JURNAL ILMIAH SIMANTEK ISSN. 2550-0414 Vol. 3 No. 1 Februari 2019
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JURNAL ILMIAH SIMANTEK Vol. 3 No. 1 ISSN. 2550-0414 Februari 2019 AN ANALYSIS OF FIGURATIVE LANGUAGEIN PHIL COLLINS’ SELECTED SONG LYRICS SYAHRUL EFENDI LUBIS DOSEN TETAP SEKOLAH TINGGI BAHASA ASING ITMI MEDAN ABSTRACT In this research, the writer analysed figurative language in song lyrics by Phil Collins. The writer collects and analyze sentences in the song’s lyrics by Phil Collins which are recognized as the form of how the figurative languages are presented in the song. Then the writer classified those figurative languages based on the meaning that those sentences or phrases in those song’s lyrics present. It is to determine whether the sentences are considered as part of the figurative languages based on the meaning that the sentences in the song’s lyric. The approach that is used is the quantitative approach with descriptive analysis. From the results of analysis that has been carried out, it can be concluded that there were seven types of figurative languages: they were personification, metaphor, hyperbole, antithesis, repetition, alliteration, and parallelism. To support the analysis, some types of figurative language and other related references were used. There were also some related theories about figurative language used to support the analysis. Keyword: figurative language, song’s lyrics INTRODUCTION There are some similarities between a poem and a song. Both of them need to be rhythmic. Rhythm is an important element in poem and song. Even, there are some poems that have been made into songs. They can be used to express the author’s feeling and thoughts. And there are often some figurative meanings in the songs.There are a lot of things that can be discussed in a song, but this paper concentrates only on the analysis of the figurative meaning used in the song. Figurative language has been widely examined by linguist in the study of literature in recent years. It is because figurative language has the essence of style and beauty. Figurative language often provides a more effective means of saying what we mean than direct statement. In the specific sense, figurative language may take the form of figures of speech. Figurative language is used in any form of communication, such as in daily conversation, articles in newspaper, advertisements, novels, poems, etc. The figurative language is the part of literature. The figurative language is a literary devices used to create a special effect or feeling by making some types of interesting or creative comparison. Figurative language is a set of literary devices that authors use to bring the reader into the writing. The literary devices use language in such a way that what is being said is different from the actual literal meaning of the words. Figurative language helps the reader get a clearer picture of what's happening, and they can also be used to convince the reader of something, or they can be used to simply entertain the reader.Based on explanation above, the writer will analyze the song lyrics by Phil Collins. In the songs album there are many types of figurative language that the author’s song uses in every statement. Phil Collins' songs consist of many figurative meanings and they are found in many of their songs. For example, this lyrics are taken from the song ‘The Same Moon’When the daylight comes and I look across the room,I see you’re gone.As themorning breaks and I reach to hold your hand. I can see, see I’m the only one.Well, your clothes are gone and your bags are packed. But the bed’s still warmwhere you lay Now I need your love to come shining through To carry me, come carry me away.In the lyric above, daylight is treated as a concrete object that can move just like human while daylight is just the ray of the sun that we can see but can grasp. This is where the personification takes place. The same is also can be seen by the wording of ‘your love’ in the song lyric that is treated as if it can carry things as what human being can do. The next is about how morning is treated like a concrete object that has a solid form that can be grasped by hand. Morning, though is just something that we can see as the changes happen in the sky. In the way how the darkness disappears as the sun rises, how the black sky changes into blue sky. This is where the hyperbole takes place. As can be seen there is still no one in the institution has ever analyzed this matter, the writer is interested to analyze this matter. From the phenomena, the writer is interested in conducting the study of figurative language used in Phil Collin’s songs. Here the writer carries out a study entitled: “An Analysis Of Figurative Language In Phil Collins’ Selected Song Lyrics”. Problems of the Study JURNAL ILMIAH SIMANTEK Vol. 3 No. 1 ISSN. 2550-0414 Februari 2019 Based on the background, there are two problems that are formulated: What types of figurative meanings are found in Phil Collins' songs? Which types of figurative meanings are dominant in Phil Collins' songs? Objective of the Study. The objectives of study are related to the problems that are formulated above: To identify types of figurative meanings those are found in Phil Collins' songs. To find which figurative meanings those are dominant in Phil Collins' songs. Scope of the Study The songs that will be analyzed are taken from Phil Collins’ album ‘Dance Into The Light’, ‘Testify’, ‘Going Back’ and some songs that are introduced separately as the soundtrack of Disney movie such as ‘Tarzan’. In ‘Dance Into The Light’ album consists of 13 songs and only 2 songs that will be analyzed they are Wear The Hat and The Same Moon. In ‘Testify’ album consists of 12 songs and only 2 will be analyzed they are Come With Me and You Touch My Heart. In ‘Going Back’ album consists of 18 songs and only 2 will be analyzed they are Blame It On The Sun and Love Is Here And Now You’re Gone. The soundtrack songs of the Disney movie ‘Tarzan’ consist of 4 songs and only 3 songs will be analyzed they are Two Worlds, Son Of A Man, and You’ll Be In My Heart. Totally there are 9 songs that will be analyzed. The writer chooses these songs because there are many figurative meanings that can be found in the lyrics. Moreover, these lyrics have magnificent words and the poetic aspects. Some of the figurative meanings that will be used are as follows: Simile - In a simile, a comparison between two distinctly different things is explicitly indicated by the word "like" or "as." Metaphor - In a metaphor, a word or expression that in literal usage denotes one kind of thing is applied to a distinctly different kind of thing, without asserting a comparison. Personification - In the Greek term, prosopopeia, in which either an inanimate object or an abstract concept is spoken of as though it were endowed with life or with human attributes or feelings (compare pathetic fallacy) Metonymy - Inmetonymy (Greek for "a change of name") the literal term for one thing is applied to another which it has become closely associated because of a recurrent relationship in common experience. Synecdoche - In synecdoche (Greek for "taking together"), a part of something is used to signify the whole, or (more rarely) the whole is used to signify a part. Hyperbole - a figure of speech which involves exaggeration, excess or extravagance. Repetition – a figure of speech which contains of repetition of certain phrases with the similar context in one paragraph. Significance of the Study The significance of the study is to apply theories to those songs in order to get better understanding and to identify and describe the types of figurative meanings in Phil Collins' songs. In addition,the other significance is to relate figurative meanings are useful to add knowledge about language. For English teachers, this analysis will give the variation of teaching about meaning through songs. For students and general people, it would provide a better understanding about figurative meanings in lyrics and will be very useful for students to add their vocabulary and enriching their knowledge about figurative meanings that apply in lyric. In addition, the research method of study is the library research by reading and studying some books which are concerned with the problems and to collect theories. LITERATURE REVIEW The Nature of Music There are a lot of ways for a person to express themselves whether it is done an exaggerated way or in a simple way, whether through physically or orally. One of the medium for one to express them is through music. Music reflects the behaviors of the writer, about how they live their life, what they face in their journey of life, what they are feeling at that time or how they live in. Music is also a way to express the feeling of those who listen to them, whether they are feeling happy, sad, angry, upset or disappointed. According to Hornby (2000: 873)Music is sounds that are arranged in a way that is pleasant or exciting to listen to. So the art of music is the expression of feelings or thoughts spark which issued regularly in the form of sound. The sound is the most basic elements of music. The sound of good music is the result of the interaction of three elements: rhythm, melody and harmony. Rhythm is sound settings in a time, long, short, and tempo, and this gives each its own character in music.