The Interpretation of the Lyric Writers' Concept in Cold Play's Viva La Vida

THE INTERPRETATION OF THE LYRIC WRITERS’ CONCEPT IN COLD PLAY’S VIVA LA VIDA SONG LYRICS

Zakie Asidiky Student at Dept. of English Linguistics, Padjadjaran University West Java, Indonesia E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

The purposes of this research are to interpret the lyric writers‟ concept in writing and narrating the Viva La Vida lyrics and to interpret the representation of the first-person narrator used in the lyric. The analysis method of this research is descriptive interpretation. In analyzing the lyrics, the Saussure‟s dyadic or two-part model of the sign is used in interpreting the denotative meaning.

Keywords: Semiotics, Saussure‟s dyadic model, linear analysis, first-person narrator

1. Introduction comprehensively and then they can be well- interpreted by the listeners. Music is often claimed as a language of human‟s soul. Music and language have a similar goal; 1.1 Literature Review they want to communicate a particular meaning Viva la Vida is a song which belongs to and share the feelings. In music, lyrics are made Coldplay. The song lyrics are written by as a communication place that contains meaning Coldplay. It is in their fourth album entitled Viva for the listeners. Gaines (2010) said that people la Vida or Death and All His Friends in 2008. assume to know and understand the world This song has a set of interesting lyrics to be through what they find in the media. In this case, analyzed. Its lyrics can make listeners curious to the lyrics can be interpreted by the listeners as a find out and guess what the writers want to form of communication because the lyrics are convey because its lyrics has a deep meaning. used to convey something, although sometimes This song had achieved a great success. It won they are not clear to whom, what, and how they the Grammy Award for Song of the Year at the are intended. Although the lyrics of music use a 51st Grammy Awards in 2009. narrative structure in their writing, they always provide a lot of meaning and sometimes are hard 1.1.1 Lyrics Text: Viva La Vida to be interpreted and understood. In lyrics, there I used to rule the world are so many unusual themes to listen and Seas would rise when I gave the word understand. They must be understood

Now in the morning I sleep alone Never an honest word Sweep the streets I used to own But that was when I ruled the world

I used to roll the dice 2. The Analysis of Lyrics Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes Semiotic approach analysis is used in analyzing Listen as the crowd would sing and describing the interpretation of lyric writers‟ "Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!" concept in the process of writing the lyrics and One minute I held the key the representation of the first-person narrator Next the walls were closed on me used by the writer. Saussure‟s model of the sign And I discovered that my castles stand is applied in this analysis. Kaartinen and Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand Latomaa in Hamel (2011) stated that we understand something when we are able to I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing connect signified to signifier, or meaning content Roman Cavalry choirs are singing to sign vehicle, content to expression. In other Be my mirror, my sword and shield words, we understand something when we have My missionaries in a foreign field mental sign which means something or For some reason I can't explain represents something. The understanding process Once you go there was never can be examined in an empirical meaning Never an honest word making process by following empirical dialogue And that was when I ruled the world and linguistic expressions. It was the wicked and wild wind 2.1 The Narrative Point of View Blew down the doors to let me in Shattered windows and the sound of drums The lyric writers used the word I as the main People couldn't believe what I'd become narrator. It is used as the first-person narration. This writing of narrative style is applied because Revolutionaries wait the lyric writers wanted the listeners to see and For my head on a silver plate understand their way of seeing or interpreting Just a puppet on a lonely string events to feel like an eye-witness to those events. Oh who would ever want to be king? The first person narrator actually can create a I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing similar contact because they are referring to Roman Cavalry choirs are singing themselves as if they are telling people about Be my mirror, my sword and shield their own lives and experiences. But in using the My missionaries in a foreign field first-person narration, the direct interpretation For some reason I can't explain could be bias because it is interpreted by their I know Saint Peter won't call my name limited knowledge.

2.2 The Interpretation of Lyrics Writer’s concept was someone who ever controlled and Concept had power and suddenly lost his or her power and in sweep the streets I used to own, the The lyric writers‟ concept for Viva La Vida lyrics writers interpreted it as someone who became an can be stated as an inspiring figure that make the ordinary person in the area that he had once lyric writers inspired in writing the lyrics. The conquered. lyrics are the signifier, or can be stated as X, and the writers‟ concept is the signified, or can be Part 2 stated as Y. It means the lyrics writer used the I used to roll the dice linear analysis perspective in interpreting the Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes concept of lyrics. It means the lyric writers want Listen as the crowd would sing to tell people their interpretation directly. Now the old king is dead! Long live the king! X In part two, the clause I used to roll the dice, the Y concept was someone who had the power and Lyric Writer’s Concept could easily do the conquest and just chose the region to which he or she wanted. In Feel the In the process of interpreting the lyric writers‟ fear in my enemy's eyes, the concept was concept, to make it easier to be interpreted, the someone who liked watching people suffer in lyrics are divided into seven parts to make it expanding his or her territory. Meanwhile, in clear. both clauses, Listen as the crowd would sing and Part 1 Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!, the writers‟ concept was someone who had the I used to rule the world enormous power and always believed that he or Seas would rise when I gave the word she could defeat the enemy he faced. Now in the morning I sleep alone Sweep the streets I used to own Part 3

In clause I used to rule the world, the writers‟ One minute I held the key concept was someone who ever governed or Next the walls were closed on me controlled an area, a country or world, and in And I discovered that my castles stand clause seas would rise when I gave the word, the Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand writers‟ concept was someone who had the In this part of lyric, the writers‟ concept was enormous power and was very influential someone who had power but he or she governed because every word he or she said would always and controlled his or her region not for a long be heard and become a worldwide concern. In period. It can be implied in clause one minute I clause now in the morning I sleep alone, the

held the key. In next the walls were closed on who had power was hated and waited for his or me, the concept was someone who was suddenly her falling era by a lot of people. It can be trapped in his or her own power. He or she, then, implied in revolutionaries wait for my head on a realized that his or her power was trying to make silver plate and just a puppet on a lonely string. him or her down and what made him or her In oh who would ever want to be king?, the down was his or her own organization that was concept was the people succeed to drop the destroyed by his or her people. It is implied in figure who had the enormous power through the both clauses, and I discovered that my castles revolution. stand and upon pillars of salt and pillars of Part 6 sand. I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing Part 4 Roman Cavalry choirs are singing It was the wicked and wild wind Be my mirror my sword and shield Blew down the doors to let me in My missionaries in a foreign field Shattered windows and the sound of drums In the sixth part, the concept was someone who People couldn't believe what I'd become did the conquest against other regions under the In the fourth part of lyrics, the writers‟ concept pretext of religion. It can be seen in I hear was someone who achieved his or her power by Jerusalem bells a ringing. The „Jerusalem Bell‟ crimes. He or she destroyed the regions to is commonly used by Jewish priests. He or she achieve his or her power. It can be implied in was doing the conquest foreign land and ordering clauses it was the wicked and wild wind, blew his or her armies to attack the other regions, it down the doors to let me in and shattered can be seen in roman cavalry choirs are singing, windows and the sound of drums. In people be my mirror my sword and shield and my couldn't believe what I'd become, the writers‟ missionaries in a foreign field. concept was people around him or her didn‟t Part 7 believe that he or she became a tyrant and did everything to achieve his or her absolute power. For some reason I can't explain I know Saint Peter won't call my name Part 5 Never an honest word Revolutionaries wait But that was when I ruled the world For my head on a silver plate In the seventh part, the concept was someone Just a puppet on a lonely string who had power did not know why he or she did Oh who would ever want to be king? the crimes. It is implied in for some reason I In this part, the writers‟ concept was someone can't explain and but that was when I ruled the

world. But finally he or she realized that his or suffer in expanding his or her territory her government was full of crimes and he or she Listen as the crowd Someone who had the never said the honest word or always lied in would sing, now the old enormous power and governing. It is implied in never an honest word. king is dead! Long live always believed that the king! he or she could defeat He or she could not explain why he or she did the enemy he or she those crimes and after he or she stopped faced governing, he or she realized that he or she One minute I held the Someone who had key power but when he or would not have a place in heaven after death. she governed and The figure Saint Peter in Christianity is claimed controlled his or her as the main apostle. It can be seen in I know region, it was not for a long period. Saint Peter won't call my name. Next the walls were He or she was closed on me suddenly trapped in Table 1. The signifier or the interpretation of his or her own power lyric writers and poured it in lyrics writing, and And I discovered that He or she realized signified or the concept that caused the writers in my castles stand that his or her power Upon pillars of salt and was trying to make interpreting the lyrics. pillars of sand him or her down and what made him or her SIGNIFIED down was the SIGNIFIER (THE CONCEPT organization that was (LYRICS) OF THE LYRIC destroyed by his or WRITING) her own people I used to rule the world someone who ever It was the wicked and In achieving his or governed, controlled wild wind her power. He or she an area, a region, Blew down the doors to did it by the crimes. country let me in He or she destroyed Seas would rise when I Someone who had the Shattered windows and the regions to achieve gave the word enormous power and the sound of drums the power was very influential People couldn't believe People didn‟t believe Now in the morning I Someone who ever what I'd become that he or she became sleep alone controlled and had a tyrant and did Sweep the streets I used power and but lost his everything to achieve to own or her power and the absolute power became an ordinary Revolutionaries wait He or she was hated person For my head on a silver by a lot of people and I used to roll the dice Someone who had the plate they waited for his or power and he or she Just a puppet on a her ending. could easily do the lonely string conquest and he or Oh who would ever People succeed to she just chose the want to be king? drop someone who region to which he or had the enormous she wanted power through the Feel the fear in my Someone who liked revolution. enemy's eyes watching people

I hear Jerusalem bells He or she did the signifier and the signified were purely are ringing conquest against „psychological‟. Also, in the process of its other regions under the pretext of interpretation, the denotation approach will be religion. applied. Martin and Ringham (2000) stated that Roman Cavalry choirs He or she was doing denotation designates the process of referring to are singing the conquest foreign Be my mirror, my land and ordered his the dictionary meanings of a word. It can be sword and shield or her army to attack distinguished from connotation which relates to My missionaries in a the other regions, foreign field additional meanings resulting from the context in For some reason I can't Someone who had which the word is applied. The word „rose‟, for explain power did not know example, denotes a flower or the shrub bearing why he or she did the crimes it. In a particular context, however, the word I know Saint Peter He or she realized „rose‟ might connote love, or the House of Tudor. won't call my name that his or her government was full Table 2. The linguistic sings for signifier and of crimes signified in interpreting the narrator „I’ Never an honest word He or she always lied in governing SIGNIFIER SIGNIFIED But that was when I He or she could not (INTERPRETATION (THE ruled the world explain why he or she OF INTERPRETATION did those crimes REPRESENTATION OF THE SONG OF THE WRITER IN 2.2.1.1 The Representation of ‘I’ NARRATOR ‘I’) WRITING THE LYRIC) Danesi (2002) stated that the process of A king, queen, leader, 1. I used to roll the recording ideas, knowledge, or messages in some president, governor dice, 2. I held the key, physical way is called representation. This can be 3. Be my mirror, my defined more precisely as the use of „signs‟ sword and shield, (picture, sounds, etc.) to relate, depict, portray, or 4. My missionaries in a foreign field, reproduce something perceived, sensed, 5. And that was imagined, or felt in some physical form. In when I ruled the interpreting the representation of „I’, as the main world Powerful Seas would rise when narrator used in the lyrics, semiotic approach is I gave the word used as a theoretical tool to examine the Cruel, sadistic 1. Feel the fear in my linguistic signs in the song lyrics. Saussure‟s enemy's eyes, 2. Listen as the model of the sign will be applied. Saussure in crowd would sing Chandler (2002) offered a „dyadic‟ or two-part “Now the old king model of the sign, a signified as concept and a is dead! Long live the king!”, signifier as sound pattern. For Saussure, both 3. It was the wicked

and wild wind supervisor, for helping him in writing this 4. Blew down the research. doors to let me in 5. Shattered References windows and the sound of drums 1. Bronwen Martin and Felizitas Ringham. Hated 1. Revolutionaries wait for my head (2000). Dictionary of Semiotics. on a silver plate London and New York: Casell. 2. I know Saint Peter won't call my 2. Chandler, D. (2002). Semiotics : The name Basic. London and New York: Liar Never an honest word Routledge. Careless, stupid, silly And I discovered that my castles stand upon 3. Danesi, M. (2002). Understanding pillars of salt and Media Semiotics. New York: Arnold. pillars of sand 4. Gaines, E. (2010). Semiotics and The interpretation of I as the main narrator is Popular Culture : Media Literacy and interpreted from the signified or concept that Semiotics. New York: Palgrave inspired lyric writers in writing the lyrics. The Macmillan. narrator ‘I’ can be represented as a king, 5. Hamel, S. C. (2011). Semiotics : Theory president, leader, or governor who was powerful, and Applications. New York: Nova cruel, sadistic, hated, liar, careless, stupid or silly. Science Publishers. 6. Leeuwen, T. V. (2005). Introducing 5. Conclusion Social Semiotics. New York: Routledge. The lyric of Viva La Vida song is full of 7. Martin, R. M. (1978). Semiotics and narration. By using the first-person narration, the Linguistic Structure : A Primer of lyrics become a set of meaningful lyrics. In the Philosophic. New York: State process of writing the lyrics, the lyric writers University of New York Press. wrote their own perspective by using the 8. O'neill, S. (2008). Interactive Media : interpretation of linear analysis. That is why The Semiotics of Embodied Interaction. these lyrics contain a lot of meaning and make London: Springer. them interesting to be interpreted by the listeners.

Acknowledgement

In writing this research, the writer would like to thank to Dr. Eva Tuckyta Sari Sujatna, M. Hum and Dr. Heriyanto, M. Hum, his first and second