lyrics are derived from Greek
musical instrument Lyra (lyre or harp) and thus indicate the origins of the
connection between poetry and lyrics in the field of music.
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Theme is the main idea of a text that serves as the root of the story, but it
cannot be equated and is not the core of the whole story (Barnet, Burto, and Cain,
2008, p.103). According to Wiehardt (2018, para.1), in compiling a literary work,
the theme has a role as the core of the thoughts or ideas developed in the story.
Literary themes can be the source of the story or the subject of the story itself. The
theme is required to guide the focus of the story. In songs, themes have the same
role as other literary works. The theme is used to represent the song and the
relationship between music, lyrics, and the message of the whole song.
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CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
This chapter consists of three parts. Firstly, review of related studies
containing the researcher's review of other studies conducted on similar or related
topics. Secondly, a review of related theories that are relevant to the theories used
in this study. The third one is the theoretical framework which contains the role of
the theories used as a means of identifying the data and solving the problems.
A. Review of Related Studies
There are three theses and two journal articles which have related topic to
this research, though some of the related studies the objects are different. The first
study is a thesis written by Sylvia (2015) entitled “Metaphorical Meaning of
Coldplay’s Song Lyrics”. The study discusses the metaphorical meaning of
Coldplay’s song lyrics based on Mildred L. Larson. She examines 15 different
Coldplay songs which are divided into 19 parts of lyrics to analyze the metaphors
and classifies the metaphors into the characteristics. This research differs to
Sylvia's study because of the similarity in the objectives and the object which is
song lyrics. In the analysis part, the study results that there are two classifications
of metaphor, which are 5 dead metaphors in idioms form and 14 live metaphors in
free metaphoric expression form.
The second study is a thesis written by Soraya (2019) entitled “The
Metaphorical Meaning of Maroon 5’s Selected Song Lyrics”. Soraya’s thesis
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discusses the metaphorical meanings of Maroon5’s selected song lyrics. This
thesis observes 9 song titles, consisting of 21 song lines analyzed based on Peter
Newmark (1988) to divide types of metaphor in the lyrics. The difference between
both studies lies in the object and the problem formulation. Soraya's study
discusses the types and meanings of the metaphorical expression, while this
research discusses how metaphor is used in the song and what theme is revealed
from the metaphor. The result of the study indicates that there are two dead
metaphors in total, eight standard metaphors, and eleven original metaphors.
The third study is a thesis entitled “Theme Reflected from Metaphors in
Avril Lavigne’s Song from Sk8er Boi”, written by Laratsemi (2020). As the
result, Avril Lavigne's song conceives 19 metaphors of 16 metaphorical
expressions. The credible theme that can be depicted from the shared concepts of
the metaphorical expression is “what goes around comes around”. The object in
Laratsemi’s study is different from this study. Laratsemi's study uses one of the
Avril Lavigne songs, while this research uses five songs in one album of Michael
Bublé.
The fourth study is a journal article from Afriani (2014) entitled “An
Analysis on Figurative Language in Michael Jackson’s Song Lyric Heal the
World”. The journal article discusses the figurative language discovered from one
of Michael Jackson's song lyrics, Heal the World. It is also examined the meaning
of figurative languages such as metaphor, personification, synecdoche, and
antithesis in the song lyrics. From the result of Afriani’s study, it can be noticed
that this research uses many kinds of figurative language. Nevertheless, this
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research only uses one of figurative language, metaphor, as the focus of
discussion.
The last study is a journal article written by Nasrul (2018) entitled
“Functions of Metaphor in the Lyrics of Rayola’s Song”. This journal article aims
to show the functions of metaphor use in Rayola’s song lyrics. In his study, Nasrul
uses a qualitative method to analyze the data. The relation between Nasrul's and
this study is in the object of the study that both use song lyrics and discuss
metaphor. The result reveals that there are seven functions of metaphor found in
the lyrics of the song which are to concrete human experience, to create
imagination, to give aesthetic effects, to soften the language, to attract attention, to
beautify the tone, and to be pleasant to listen to.
From the related studies above, there are some differences between this
study and the previous studies in terms of data and topics of discussion. However,
there are similarities between this study and the previous studies, which are about
figurative language and literary works. This study develops other research because
it discusses a new topic that has rarely or never been discussed before, which is
about the types of metaphors and themes revealed from the metaphor used in the
song, so it can reveal the theme of the album Call Me Irresponsible by Michael
Bublé using related theories.
B. Review of Related Theories
This part presents theories from experts in order to conduct this study.
These theories are chosen to analyze the data and strengthen the research result.
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Three theories which are semantics as the approach, followed by theories of
figurative language and metaphor are applied.
1. Semantics
Semantics is the study of word and sentence meanings. According to
Palmer, semantics is the scientific work of language and including the linguistics
part (1981, p. 5). Palmer states semantics is the scientific term used for the study
that refers to the meaning of language. Meaning is also known as the definition of
words but not as simple as it says in the dictionary because there are many aspects
of language that cover the meaning of words such as morphology, phonology, and
syntax. Semantics focuses on how morpheme, phrases, and sentences can create
meaning and is divided into several subfields which are lexical semantics and
semantics properties.
The reader and hearer are expected to comprehend the context of the text
or conversation, written or spoken, to achieve the same understanding in
comprehending the meaning of phrases, sentences, or words. Each word has
several worth features that are applied as a means of providing messages, details,
or information about the word. The message or information carried by the word
which gives clues is named as semantic property (Fromkin, Rodman, and Hyams,
2011, p. 175). Semantic properties work by depicting and describing specific
features of a word to explicate its meaning. Semantic properties and semantic
features are similar. This supported by Fromkin, Rodman, and Hyams “But it is
also possible to look for a more basic set of semantic features or properties that
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are part of word meanings and that reflect our knowledge about what words
mean” (2011, p.158).
In indicating semantic features, the symbols used are + and - symbols.
The examples of semantic features in some words, as follow:
Plane Wagon Canoe
+engine -engine -engine
+moveable +moveable +moveable
+wheels +wheels -wheels
+transportation +transportation +transportation
The list above denotes that plane, canoe, and wagon have similar properties which
are transportation and moveable. However, wagon and canoe do not have engines
and canoe does not have wheels.
As already mentioned before, the meaning of words basically aims to
make the speaker and the listener understand the context of the conversation or
discussion better so that the speaker and the listener can achieve the same
understanding. In the use of language, both spoken and written, it is very complex
that some words do not have the meaning they intend in literal. One word may
contain several meanings or in other words, there are literal meaning and
transferred meaning.
Based on Palmer (1981) transferred meaning indicates the meaning of a
word by transferring the word into another idea or concept (p.103). Transferred
meaning aims to illustrate another definition of a word. It is because some phrases
or words cannot be straightly understood. As one example, the phrase “Hit the
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sack” would have literal and transferred meaning. The literal meaning of this
phrase means to hit a sack or a big pouch. The word “sack” in this idiom is
employed to depict a bed or mattress used to sleep. “Hit the sack” aims to ask or
order someone to go to bed or sleep immediately. Both transferred and literal
meanings have an important role in explaining and defining the meaning of the
idea in a word.
2. Figurative Language
Figurative language is a language which has another meaning besides of
its literal meaning. Figurative language uses an ordinary sentence to refer to
something without directly pointing it. Perrine (1969) states that “Figurative
language is a language that uses figurative language or language that cannot be
interpreted literally. In general, figurative language is another way of saying
something but by using other words or in an unusual way.” (p. 65). Based on
Abrams (1999) figurative language is a stark departure from what language users
understand as the standard meaning of words, or standard sequences of words, in
order to achieve some special meanings or effects (p. 96). Figurative language is
often used because it provides many alternative and effective meanings of saying
what people mean than an ordinary statement.
3. Metaphor
Lakoff and Johnson (1980) state metaphor is the device that people like
the most in expressing poetic imagination and creating extraordinary languages
rather than ordinary use (p.72). Metaphor is one of figures of speech applied to
compare between two things that are not alike but do have something in common.
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Metaphors are figures of speech that directly consult with one thing by
mentioning another. It aims to supply clarity or identify hidden similarities
between two ideas.
Based on Newmark (1988), the functions of metaphors are cognitive
function and aesthetic function (p.104). The cognitive function is the ability of
metaphors to describe concrete and abstract concepts to express thoughts clearly
and characterize the quality of objects. The aesthetic function of using metaphors
refers to the ability of metaphors to give aesthetic impact and beauty effect to
literary works and their readers.
Newmark distinguishes six types of metaphors. Those are stock
metaphor, cliché metaphor, original metaphor, dead metaphor, recent metaphor,
and adapted metaphor (Newmark, 1988. p.106-113).
a. Dead Metaphor
Dead metaphors are metaphors in which a person is barely aware of the
image, often associated with universal terms of space and time, the main parts of
the body, general ecological features, and the main activities of humans (p. 106).
Newmark explains that dead metaphors can turn to be livened up, sometimes into
metonyms, by conversion to phrase-words. Several examples of dead metaphors
are in the expression of “the ball is in your court” and “life is not a bed of roses”.
b. Stock Metaphor
A stock or standard metaphor is a well-established metaphor which in an
informal context uses an efficient and concise method to cover physical and
mental situations and states both referential and pragmatical (p. 108). Stock
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metaphor is sometimes difficult to understand because the metaphor can be
outdated or be used only in a certain social class or age. It can only be translated
exactly if the image is transferred within a correspondingly acceptable and
established collocation. The examples of stock metaphors are the first is “frailty
thy name is woman”, second is “brevity is the soul of wit”, and the third is “she is
all states and all princesses”.
c. Cliché Metaphor
Cliché metaphor is a metaphor that might temporarily usefulness longer
be used as a substitute for clear thinking and pure, often emotionally, but it does
not correspond to the facts (p.107). A cliché metaphor is an idea, expression, or
component of a work of art in a literary work that has been overused to the point
of losing its original meaning and effect, sometimes even being irritating. The
cliché metaphor lies between the dead metaphor and the stock metaphor. Dead
and Cliché have one difference in that cliches are still in existence almost losing
their figurative effect whereas dead metaphors are words that have lost their
figurative quality. There are some examples of Cliché metaphors, such as “kill
two birds with one stone”, “hit the nail on the head”, and “a jewel in the crown”.
d. Adapted Metaphor
Adapted metaphor is the author's metaphorical occasionalism. Based on
Newmark (1988), the adapted metaphor must be translated with a metaphor which
is equivalent to the word adaptation itself (p. 111), especially its use in the text as
sacred as said by Reagan in his speech, because translated literally, the words will
not be clear to others who are listeners or even it is not clear to those who are
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speakers or translators in other languages. An example of an adapted metaphor is
“carrying coals to Newcastle”.
e. Recent Metaphor
Recent metaphor is a metaphorical neologism. It is often 'anonymously'
coined and highly spread in the original language (p. 111). This metaphor refers to
the changing times, namely when a thing or thing was not created in ancient times
and people did not know it or even knew it, but because of the changing times,
new things were discovered and created so that people at that time knew about it.
Some of the examples of recent metaphors are “E-book” or electronic books,
“blogs” or web blogs, and “cryptocurrency”.
f. Original Metaphor
Original metaphor is a metaphor that comes or is even quoted from the
author's own source language. Basically, this metaphor must be translated literally
in writing on text that is expressive and authoritative, whether it is cultural,
universal, or obscurely subjective (p. 112). Original metaphor is known as the
meanings are taken from the author’s source language and translated literally.
There is one example of expressions included in the original metaphor which is
“heard melodies are sweets while those unheard are more sweeter”.
4. Theory of Theme
Theme is an important aspect of a literary work. Theme can be defined as
the topic, subject of talk, or the main idea of the works. This statement is
strengthened by Barnet, Burto, and Cain (2018), The theme is a main idea in a text
that serves as the root of the story, but the theme is not equivalent or is not the
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core of the whole story (p.103). Wiehardt (2018) also states that in works of
fiction, theme is the major ideas that are explored in the story so that it becomes a
complete and complete story. In literary work, what happens in the story is the
plot, but what it adds up is the theme (Burto, Barnet, and Cain, 2018, p.103). It
means that the function of a theme is to guide the flow of the story and gives the
readers and hearers better understanding of the story. The theme provides and
describes an understanding of the meaning of the story itself because the theme is
“a conception of human experience suggested by the concrete details” (Burto,
Barnet, and Cain, 2018, p.1594).
This research analyzed the theme of each song, so the theme of the album
could be depicted. The theme can be drawn from the song lyrics written by the
songwriter. In analyzing the theme, it does not only guess the concept or idea, but
also observe the factors of the song lyrics, such as the story reflected in the song,
the point of view applied in the song, and the meaning of the language or known
as figurative language which has literal and non-literal meaning.
The figurative language written in the song lyrics describes certain
meanings, which later the entire meaning of the song might be easily recognized
by readers and listeners. From the meaning of the song that has been obtained, the
theme can be described. One of the figurative languages analyzed in this research
is metaphor.
C. Theoretical Framework
Since this research concerns with the use of metaphor in song lyrics,
which contain the interpretation of literal and transferred meaning, semantic
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approach is necessary for this research. Theory of semantic is applied in this
research to help the researcher understands of the object meaning of this research
which is metaphorical expression in a song. Semantic theory is also used in
analyzing the semantic features of the metaphor found in the lyrics.
Metaphor theory is needed to determine the metaphorical expression
found in the lyric of the song and to derive the metaphorical meaning of each
metaphor. Both theories, semantics and metaphor, are applied to examine the
literal and metaphorical meaning of each expression. The metaphorical
expressions in the entire song that have been analyzed will identify the theme
revealed in the song. The semantic and metaphor theories are applied to identify
the meaning of the metaphor and the semantic features depict from the
metaphorical expression. Semantic features also support and assist in interpreting
the theme.
The theory of theme is utilized to analyze the theme revealed from each
song, so the album theme can also be shown. The theme theory in this study is
employed as a basis for understanding the theme in a song. This theory also helps
the understanding of how the theme affects the use of language, the story in the
song, and even the melody and rhythm used in the song.
The three theories, which are semantics, metaphor, and theme, used in
this research, have their own important roles in answering the problem. The first
and second theory which are semantics and metaphor are to answer the first
research problem which is what types of metaphors are used in Michael Bublé’s
Call Me Irresponsible album. The second theory which is theory of theme is
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applied to answer the second research problem in this research. By the theories
used in this research, all the research questions in this study can be answered.
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CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
This chapter discusses the analytical process method of the object of the
study which consists of three parts. Firstly, the object of the study which explains
the general idea about the work and what data is going to be analyzed. The second
one is the approaches that are used in this research which contain the reason why
the approaches are applied. Lastly, method of the study presents how to collect
and analyzed the data.
A. Object of the Study
This part presents the description of the object of the study which
includes the data that are going to be analyzed and the linguistic element used to
support the data. The main topic of this research is the metaphor used in the song
lyrics which have a contribution in revealing the theme of the song. This research
uses an album by the famous pop-jazz singer who comes from Canada, Michael
Bublé. The album entitled Call Me Irresponsible consists of 13 singles, but this
research only analyzes 5 singles, which are Everything, Coming Home Baby,
That’s Life, The Best Is Yet to Come, and I’ve Got the World on a String to be the
research data. Some of the songs included in this album are his own compositions.
These five songs were chosen because these songs have more metaphors in their
lyrics than the other songs in the album. In addition, the five songs have never
been used as objects of previous research, especially those discussing the album's
theme from the metaphors used in song lyrics.
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This research analyzes the word and sentence meaning. It is focused on
how a word or a sentence has different meanings. The five songs in the Call Me
Irresponsible album contain twenty three metaphorical expressions. In writing
songs, Bublé is often inspired by true stories, whether it is his personal stories or
the stories of the people around him. Known as a jazz singer, Bublé presents the
rhythm, immersive music, and the words in the song's lyrics very beautiful,
honest, and pure. Not only the use of pure and honest words but he also frequently
inserts metaphors into the lyrics in some of his songs. With the use of metaphors,
listeners can have an understanding, perspective, and imagination in interpreting
the story of the song.
B. Approach of the Study
This research uses semantics as the approach. Semantics is chosen to
determine the theme of the song through the metaphorical expression mentioned
in the lyrics. According to Palmer, semantics is the scientific study of language
and part of linguistics which focuses on the meaning of the words, phrases, and
sentences (1981, p.1). Semantics approach is applied since this research focuses
on language meaning and it is used also to determine the literal and transferred
meaning of the expression found in the song. After knowing the literal and
transferred meanings, the meaning of the song can be interpreted. As a final result,
the theme of the song can be defined from the interpretation of the meaning of the
song and also the theme revealed from each song used to depict the album theme.
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C. Method of the Study
This part is divided into two sections to established this research in order
to achieve a better analysis process. The two methods of the study were described
as follow:
1. Data Collection
In collecting the data, the writer used subjective sampling or known as
purposive sampling method. Creswell (2014) mentioned that purposive sampling
is the purposeful option of several sites or participants which could help the
researcher acknowledge the problem of the research (p. 239). First is observing
the lyrics in order to find the metaphorical expressions. To determine the
metaphorical expressions, the writer separates the expression of the metaphor
from other English words by looking at the use of the expression in the lyrics of
the song. From these steps, five songs have been collected as a result. After
separating the expressions, they were put into a table in order to help the writer in
analyzing the data. In the result, 23 metaphorical expressions found in five songs.
This research analyzed the five songs in the album Call Me Irresponsible
by Michael Bublé. The five songs were chosen because it has many metaphors in
the lyrics than the other songs on the same album. With the various types of
metaphors, the researcher could find the meaning and the theme of the song. The
lyrics were acquired from the website which contains many song lyrics,
genius.com. This website is feasible and reliable because in the process of
publication, this website collaborates directly with singers, artists, musicians, and
songwriters in presenting the lyrics of every song.
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2. Data Analysis
In analyzing the data, four steps were required. After collecting the data
in the previous section, firstly, all metaphors were classified into six types
according to the theory used, which is the theory from Newmark (1981),
supported by metaphorical meaning found in each metaphor expression. The
writer classified the types of metaphor based on the contextual meaning of the
metaphorical expression. One of the example of metaphorical expression that
included in dead metaphor, which is “You’re the getaway car”.
After the types were determined, the writer defining the literal meaning
of the metaphors that was found this research used the Oxford Advanced Learner's
Dictionary 9th Edition as a reference. The interpretation of metaphorical meaning
is assisted by using the knowledge, understanding, and analysis of metaphorical
words from the writer's interpretation. It also depends on the context of
metaphorical expressions. The literal and metaphorical meanings that have been
illustrated are then elaborated to obtain the semantic features depicted from the
two meanings. The semantic features of each expression is to obtain the theme of
each song. Semantic approach was used in describing metaphorical expressions
which later could produce literal and metaphorical meanings. The example of the
analysis is as follow:
Table 1. Example of the Analysis of Metaphor
Metaphorical
Expression
Literal
Meaning
Metaphorical
Meaning
Type of
Metaphor
Semantic
Feature
You’re the
getaway car
A place that is
suitable for a
holiday or vacation
A girl who can
help him gain
freedom
Dead [+freedom]
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In the example, this expression has the metaphor “getaway car”.
According to Oxford Learner’s Advanced Dictionary, getaway car is a place that
is suitable for a holiday or vacation. The metaphorical meaning from this
expressions is define as a situation that the “you” which refers to a girl is the one
who can get the boy out of his trouble. The girl can support and even help to get a
freedom from his problem or a fatique in his life.
After defining the literal and metaphorical meaning, the metaphor was
classified into its types based on the theory of types of metaphor, whether it is
dead, stock or standard, cliché, recent, adapted, or original metaphor. From the
literal and metaphorical meaning, the metaphor “getaway car” is included in dead
metaphor because “getaway car” is a metaphor which refers to place and time, and
this is in accordance with the meaning of the dead metaphor itself.
The next step is determining the appropriate semantic features as a result
of the elaboration of the literal and metaphorical meaning. For this metaphor, the
semantic features is [+freedom]. Other metaphorical expressions that have been
found would also be analyzed to get the meaning of each song and the whole
album.
Lastly, in answering the second research problem which is revealing the
theme, all of the metaphorical expressions that have been analyzed and depicted
were combined into a story to make the understanding of the song clearer. The
writer then elaborating the semantic features found in each song with the theme
obtained in each song to achieve one big theme of the album. Each song had its
own theme which later would be combined and concluded into one main theme.
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CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
This chapter discusses how metaphors are used in Michael Bublé’s Call
Me Irresponsible album and what theme is revealed in the album Call Me
Irresponsible. There are several theories that would apply on the reviews of
metaphorical expressions to achieve the theme of each song and the whole album.
A. Types of Metaphorical Expressions and Semantic Features are Used in
Michael Bublé’s Call Me Irresponsible Album
This sub-chapter presents the metaphorical expressions found in five
songs, which are Everything, The Best Is Yet to Come, That’s Life, I’ve Got the
World on a String, and Coming Home Baby on the album Call Me Irresponsible
by Michael Bublé. There are 23 metaphorical expressions. The table shows the
types of metaphor found in five songs on the album Call Me Irresponsible by
Michael Bublé.
Table 2. Types of Metaphor in Call Me Irresponsible Album
No. Types of Metaphor Frequency
1. Dead 17
2. Stock 5
3. Cliché 0
4. Adapted 0
5. Recent 0
6. Original 1
Total 23
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The table above shows there are 17 dead metaphors, 5 stock metaphors, and
1 original metaphor. From the 23 metaphorical expressions found in the song,
none included in the cliché, recent, and adapted metaphor. Each metaphor is
analyzed based on the type of metaphor and is described in several sub-chapters.
1. Dead Metaphor
As seen in the Table 1, there are eleven metaphorical expressions belongs
to dead metaphor. The expressions are as follows:
Table 3. Dead Metaphor
As mentioned before, there are sixteen metaphorical expressions in this
dead type. One of the metaphorical expressions have six metaphors in it. The
metaphorical expressions in the table are examined further in the next discussion.
No. Metaphorical Expression Title of the Song
1. You’re a falling star Everything
2. You’re getaway car Everything
3. You're the line in the sand, when I
go too far
Everything
4. You're the swimming pool on an
August day
Everything
5. you're a wishing well Everything
6. You're a mystery Everything
7. You're from outer space Everything
8. The road is warm now Comin’ Home Baby
9. Some people get their kicks That’s Life
10. I've got the world on a string I’ve Got the Worl on a String
11. I've been a puppet, a pauper, a
pirate, a poet, a pawn & a king
That’s Life
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a. You’re a falling star
“Falling star”, according to OALD, is defined as “shooting star” (2015,
p.540). In other words, falling star is a meteor or a rock from space that produces
a bright light as it travels through the earth's atmosphere. The literal meaning of
falling star means a piece of rock or metal that burns very brightly when it enters
the earth's atmosphere from space which is very rarely happened. Falling star has
a bright light and this relates to the metaphorical meaning of “falling star” itself.
The lyrics “You’re falling star” contains the metaphoric expression “falling
star” used to describe a human. It happens because this metaphorical expression
describes the subject, “you”. By using the phrase “falling star”, the song writer
wants to emphasize that “you” is a beautiful and rare type of human which is a
girl whose arrival can light up the songwriter's life. Like a falling star that
illuminates the dark night sky, so the girl is likened to a light that shines in the life
of the songwriter. She is a girl who can make the song writer’s life brighter than
before. The literal meaning and metaphorical meaning share the same semantic
feature which is [+shine]. The expression you’re a falling star shows that it is
classified into dead metaphor because falling star is related with a place, which is
space. This expression also shows an image, in which the shining star is the image
of the girl he loved.
Table 4. Analysis of Metaphorical Expression “You’re falling star”
Metaphorical
Expression
Literal
Meaning
Metaphorical
Meaning
Types of
Metaphor
Semantic
Feature
You're a
falling star
meteor from space
produces a bright
light travels
A girl whose
presence is
considered
Dead [+shine]
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through the earth's
atmosphere
special
b. You’re the getaway car
According to OALD, the word “getaway” means an escape from a difficult
situation, especially after committing a crime (2015, p. 639). Getaway car itself
has its own meaning which is a short holiday or vacation; a place that is suitable
for a holiday or vacation (2015, p. 639). In this metaphorical expression, it depicts
a situation that the “you” which refers to a girl is the one who can get the boy out
of his trouble. The girl can support and even help to get a freedom from his
problem. She can be a means to take a break from his business and fatigue of his
daily life. The expression shows the semantic feature which is [+freedom].
Since the meaning of dead metaphor is something that refers to a place,
time, and image, the metaphor "you're the getaway car" is a type of dead
metaphor. This is based on the lexical meaning of "getaway car".
Table 5. Analysis of Metaphorical Expression “You’re the getaway car”
Metaphorical
Expression
Literal
Meaning
Metaphorical
Meaning
Types of
Metaphor
Semantic
Feature
You're the
getaway car
A place that is
suitable for a
holiday or
vacation
A girl who can
help him gain
freedom
Dead [+freedom]
c. You're the line in the sand, when I go too far
This metaphorical expression contains only one metaphor. This expression
is also supported by additional phrase at the end of the sentence. This
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metaphorical expression indicates that there is a girl who can do something good
for a boy, which is the song writer. The metaphor in this line of the lyrics is “line
in the sand” which according to OALD, line is defined as “long thin mark on a
surface” or “long thin mark on the ground to show the limit or border of
something” (2015, p. 879). From the definition, it can be concluded that line is
related to the boundaries of something, whether it is place, activity, word,
behavior, ego, even rules. It shows that line can control things.
The concept of line is the tool, and the idea of ‘you’, which is the girl in the
song is the topic. This is reinforced by the following sentence in the lyrics, "when
I go too far". This expression shows that the girl is the one who keeps the boy
from transgressing the appropriate boundaries. This girl is the one who reminds
him of the boundaries or limits of him so that he can still be a good person. The
metaphorical and literal meanings from this metaphor share the same concept of
semantic feature which is [+barrier]. The metaphor expression “line in the sand”
is commonly related to a beach because sand is part of a beach and every beach
definitely have sand. This metaphor is classified into dead metaphor since this
expression is related a place.
Table 6. Analysis of Metaphorical Expression “You’re the line in the sand”
Metaphorical
Expression
Literal
Meaning
Metaphorical
Meaning
Types of
Metaphor
Semantic
Feature
You're the line in
the sand, when I
go too far
Long thin
mark on a
surface
A girl who can
control the
song writer
Dead [+barrier]
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d. You're the swimming pool on an August day
Swimming pool, based on OALD, is defined as an area of water that has
been created for people to swim in (2015, p. 1531). Swimming pool can help not
only physical but also mental health or psychological well-being in people, but
with special treatment. In terms of physical health, when people swim in
swimming pool, they can stretch muscles and build strength. Besides, swimming
pool is appropriate for people with injuries, arthritis, disabilities, and other
conditions. According to healthline.com, in terms of mental health, swimming
pool is defined as a mean to help improve mood and help to manage stress (2017).
The swimming pool can be a place to refresh the body that feels tired after a day.
This relates to the metaphorical meaning of "swimming pool" in this expression.
In the lyrics, the meaning of the metaphorical expression “swimming pool”
means something that can make someone’s soul, body, and mind calmer, relaxed,
and comfortable. Relax and comfort in the song lyrics are supported by the lyric
"on an August day" because the month of August is included in summer,
especially in Europe which has four seasons a year. The word “you” refers to a
girl whom the boy loves. Summer is the season where the sun shines longer. This
shows when the writer is having problems or obstacles or is not in a good mood,
the girl can calm him down and make him more relaxed in facing the next days.
From knowing the lexical meaning and the true meaning of the line, it shows its
semantic features which is [+ refreshing]. The girl is a refresher for the boy mood
and mind after a tiring day and she is the one who gives him relief from his
discomfort and problem. “Swimming pool” is metaphor that classified into dead
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metaphor since this expression is related a place and time, which is swimming
pool and summer day.
Table 7. Analysis of Metaphorical expression “You’re the swimming pool on
an August day”
Metaphorical
Expression
Literal
Meaning
Metaphorical
Meaning
Types of
Metaphor
Semantic
Feature
You’re the
swimming
pool on an
August day
Area of water
that has been
created for
people to swim
in
A girl who can
be a refresher
for the song
writer
Dead [+refreshing]
e. You're a wishing well
The word “wish”, according to OALD, is “want something to happen or be
true even though it is unlikely or impossible (2015, p.1727). The expression
“wishing well” is a wish or hope for good things that happen in life. The word
“you” in the expression refers to the girl, and “wishing well” also talks about the
girl. The metaphorical expression wants to convey the message that the girl is a
hope, and the girl can make the boy feel filled with hope, so the boy can have a
better future. The girl is someone the songwriter hopes for in his future.
The explanation above shows two semantic features which are shown from
the use of one metaphorical expression. The sematic features that can be seen
from the lyric meaning of the song are [+future] and [+hope], but one of them are
more dominant which is [+future] because [+hope] is certain about something that
has not happened or that will happen in the future. Since the expression “wishing
well” of this metaphor is related to an image of the future of the writer and a girl,
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this metaphor is categorized as dead metaphor. Moreover, wishing well is also
related to time because it refers to the future.
Table 8. Analysis of Metaphorical Expression “You’re a wishing well”
Metaphorical
Expression
Literal
Meaning
Metaphorical
Meaning
Types of
Metaphor
Semantic
Feature
You’re a
wishing well
want something
good to happen
or well for
wishing
A girl who can
given hope for
a better future
Dead [+future]
f. You're a mystery
Based on OALD, the word “mystery” is something that is difficult to
understand or explain (2015, p.992). In other words, mystery is something that is
not understood or beyond understanding. A mystery is very difficult to solve
because of many riddles in it, like putting together a puzzle but not knowing what
pictures to put together. It could be likened to, one of the pieces of the puzzle we
put together is missing, even though it is the most important part. In this world,
there are so many unsolved mysteries. This could be due to unclear codes or
instructions.
It is similar to the expression "mystery" in the song that refers to the girl in
the song. The expression has a message that regardless of the girl’s wonderful
qualities, the boy admits that he does not fully understand her because the girl
intrigues the writer and captivates his attention all the more. This gives the song
writer some difficulties in understanding his girl. From the explanation before, the
metaphor raises semantic features which is [+riddle]. Since the expression
“mystery” in this line is related to an image of a girl referring to a female code
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that is sometimes difficult to understand, this metaphor is categorized as dead
metaphor.
Table 9. Analysis of Metaphorical Expression “You’re a mystery”
Metaphorical
Expression
Literal
Meaning
Metaphorical
Meaning
Types of
Metaphor
Semantic
Feature
You’re a
mystery
Something that
is difficult to
understand or
explain
A girl who is
not easy to
understand
Dead [+riddle]
g. You're from outer space
“Outer” is defined by OALD as “furthest from the inside or center of
something” (2015, p. 1059). The meaning of “outer space” is “on the out-side of
the space” (2015, p. 1059). Outer space is also interpreted as space immediately
outside the earth's atmosphere. Outer space is a vast expanse that is outside Earth
and among other celestial bodies. If there is an object from the outer space
entering the earth’s atmosphere, people who live on Earth will consider it as
strange object.
From the line “you’re from outer space”, it can be seen that “you” refers to
the girl, and "outer space" is described as the life of the writer, where he is as the
earth. This girl was a stranger for the boy before. This girl is likened as a new
person in the life of the songwriter. Everything from the outside, at first will
always be foreign because it comes from outside of ourselves or even in life. The
semantic features that can be seen from the expression found in the song is
[+strange]. Therefore, metaphor “outer space” is categorized as dead metaphor
because it is related to an image of earth and place that is outside the earth.
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Table 10. Analysis of Metaphorical Expression “You’re from outer space”
Metaphorical
Expression
Literal
Meaning
Metaphorical
Meaning
Types of
Metaphor
Semantic
Feature
You’re from
outer space
on the out-
side of the
space
stranger who
came into
someone's life.
Dead [+strange]
h. The road is warm now
This expression has two metaphorical expressions which are “road” and
“warm”. According to OALD, road is a hard surface built for vehicles to travel on
(2015, p.1299). In everyday life, a road is a long path consisting of turns, inclines,
even descents, with conditions that are not always smooth, for example, such as
roads that are hollow, rocky, or have many bumps. From the definition, it can be
interpreted that the path is something related to the goal. A road is a route that
connects two or more places.
"Road", in a metaphorical expression in the lyrics leads to life. The word
“road” denotes the life journey the singer has gone through until she returns home
to meet her lover. This can also be seen from the context of the song "Comin'
Home Baby" itself. Since the singer and her lover will meet, she feels that her life
will be better and happier than before. The happiness and better life that the singer
feels are reflected in the word "warm" in the lyrics of this metaphorical
expression. In OALD the word "warm" means a fairly high temperature in a way
that is pleasant" or "showing enthusiasm and/or affection" (2015, 1694). Life in
the seconds when the songwriter will come home is the part that makes him
happy, the situation becomes easier for him to go through and live. The semantic
feature has the same concept, which is [+life]. The word “warm” in this
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expression shows a concept of semantic feature which is [+happiness]. Thus,
metaphors include as a dead metaphor because "road" and “warm” is related to the
term place, time, and an image of one's life.
Table 11. Analysis Metaphorical Expression “The road is warm now”
Metaphorical
Expression
Literal
Meaning
Metaphorical
Meaning
Types of
Metaphor
Semantic
Feature
The road is
warm now
hard surface
built for vehicles
to travel on
a life journey Dead [+life]
The road is
warm now
showing
enthusiasm
and/or affection
A happy
feeling and
better life
Dead [+happiness]
i. Some people get their kicks
“Kick” is defined in OALD as “to hit somebody or something with your
foot” or “to succeed or win in an impressive way” (2015, p. 832). The word
“kick” in everyday life refers to the activity of a person using and utilizing his
feet. Based on experiential understanding, “get a kick” is to do something
especially something bad but it would give a feeling of excitement.
In the metaphorical expression, the song writer describes that there are many
people around you who already have achievements or who have just achieved
their achievements by destroying other people's dreams. This explanation is
supported by the line “stompin 'on your dream” which comes after the metaphor's
expression. Some people in this world love when their rivals are crushed. The
author wants to convey the message that one of human nature is when others fail,
it assures them that they are not so bad. Besides, the line also tells us that we all
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have problems in life. From the achievement they get, they can show to people
around them that they are better.
Both lexical meaning and metaphorical meaning depict a semantic feature
[+achievement]. The metaphor “get their kicks” stands as human activities in the
expression. Therefore, this metaphor is categorized as a dead metaphor.
Table 12. Analysis Metaphorical Expression “Some people get their kicks,
stompin’ on a dream”
Metaphorical
Expression
Literal
Meaning
Metaphorical
Meaning
Types of
Metaphor
Semantic
Feature
Some people get
their kicks,
stompin’ on a
dream
to succeed
or win in an
impressive
way
the acievement
that can hurt
people around
Dead [+achievement]
j. I've been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn, and a king
As seen above, there are six metaphors contained in this metaphorical
expression. Each metaphor will be discussed one by one after this. This
metaphorical expression describes some stages of the author's life journey. It can
be seen from the use of metaphor “puppet” to “king”.
The first metaphor in this metaphorical expression is puppet which in
OALD defined as “a model of a person or an animal that can be made to move,
for example by pulling the strings attached to parts of its body or by putting your
hand inside it” or “a person or group whose actions are controlled by another”
(2015, p.1208). From the definition, it shows the condition of the metaphorical
expression “I've been a puppet” that being a puppet is always controlled by
someone who has more power and authority. The songwriter describes himself as
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a puppet without the power and strength to even do something. The songwriter
also wants to emphasize that his life was once miserable. He experienced the
lowest level of life where he could not do anything, where everything he did was
controlled by other people. He was not free to do what he wanted. In other words,
he should follow what others ordered to him because he did not have any power.
He is governed by someone more powerful who can control everything in his life.
Being someone's puppet reflects the dependence of the songwriter to stay alive.
This is one of the lowest stages of his life.
The second metaphor is pauper. The word “pauper” in OALD means “a
very poor person” (2015, p.1094) or in other words pauper is someone who has no
money and he or she relies on others for supporting his or her live. The difference
between puppet and pauper lies in who they depend on. Puppet and pauper are
still closely related to the stages of one's life. Being a pauper means that he is not
controlled or maintained by anyone, he has his own power, and he is free to do
anything but has limitations in fulfilling his life's needs.
The next metaphor in this metaphorical expression is pirate. According to
OALD, the word “pirate” means “a person on a ship who attacks other ships at the
sea in order to steal from them” (2015, p.1128). This metaphor describes a
condition in which the song writer commits a crime. Pirate can be categorized as a
job, but it is illegal. It is said to be illegal because pirates work by piracy, robbery,
or other violent crime, usually with the aim of stealing cargo and other valuables.
The song writer has improved by having a job and power over what he does but it
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is still in negative way. However, he slowly shows a change from having nothing
to this point, to become someone who has authority and is able to support himself.
The fourth metaphor is “poet” which in OALD define as “a person who
writes poems” (2015, p.1146). A poet has his own features and image in society at
that time. This feature can be seen from the point of view and thinking of the
poets who are slightly different from people in general. A poet is more sensitive,
senses, and knows literature which then expresses the results of their thoughts and
feelings in each verse. The metaphor of "poem" illustrates the condition of the
songwriter who is better than before. Being a poet makes him more respected and
has advantages that he can be proud of amidst the hardships of life. He has more
power and authority in his life. Poem is an art, then, from that art then gives rise of
a little freedom, at least to voice his conscience.
“Pawn” is the fifth metaphor in this metaphorical expression. OALD defines
pawn as “a chess piece of the smallest and least value” or “a person or group
whose actions are controlled by more powerful people” (2015, p.1094). Pawn can
also be interpreted as a soldier. In chess, the pawns are at the very front, forming a
defensive line to protect the king and other members of the kingdom. From the
metaphor "pawn" shows the author can also be described as a pawn in a kingdom.
Being a pawn, he already has a higher position and has greater power but with the
aim of protecting his master or someone more powerful than him. Being a pawn is
a great achievement for the songwriter. Even though he does not have full power
and is not a high position, at least he is already in a good position.
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The last metaphor is king. The word “king” in OALD is defined as “the
male ruler of an independent state that has a royal family” (2015, p.835). King is
the highest position in the form of a government of the kingdom. A king has full
power in making rules, orders, and even punishments. From this metaphor, it is
reflected in the life of the songwriter who has reached the highest level or peak of
glory in his life. He is able to stand alone with the success he already has. The
songwriter likens that in the end he has authority over himself and even has the
power to lead and rule something.
From the six metaphors in the metaphorical expression above, it shows the
songwriter's life journey from the bottom to the top. This is supported by the line
"I've been up & down, over & out". These metaphorical expressions also show the
journey of his life from depending on someone, not having anything, and someone
who is underestimated, until he becomes someone who has his own power,
degree, and strength, at least for the life he has. In other words, the songwriter
wants to tell the hierarchy in society that he has been through. From the six
metaphors with the literal and metaphorical meanings of each metaphor, they
describe a concept of the same semantic features, namely [+hierarchy]. These six
metaphors are included in the type of dead metaphor because they relate to a time,
place, and imagination of the life that the author has been through. The metaphors
above are also related to the life activities of the author in achieving his success.
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k. I've got the world on a string
OALD defines “world” as “the earth with all of its countries, people and
natural features” or in the context of a person's life can be interpreted as “a
person's environment, experiences, family and friends” (2015, p.1736). "World"
covers all aspects that exist on earth, relationships between living things, feelings
such as affection, love, perspective, and the most basic is earth as a place for
human life and existence.
From the literal meaning of the word "world", it describes a metaphorical
meaning of the word "world" which refers to the overall life of the songwriter that
he has passed during his life. From the whole sentence, this is an idiom as well as
a metaphor. In the free web dictionary by Farlex, these idioms have the meaning
of a feeling of happiness and a belief that everything will work on his favor. In
other words, he is in complete control of his own life. In other words, the word
"world" shows someone who has achieved the goals and dreams in life and shows
that he, as the singer, can exceed his limits and capacities properly as a human.
The lexical and metaphorical meanings of this expression depict a semantic
feature which is [+life]. This metaphor is classified into a dead metaphor since it
is related to the terms of place and human activities in life.
Table 13. Analysis Metaphorical Expression “I’ve got the world on a string”
Metaphorical
Expression
Literal
Meaning
Metaphorical
Meaning
Types of
Metaphor
Semantic
Feature
I've got the
world on a
string
A place for life or
a person’s
environment,
experiences,
family, friends
feeling of
happiness, belief
everything will
work on his
favor
Dead [+life]
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2. Stock or Standard Metaphor
Stock or standard metaphor is a metaphor which in an informal context
becomes an efficient method to cover physical and /or mental situations, both
referential and pragmatic, in other words this metaphor shows an emotion
(Newmark, 1988, p.108). From the songs analyzed, there are four metaphorical
expressions categorized into stock or standard metaphor. The metaphorical
expressions are as listed below:
Table 14. Stock or Standard Metaphor
No. Metaphorical Expression Title of the Song
1. You’re a carousel Everything
2. You're every line Everything
3. You're every word Everything
4. You're every song Everything
5. I'm sitting on a rainbow I’ve Got the World on a String
The analysis of the five expressions included in the stock or standard
metaphor above is discussed further.
a. You’re a carousel
The metaphorical expression is “You’re the carousel”. The word “carousel”,
according to Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary (OALD) is a round platform
with model horses, cars, etc. that turns around and around and that children ride
on at a fairground or merry-go-round (2015, p.218). The word is derived from the
Spanish and Italian for "minor war" which were garosello and carosella, which
eventually became the French word "carousel" and are used to this day (Eschner,
2017). In real life, “carousel” is big circular machine with seats or in nowadays
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known as merry-go-round. When people ride a merry-go-round, they can feel
happy, enjoy, and feeling entertained. The use of “carousel” is to suppose the girl
he loves because he wants to convey that she is one of the sources of his
happiness. The girl becomes the songwriter mood booster. The songwriter is
comfortable when he is with that girl and very pleasant to be around her. From the
literal meaning and metaphorical meaning, it shows that this metaphorical
expression reflects a semantic feature which is [+ entertainment].
Since the stock metaphor refers to an informal context that includes a
person's mental and physical situations, the metaphor "carousel" is categorized
into a stock or standard metaphor. Carousel relates to the physical and mental
situation of the songwriter. This is intended when the author's physical and mental
situation is tired, restless, and sad, then he comes to his girl, who can make him
feel comforted, comfortable, and smile again.
Table 15. Analysis of Metaphorical Expression “You’re a carousel”
Metaphorical
Expression
Literal
Meaning
Metaphorical
Meaning
Types of
Metaphor
Semantic
Feature
You’re a
carousel
a round
platform
with model
horses, cars
The one of
the sources of
the happiness
Stock [+entertainment]
b. You're every line
The word “line” in the expression is defined as “a row of words on a page or
the empty space where they can be written” (2015, p.879). The metaphor "line"
refers to the sentence. In everyday life as human, we use language which consists
of several sentences. A line has become a part of life as a living being. A sentence
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has one use, namely to say or convey something to others. Therefore, the word
"line" is defined to be very important and necessary, especially when someone
wants to express a feeling for the special relationship with the intended person.
The situation illustrated in this metaphor is when each "line" that refers to
the sentence the songwriter utters is about the girl. Each line in the song that he
writes tells about the girl he admires the most. This is supported by the next line
which is "you're every word". Based on the literal meaning that affects the
metaphorical meaning of "line", it can be seen if the girl is compared to "line".
The girl is described as someone who can fill the void in the songwriter's life. The
girl can be a new story line that fills the blank sheet of the songwriter with their
love story or in other words the girl is a new "filler" in the songwriter’s life. The
literal and metaphorical meanings of the metaphor “line” show the same concept
of semantic features which is [+filler]. The metaphor in this expression is
classified as a stock metaphor because the "line" shows the emotions and mental
situations of the author in writing through the song.
Table 16. Analysis of Metaphorical Expression “You’re every line”
Metaphorical
Expression
Literal
Meaning
Metaphorical
Meaning
Types of
Metaphor
Semantic
Feature
You’re every
line
a row of
words on a
page or the
empty space
The girl who
fills the void of
the songwriter's
life
Stock [+filler]
c. You're every word
The metaphorical expression has a situation where the song writer sings
every single word of the song in which the words are related to the girl. According
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to OALD, word is “a single unit of language which means something and can be
spoken or written” (2015, p.1732). As mentioned on the analysis about “line”, the
expression “word” in the line “you’re every word” supports the meaning of the
expression “line”. A line of sentences is composed of several words containing its
own meaning which then becomes a message that can be conveyed by the reader
or listener. Therefore, both expressions are related and support one another.
The "word" in the expression refers to the girl the songwriter loves. A word
is the basis of a sentence. Thus, the girl is described as a word which means she
becomes the main basis of the songwriter's love feelings. It becomes the root that
strengthens the songwriter. The girl is the foundation that has significance in the
songwriter's life. This girl is likened to some words especially the word love and
sweetness that make a feeling of joy and peace. The explanation of the two
meanings raises the concept of semantic features which is [+base]. The metaphor
"line" shows the author's emotions and mental situations. Therefore, this metaphor
is categorized as a stock metaphor.
Table 17. Analysis of Metaphorical Expression “You’re every word”
Metaphorical
Expression
Literal
Meaning
Metaphorical
Meaning
Types of
Metaphor
Semantic
Feature
You’re every
word
single unit of
language which
means
something
A girl whose the
main basis of the
songwriter's love
feelings
Stock [+base]
d. You're every song
“Song” is defined by OALD as “a short piece of music with words that you
sing” or “music for singing” (2015, p.1440) which contains a story. This metaphor
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shows a situation when the man is singing for his girl. From the definition above,
a song is a combination of music and words which are combined into harmony
and beauty. Apart from being a mood controller, expression, and emotion
modulation, songs also function as the language of love for the loved ones. Song
is used by a writer to tell a story in his or her life. In this metaphor, the song sung
is related to love.
In this expression, the song is likened to a story. The songwriter wants to
convey that the girl can be every story of the songwriter's everyday life.
Everything the songwriter owns and inspired has been made into a beautiful story
by the girl. In other words, it reveals that she is a woman who has been a good
influence on the songwriter through new stories of the things they went through
together. The metaphor shares the concept of semantic feature as [+story]. The
metaphor belongs to the stock metaphor because it has a relationship with a
person's emotions and moods.
Table 18. Analysis of Metaphorical Expression “You’re every song”
Metaphorical
Expression
Literal
Meaning
Metaphorical
Meaning
Types of
Metaphor
Semantic
Feature
You’re every
song
A short piece of
music with words
that you sing
A girl who can
be every story of
every day
Stock [+story]
e. I'm sitting on a rainbow
According to OALD, rainbow is defined as “a curved band of different
colors that appears in the sky when the sun shines through rain” (2015, p. 1229).
In science, rainbow occurs due to the process of refraction of sunlight with
raindrops. This is also determined by the position of the direction of view. From
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this refraction, the rainbow shows seven colors. This color makes the eyes even
more amazed. The explanation above shows that rainbow occurs at a certain time
and with a fairly detailed process. The appearance of a rainbow that has many
colors gives a sense of wonder and happiness for those who see it.
The metaphor of "rainbow" in this expression describes the song writer who
is feeling happiness and joy in his life. The songwriter is sitting at a happy level
after going through a long process of loving someone. “Rainbow” is like a feeling
of happiness. Therefore, "I'm sitting on a rainbow" can be defined as sitting and
having a beautiful moment of life which makes him reach the peak of happiness
and feels so much love. From the literal and metaphorical meaning, it depicts the
concept of semantic features which is [+happiness]. Since this metaphor shows
the emotion of the song writer, it can be concluded that this metaphor is included
into stock metaphor.
Table 19. Analysis of Metaphorical Expression "I'm sitting on a rainbow"
Metaphorical
Expression
Literal
Meaning
Metaphorical
Meaning
Types of
Metaphor
Semantic
Feature
I’m sitting on
a rainbow
a curved band of
different colors in
the sky when the
sun shines
through rain
feeling of
happiness and
love
Stock [+happiness]
3. Original Metaphor
As mentioned in the previous chapter, the original metaphor is a
metaphor that is quoted and created by SL writer but it should be literally
translated first (Newmark, 1988, p.112). In this type of metaphor, there is only
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one metaphorical expression, which is “Out of the tree of life, I just picked me a
plum”, on the lyrics of the song entitled The Best is yet to Come. The metaphor in
this metaphorical expression is “plum”. “Plum” in OALD is defined as "a soft
round fruit with smooth red or purple skin, sweet flesh and a large flat seed
inside" as a noun, or "considered very good and worth having" as an adjective
(2015, p. 1143). Plum is described as a fruit that is smooth, soft, sweet, and good
for consumption. Plum is also a high-priced fruit. From the above meanings, plum
becomes a noun which denotes a good thing, which should be owned and
guarded.
This metaphorical expression describes the writer's condition, which is
very happy when living with the girl. The girl he sings with is personified with
plums. He had "picked" someone who is beautiful and worthy. This metaphorical
expression shows happiness because throughout his life, he just chooses someone
precious whom he believes will bring a wonderful life to him. "Plum" refers to the
girl as a worthy partner to have. The literal and metaphorical meanings of the
metaphor "plum" show one semantic feature concept, which is [+partner]. This
metaphor is included into original metaphor since the meaning of the metaphor
itself is the source language of the songwriter, namely in likening the best partner
in his life.
Table 20. Analysis of Metaphorical Expression " I just picked me a plum"
Metaphorical
Expression
Literal
Meaning
Metaphorical
Meaning
Types of
Metaphor
Semantic
Feature
Out of the tree of
life, I just picked
me a plum
Something
that very
good and
A girl who
deserves to be
owned and made
Original [+partner]
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worth having a life partner
B. Theme Revealed from Metaphors and Semantic Features in the Album
Call Me Irresponsible
In this subchapter, metaphorical expressions in the songs are illustrated
with metaphorical meanings and semantic features to find the meaning of the
songs in the album. Once the meaning of the entire song is reflected, a theme can
be identified. On the previous subchapter, the writer discusses about the types of
metaphorical expressions. In analyzing the types, semantic features of each
metaphor are also determined since they can help the writer in determining the
types as well. However, they are not discussed deeper on the subchapter since it
will be discussed in this part as the semantic features of each metaphorical
expression decide the theme of the album that is being analyzed.
In finding out the theme, the songs containing metaphorical expressions
are analyzed by taking the theme of each song and being proven by the semantic
features obtained from the previous part. Based on the analysis on the previous
part, there are 17 semantic features in 5 songs of Call Me Irresponsible album.
These 17 semantic features are [+shine], [+freedom], [+barrier], [+refreshing],
[+future], [+riddle], [+strange], [+life], [+happiness], [+achievement],
[+hierarchy], [+entertainment], [+filler], [+story], [+happiness], [+base] and
[+partner]. Meanwhile, the songs which contain metaphorical expressions are
Everything, That’s Life, I’ve Got the World on the String, Comin Home Baby, and
The Best Is Yet to Come. The discussion of the theme of each song is as follow:
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1. The Theme of Everything Song
In this song, there are 11 semantic features, consisting of [+shine],
[+freedom], [+barrier], [+refreshing], [+future], [+riddle], [+strange],
[+entertainment], [+filler], [+story], and [+base]. These semantic features depict a
story from the song writer about how the girl he loves is very attractive and makes
him amazed. The writer seems to describe the journey of his love from meeting,
approaching, to establishing a loving relationship with his girl. He shows how the
girl has a very good impact on his life. The whole lyrics in the song tell about the
girl, how her habits, attitudes, behavior, and even her perfection is a companion
for him. Hence, it can be depicted that the theme of the song is “All about My
Girl”.
The songwriter wants to express how lucky and grateful he is to have this
girl. As an example of one of semantic features and lines that support the
revealing of the theme which is [+ barrier]. This girl is like a barrier and reminder
for the songwriter when he goes too far. The other line which is “You’re a
wishing well” also depicts the same concept of a lover situation. "Wishing well"
can show two semantic features which are shown from the use of one
metaphorical expression. The semantic features that can be seen from the
metaphorical expression are [+ future] and [+ hope], but one of them is more
dominant which is [+ future] because [+ hope] is certain about something that has
not happened or will happen in the future. The girl is represented as a beautiful
dream that the writer hopes for and finally happens in his life.
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2. The theme of That’s Life Song
In the second song, there are seven metaphors in two metaphorical
expressions. This song tells about the journey of his life from nothing to a person
who has authority over something. How he built his life from a weak person to
become an influential and powerful person. The whole lyrics draw a theme which
is "Struggle of Life". The songwriter wants to tell the story of his journey in
defending and struggling in life. The difficulties he faced when he did not have
anything, became a puppet or subordinate of others, became a criminal, until he
got achievements that made him a person who was respected by others.
The topic is proven by semantic features [+achievement] and [+hierarchy].
The lyrics show how life goes according to his experience. The life story he shares
through the use of the metaphor in the song provides a picture of a point in life
that makes him grateful for whatever happens in his life. Being someone who can
be accepted by society or just a decent life, for the songwriter, is a happy story.
The songwriter also wants to deliver that sometimes when we want to achieve
something, it can hurt other people by unconsciously taking their dreams. Life is
not always as beautiful and easy as imagined.
3. The Theme of I’ve Got the World on the String Song
The third song entitled I’ve Got the World on The String conceived two
metaphors in two metaphorical expressions. Through each line of the lyrics and
the use of metaphorical expressions, the songwriter describes his story at the top
of the world, giving him happiness and joy. The theme drawn from the song with
the support of metaphors and semantic features contained in it is "My Happiness
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Is You", the happiness that comes because of the girl he has. The theme is
supported by the two semantic features, [+life] and [+happiness], that are revealed
from the metaphorical expressions in the song.
As seen in the line "I've got the world on a string" with metaphor “string”
referring to the concept of life and "I'm sitting on a rainbow" with metaphor
“rainbow” referring to happiness, it illustrates that the songwriter is fully happy.
Besides being surrounded by happiness, he is also in the state of being in love as
supported by the repetition of the line "I'm in love". Not only because he just falls
in love, but also because everything in his life is going according to his plan. The
line "life is a beautiful thing, as long as I hold the string" also supports the concept
of predetermined semantic features because the line is expressing that life feels
beautiful when "strings" or life itself is under control or capable for each
individual.
4. The theme of Comin Home Baby Song
The fourth song is Comin Home Baby. This song tells about the long
distance relationship between the songwriter and his girl, until the time when the
songwriter can return home to meet his girl. From this explanation, it can be
concluded that the theme of this song is "Missing Someone". After living apart
from his beloved one, he finally finds the time to go home. The songwriter feels
almost crazy when he is away from his girl. The longing they feel for each other
makes their love bigger than ever. The songwriter feels that his life is better and
happier when they are together.
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This theme is proven by certain semantic features, which are [+life] and
[+happiness]. The semantic feature [+life] comes from the metaphorical meaning
"the road is warm now". The metaphor "road" refers to the songwriter’s life which
becomes more beautiful and happier when he can go home and meet his
girlfriend. Another semantic feature, which is [+happiness], is reflected from the
songwriter’s feeling on the way home to meet his girl. Since the songwriter and
his lover are about to meet, he feels that his life will be better and happier than
before, when he is away from his lover. Coming back home is likened as the best
part of his life in a long-distance relationship that the songwriter feels.
5. The Theme of The Best Is Yet to Come Song
The last song, “The Best Is Yet to Come”, discusses about the story of the
songwriter and his girl who are together and have a love relationship, but the
writer feels that he cannot give the best for his girl. He has not totally loved his
girl even though the girl feels that she has been loved whole heartedly and feels
happy with the love she feels from the songwriter during their time together. From
this explanation, it can be concluded that the theme of the entire song is "Deepest
Affection for You".
The theme that has been taken is supported by metaphorical expressions that
produce the concept of semantic features as well as several lines in the song lyrics.
The metaphorical expression is "Out of the tree of life, I just picked me a plum".
The word "plum" as discussed earlier reflects the best match the songwriter has in
his lifetime. With the semantic feature [+partner], it explains how the girl can
become someone who can understand and love the songwriter. Like a good,
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sweet, and tender fruit, which the songwriter chooses from the events of his life,
right down to finding the girl and making her his best partner. From the line "You
think you've seen the sun, but you ain't seen it shine", it explains how the writer
gives an understanding to the girl that what she sees and feels is not the best, yet.
There is still something better the songwriter will do for the girl. The line "The
best is yet to come, come the day that you're mine" illustrates that the best and
happiest thing for the writer is when the girl really belongs to him completely.
Based on each explanation above, it can be seen that each song has its own
theme, but these themes are related one another. The five songs have the core
theme of the story of how the author's life journey is, how he lives his life when
he is alone, how he is trying to stay alive, when he is able to stand alone, and
when he finds a lover and the happiness of his life. Each story in the song brings
the listener to the imagination of the best parts of the writer's life. Not only the
ease and joy, but the hardships and struggles he feels in life. Every life experience
has its best part. Even in adversity, the songwriter gets life lessons that can make
him a better person. The five songs contain several metaphorical expressions and
they reflect a concept of semantic features analyzed before, which are [+shine],
[+freedom], [+barrier], [+refreshing], [+future], [+riddle], [+strange], [+life],
[+happiness], [+achievement], [+hierarchy], [+life], [+entertainment], [+filler],
[+story], [+base], and [+partner], supporting the depiction of the album theme.
The existing semantic features shows the best things that happened in the writer's
life. Therefore, it can be concluded that the theme of the album Call Me
Irresponsible is "Best Part of Life".
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CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION
This chapter presents the core of the analysis results of the previous
chapter. The metaphorical expressions in the five songs are classified into six
types of metaphor, then the metaphorical meanings and semantic features found
are analyzed to reveal the theme of each song. These themes are further analyzed
and combined into one theme which covers the theme of five songs.
Answering the first research question, as mentioned in the first part of
previous chapter, there are 23 metaphorical expressions that have been found in 5
songs in Call Me Irresponsible album. Based on the results, there are 17 dead
metaphors, 5 stock or standard metaphors, and 1 original metaphor. The results of
the analysis are used to answer the first problem formulation regarding the types
of metaphors. The frequency of dead metaphors has the highest number among
the other six types. This shows that the metaphor used is close to everyday life
because dead metaphors are more directed at things that can be seen with the eyes
such as places, images, universal terms, and human activities. The type of
metaphor also supports to reveal the theme of the album. The theme is chosen
because the metaphor that is often used is dead metaphor, which as explained
earlier, dead metaphor refers to several aspects of life such as time, activity, and
even universal terms.
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The second research question is about the theme of each song and the
whole album. Metaphorical meaning and semantic features are developed to
reveal the theme of the song and later become the theme for the album. Semantic
features that are reflected in metaphorical expressions found are [+shine],
[+freedom], [+barrier], [+refreshing], [+future], [+riddle], [+strange], [+life],
[+happiness], [+achievement], [+hierarchy], [+entertainment], [+filler], [+story],
[+base], and [+partner]. From the semantic features, the theme that can be
revealed is "Best Part of Life". The theme is illustrated by understanding the plot
of the story conveyed by the song lyrics. The five songs chosen in the album as a
whole tell about the songwriter's life journey from difficulties, struggles,
achievements, and love which makes him feel that each of his life stories has its
own best part. The journey of his love from meeting until when he was with his
lover. How he describes his lover who makes him feel comfortable and happy. He
also shares his life story from having nothing to living a decent life and achieving
his success. The theme “Best Part of Life” is illustrated and summarized from the
five songs in this album.
This research aims to assist writers or other researchers in conducting
studies related to semantics, metaphors, themes, and song lyrics. There are several
difficulties in the process of making this paper, such as distinguishing
metaphorical expressions and common expressions, and determining the types for
each metaphor. Despite experiencing some difficulties, the writer was able to get
through it well supported by an understanding of the theory used. Further studies
are encouraged to compile a complete, extensive, and comprehensive analysis.
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APPENDICES
Appendix: The classifications of the metaphoric expression
No. Title of the
Song
Metaphorical
Expressions
Types of Metaphor
Dead Stock Original
1. Everything You’re a falling star ✔
2. Everything You’re getaway car ✔
3. Everything You're the line in the
sand, when I go too far
✔
4. Everything You're the swimming
pool on an August day
✔
5. Everything You're a wishing well ✔
6. Everything You're a mystery ✔
7. Everything You're from outer space ✔
8. Everything You’re a carousel ✔
9 Everything You're every line ✔
10 Everything You're every word ✔
11. Everything You're every song ✔
12. Comin’ Home
Baby
The road is warm now ✔✔
13. That’s Life Some people get their
kicks
✔
14. I’ve Got the
World on a
String
I've got the world on a
string
✔
15. That’s Life I've been a puppet, a
pauper, a pirate, a poet,
a pawn and a king
✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔
16. I’ve got the
World on a
String
I'm sitting on a rainbow ✔
17. The Best is
Yet to Come
I just pick me a plum ✔
Total 17 5 1
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