Lisan: Jurnal Bahasa dan Linguistik Vol. 8 No. 2: Hal. 119-130 (2019) DOI: https://doi.org/10.33506/li.v8i2.464 The Analysis of Figurative Language in “Endless Love” Song Lyric Ibrahim Ibrahim1, Muhaiminah Akib2, Ruslan Hasyim3 1,2,3Department of English Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Muhammadiyah Sorong, Jalan Pendidikan KM 8 Malaingkedi Email: [email protected], [email protected]., [email protected] Diterima: 5 Februari 2019. Disetujui: 15 April 2019. Dipublikasikan: 30 April 2019 Abstract [The Analysis of Figurative Language in “Endless Love” Song Lyric] This research aimed to find out the kinds and the meanings of figurative language in “Endless Love” Song Lyric. The research used descriptive method. The data of this research were divided into two categories, they were primary data and secondary data. Primary data were taken from the song and the lyric of the song itself and the secondary data were obtained from articles and book. The data were analyzed by using pure structuralism approach, focused on the kinds and the meanings of the figurative language. The result of this research showed that there are seven kinds of figurative language in the song lyric, respectively: Repetition 36%, Hyperbole 32%, Metaphor 12%, Pleonasm 8%, Personification 4%, Dispersonification 4%, and Onomatopoeia 4% . The meanings used in the figurative languages of the song lyric are connotative and denotative meaning. Keywords: Figurative Language; Denotative and Connotative meaning BACKGROUND One of the most effective ways to Language is a tool to convey messages, convey a message is by using a song. Song whether by oral or written is generally used figurative languages in the messages.Language is used to convey the lyric. The usage of the figurative language message from the speaker and the hearer in a song is very important as a tool to ((Yusniati Sabata & Ibrahim 2018). convey the messages as well as beauty and According to Keraf (2007) in expressing to give a colour and particular effect to the idea either speaker or writer has different listeners or readers. Rashid Mahmood style. In oral languages the messages is (2014) stated that each figure of speech has given and received through conversation its own significance in making and and in written languages the messages are describing ideas. given and received by using some forms. Also song is sometimes used by the listeners or the readers to tell the feeling or 119 the messages to someone, because some she found 13 kinds of figurative languages people are difficult to convey their feeling and 52 kinds of diction. or willing directly and it becomes easier In term of the previous above, the after they using a song to convey them. writer concludes that there are some Using figurative language appropriately in methods that can be used to analyze the writing and speaking can communicate a figurative languages in literary works. So in thought effectively (James, 1960). this research the writer tries to use one of The writer found many songs especially the methods to analyze the song lyric love songs using figurative languages in the namely pure structuralism analysis and lyric and the writer tought that it is very although there are similarities of the important for the listeners or readers to learn research to this research in term of about the figurative languages because it figurative language but the figurative could help them to understand and to get the languages in this research will be analyzed meaning of the song as a whole. based on “ Endless Love” song lyric. The Based on the explanations and reasons research above also helps the writer of this stated above the writer is interested to thesis to get and to find the right references analyze a song “ Endless Love”, a song and sources to support this research. which is written by Lionel Richie. In this song the singers declare their “Endless Some Pertinent Ideas Love” for one another. The very important 1. Song reason is the writer found many figurative 1.1. Definition of Song languages in the lyric of the song. Etymologically song is defined as the By this research the writer expects that verb to sing. A song is a piece of music for this research has important role and could accompanied or unaccompanied voice or the give some informations for the readers in act of singing, a song can be singed by one learning a literary work especially a song. or more persons. The writer also hoped that this research Song is one of the most popular literary could be a reference for them who will do works, it also the most preferable and very similar research especially about the close to the people in society because they figurative languages. will not only get fun from, brought into large, close and fresh relation to life but also REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE songs are used to express points of view, The writer is inspired to analyze the talk about history, about society or about song of Lionel Richie after reading the lyric someone’s life. Songs are used also to and listening the song that has a lot of inspire the people that are listening to them fingurative languages in it, and the writer is or even change their mind. The song tends interested to analyze this song. to be written in language simple enough to To support and to provide the be understood on first hearing. originality of this research the writer presents some references from some sources 1.2. Genres of Song especially a previous related research as Genre is a class, type or category. Peter follow: van der Merwe treats the terms genre and Sitti Rahmawati (2005) in her research style as the same, he said that genre should “Diction and Figurative languages in be defined as pieces of music that share a Selected Poems of Emily Dickson” certain style or basic musical language. concluded that Emily Dickson tried to Songs can be broadly divided into combine diction and many figurative many different forms, depending on the languages in each stanza of her poems. criteria used. Also van der Merwe classified From 10 selected poems of Emily Dickson the song into three genres, called trichotomy 121 of songs, they are art song, folk song and is conceived for mass distribution to large popular song. and often socioculturally heterogeneous groups of listeners, stored and distributed in a. Art Songs non-written form, only possible in an The term art song refers primarily to industrial monetary economy where it classical traditions, including both becomes a commodity and in capitalist contemporary and historical classical song societies, subject to the laws of free forms. Art song exists in many parts of the enterprise it should ideally sell as much as world. It emphasizes formal styles that possible. invite technical and detailed deconstruction Popular song is found on most criticism, and focused attention from the commercial radio stations, in most listener. commercial song retailers and department In western practice, art song is stores, and in movie and television considered primarily a written song soundtracks. It is noted on the Billboard tradition, preserved in some form of song charts and in addition to singer-songwriters notation rather than being transmitted and composers, it involves song producers orally, by rote, or in recordings, as popular more than other genres do. and traditional song usually. The distinction between classical and Historically, most western art song has popular song has sometimes been blurred in been written down using the standard forms marginal areas, such as minimalist song and of song notation that evolved in Europe, light classics. In this respect song is like beginning well before the Renaissance and fiction, which likewise draws a distinction reaching its maturity in the Romantic between classics and popular fiction that is period. The identity of a work or piece of art not always precise. song is usually defined by the notated version rather than by a particular 2. Lyric performance. This is so particularly in the Lyric derives from Greek word lyrikos case of western classical song. Art song meaning singing to the lyre. The word lyric may include certain forms of jazz, even came to be used for the words of a song. though jazz is primarily a form of popular Lyric is a set of words that make up a song. song. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost b. Folks Songs unintelligible, and in such cases their The defining characteristics of folk explication emphasizes form, articulation, song are: meter, and symmetry of expression. - Oral transmission: The song is handed Lyrics may be composed in almost any down and learned through singing, listening, meter and on almost every subject, although and sometimes dancing; the most usual emotions presented are those - Cultural basis: The song derives from and of love and grief. In another sense, the lyrics is part of the traditions of a particular region of a popular song or other musical or culture. composition are the words as opposed to the music, these may not always be lyrical in c. Popular Songs the poetic sense. The term popular song refers to any song style accessible to the general public 3. Figurative Languages and disseminated by the mass media. Figurative languages refer to words and Songologist and popular song specialist groups of words that exaggerate or alter the Philip Tagg defined the notion in the light usual meanings of the component words. of sociocultural and economical aspects, The most commonly used types of popular song unlike art song, popular song figurative language are metaphor, simile, 122 personification and hyperbole.