Pembelajaran VII: Learning English Through Song Analysis

Song Analysis

A.       Materi  : Song Analysis

A song consists of literary devices and figurative language. The  music gives further information  of  its  meaning. So, The best learning happens when we have fun. We can get the fun by singing a song. I suggest you to choose music that you like. It is fun to learn English through the song, especially when we know the way how to analyze an English song. Through this session, we may know how words in the song are linked together in connected speech. The words  can be found in the rhythm of  language in a song .

Opening

To analyze a song, It begins by an Opening. In the opening you may  need to know the background information.

For Example:

In the song “Superheroes"  we explore that the song is written by Danny O'Donoghue and Mark Sheehan. This song is classified into a  pop rock band.  The Script is written by  James Barry.

Explore the Culutral Context of the Song

In studying a target language means that we may also know the culture of the  authors. The cultures may be   different with us. When we know that we have different cultures,  we will  not come into culture shock. The norm or the culture of the target languge  can  be  suitable   with our  or not.

Analysis of Lyric

And

The figurative Language

Analyzing  the lyric and figurative language means to examine  one poetic device or element of each  paragraph. Be sure to understand the meaning of the song. Try to  understand  weather the words have lexical meaning or grammatical meaning. To make it clear you may see an example in real conditions as what  actually the words means. Some words or phrases sometime are given in a figurative language that need a deep interpretation about what the author intention in composing his song.

Here are the Types of Figurative Language:

Metaphor

Make a statement by comparing two words  (Readers understand the connection between the two words).

For example, "Time is a thief."

Time is not actually stealing from you but this conveys the idea that hours or days sometimes seem to slip by without you noticing.

Simile

A simile also compares two things. However, similes use the words "like" or "as."

For Examples :

1.  Busy as a bee.

2.  Clean as a whistle.

3.  Brave as a lion.

4.  The tall girl stood out like a sore thumb.

5.  It was as easy as shooting fish in a barrel.

6.  My mouth was as dry as a bone.

7.  They fought like cats and dogs.

Personification

Personification gives human characteristics to inanimate objects, animals, or ideas.This can really affect the way the reader imagines things.

Personification is often used in poetry, fiction, and children's rhymes.

For Examples :

1.  Opportunity knocked at his door.

2.  The sun greeted me this morning.

3.  The sky was full of dancing stars.

4.  The vines wove their delicate fingers together.

5.  The radio suddenly stopped singing and stared at me.

6.  The sun played hide and seek with the clouds.

Hyperbole

Hyperbole is an outrageous exaggeration that emphasizes a point. It tends toward the ridiculous or the funny.

For Examples :

1.  You snore louder than a freight train!

2.  It's a slow burg. I spent a couple of weeks there one day.

3.  She's so dumb, she thinks Taco Bell is a Mexican phone company.

4.  I had to walk 15 miles to school in the snow, uphill, in bare feet.

5.  You could've knocked me over with a feather.

Symbolism

Symbolism occurs when a word has its own meaning but is used to represent something entirely different.

Examples :

1.  The American flag to represent patriotism and a love for one's country.

2.  a red rose symbolize love.

3.  an apple pie to represent a traditional American lifestyle.

4.  a chalkboard to represent education.

5.  The color black as a symbol for evil or death.

6.  an owl to represent wisdom.

Alliteration

Alliteration is a sound device. It is the repetition of the first consonant sounds in several words.

For Examples :

Betty bought butter but the butter was bitter, so Betty bought better butter to make the bitter butter better.

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is also a sound device where the words sound like their meaning, or mimic sounds.

Examples: Sounds of nature are all around us. Listen for the croak, caw, buzz, whirr, swish, hum, quack, meow, oink, and tweet.

Example of Song Analysis:

In the song  superhero we may find:

1.      “Arms as big as a Volkswagen Beetle (Hyperbole)

2.      My wife is the sun (Metaphor).

3.      His heart is pure gold (Metaphor) because his heart is compared to gold without using like or as. “You see fire in their eyes” heart of the actor.

4.      “She's got lions in her heart, A fire in her soul.

5.      The figurative language is   a methapor means that you do not see a real fire in her eyes but you see the brave.

Explain why this song matters to you.

Show how the information in the song will have an impact on your future.This section is your conclusion.

Example:

Superheroes is a song written for “the unsung heroes out in the world”. The song is aimed to give  the spirit for the people who are going through the hardest of times but can keep their head held high.The moral value for us we may respect to our kids by giving high motivation to do and to create. Speak to kids without talking down to them through imaginative lyrics that enchant and empower.

B.        Rangkuman VII

We can learn English through music and song. There are some instruments that guide how we learn meaningfull son that we will improve our English. The instruments to analyze the song are; opening, cultural context of the song, analysis of the lyric, analysis of the figurative language, analysis on why the song matters to you.

C.        Latihan Essay

Please make an analysis of your favourite song by the theory given.

Alternative Jawaban:

An Analysis of "Blank Space"

"Blank Space" was a critical and commercial success, having reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 following "Shake It Off". Swift became the first woman in the Hot 100's 56-year history to succeed herself at the top spot.[1] The song has also topped charts in Canada, South Africa and Australia. It was included in several critic's year-end lists and was the second and the sixth best song according to Time[2] and Rolling Stone.[3] In January 2015.

"Blank Space" was ranked at number three on The Village Voice '​s annual year-end Pazz & Jop critics' poll, one rank before "Shake It Off". Blank Space" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her fifth studio album 1989 (2014). It was written by Taylor Swift, Max Martin and Shellback. The song was released to the radio by Republic Records on November 10, 2014 as the album's second single, after "Shake It Off" and is the second track on the album. Musically, "Blank Space" is an electropop and minimal song with lyrics that satirize the media's perception of Swift and her relationships.

In popular music, a verse roughly corresponds to a poetic stanza. When two or more sections of the song have almost identical music and different lyrics, each section is considered one verse. It is not to be confused with a pre-verse, which is an interlude between the introduction of a song and its opening verse. Although less common now, the pre-verse technique was popular with the surf music of the 1960s.

Musically, "the verse is to be understood as a unit that prolongs the tonic....The musical structure of the verse nearly always recurs at least once with a different set of lyrics".[3] Lyrically, "the verse contains the details of the song: the story, the events, images and emotions that the writer wishes to express....Each verse will have different lyrics than the others."[1] "A verse exists primarily to support the chorus or refrain...both musically and lyrically."[4]

Pre-chorus

An optional section that may occur after the verse is the "pre-chorus." Also referred to as a "build", "channel," or "transitional bridge," the pre-chorus functions to connect the verse to the chorus with intermediary material, typically using subdominant or similar transitional harmonies. "Often, a two-phrase verse containing basic chords is followed by a passage, often harmonically probing, that leads to the full chorus."[5] Often when the verse and chorus involve the same harmonic structure, the pre-chorus will introduce a new harmonic pattern in order to make the harmony reappearance of the verse harmonies in the chorus seem fresh.

Chorus

""The difference between refrain and chorus is not always cut-and-dried; both refer to passages of unchanging music and text providing a periodic sense of return."[6] "At times, the term 'refrain' has been used interchangeably with 'chorus.' Technically, the refrain may be considered anything that's not the verse....a song part that contains the hook or title and appears more than once in a song is usually called 'a chorus.'"[7] "The chorus contains the main idea, or big picture, of what is being expressed lyrically and musically.

Bridge

A bridge may be, "a transition," but more often in popular music is, "a section that contrasts with the verse...[,] usually ends on the dominant...[, and] often culminates in a strong retransitional V".[9] "The bridge is a device that is used to break up the repetitive pattern of the song and keep the listeners attention....In a bridge, the pattern of the words and music change."[8]

D.       Latihan PG

Song

Child of Mine

By Carole King

…………………………….

Oh, yes sweet darling

So glad you are a child of mine

Child of mine

Child of mine

Oh, yes sweet darling

So glad you are a child of mine

Nobody's gonna kill your dreams

Or tell you how to live your life

There'll always be people to make it hard for a while

But you'll change their heads when they see you smile

The times you were born in

May not have been the best

But you can make the times to come

Better than the rest

I know you will be honest

If you can't always be kind

………………………………………………………

1.      Nobody's gonna kill your dreams

Or tell you how to live your life

There'll always be people to make it hard for a while

But you'll change their heads when they see you smile

The lyrics of the stanza tell the listener that … .

A.     The parents ask their children not to care about.

B.     The parents motivate their children to have self confidence.

C.     They should worry about everything in their life.

D.     People will never respect children.

E.      The parents ask their children not to think about

2.         The lyrics “I know you will be honest if you can't always be kind

mean that ... .

A.  parents know their children to be kind

B.  parents think people will not appreciate to their children

C.  being honest should be first in their life

D.  children are often dishonest

E.   children are always kind

Answer Key :  1.B        2.C

E.    Evaluation : Please choose one of the song you like and anlyze it based on the understanding you get!
E   Video