Channing: English Language Education and Literature Vol. 3 No.

2, Oktober 2018 Halaman: 70-81 70

A Semantic Analysis of Michael Learns to Rock’s (MLTR) Songs

Tatik Miarsih1, Hastuti Retno Kuspiyah2 and Yahya3

1
SMP Negeri 1 Belitang Madang Raya Kab. OKU Timur
2,
Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris STKIP Nurul Huda Sukaraja
3
SMA Negeri 2 Buay Bahuga Way Kanan Lampung
2
retno@stkipnurulhuda.ac.id
3
yahyawahab@yahoo.com

Abstract
This study concerns with the A Semantic Analysis of Michael Learns to Rock's (MLTR) Songs. This study proposes
problems are 1) what are the lexical meanings in the lyrics of Michael Learns to Rock's (MLTR) songs?, 2)What are the
contextual meanings in the lyrics of Michael Learns to Rock's (MLTR)? The purpose of this study is to find out the lexical
and contextual meaning that is used by Michael Learns to Rock's song lyrics. Therefore, this analysis used the
descriptive method because it is to describe the lexical and contextual meaning in MLTR's song lyrics. There are five
songs lyrics. Then, in this study, the procedure used in the data collection are (1) reading and comprehending the lyrics;
(2) identifying the words used in the lyrics; (3) Marking and finding the meaning of the words found in the lyrics; (4)
concluding the data analysis. Based on the finding, the writers found two kinds of meanings used in Michael Learns to
Rock's Songs lyrics. They are lexical and contextual meaning used in the lyrics of Michael Learns to Rock's songs. They
are 1) Paint My Love consists of 3 words; years, crazy and paint. 2) Sleeping Child consists of 4 words; Milky Way,
paradise, cover, and hold. 3) That's Why (You go away) consists of 4 words; Left, thing, man and way. 4) Love will
never Lie consists of 4 words; Run-down, road, lie and hear. 5) 25 Minutes consists of 4 words; Girl, done, hungry, and
hear.

Keywords: semantic, song lyric, analysis.

INTRODUCTION
Literature has been widely known by many people and experts. The word „literature' is derived
from the word „littera' in Latin which means letter. It refers to written or printed words. However, now,
the term „literature' is more focused and restricted to merely imaginative works, which comes up from
the imaginative mind of the story writerss. Klarer (2004:1) says that in most cases, literature is
referred to as the entirety of written expression, with the restriction that not every written document
can be categorized as literature in the more exact sense of the word. The definitions, therefore,
usually include additional adjectives newspapers, scientific textbooks, magazines, legal documents,
brochures, and so on.
Writing is always pictorial, but also the acoustic element, the spoken word is an integral part of
literature, for the alphabet translates spoken words into signs. Before writing developed as a system
of signs, whether pictographs or alphabets, "texts" were passed on orally. This predecessor of literary
expression, called "oral poetry," consisted of texts stored in a bard's or minstrel's memory which could
be recited upon demand. This oral component, which runs counter to the modern way of thinking
about texts, has been revived in the twentieth century through the medium of radio and other sound
carriers. Audio-literature and the lyrics of songs display the acoustic features of literary phenomena.
Song lyric is included as a kind of literature because it is language creation (poem) which contains a
personal feeling expression. Song lyric is like a poem but it is served in song form.
A song is a melody for a lyric poem or ballad. The lyric which is written by the author has a
destination that will be delivered to the audience. The song contains a word system, good diction, and
figurative language. So, it will make it not just in their ears, but heart also can feel it. A song is created
by author based on their life experience; tell about someone or another. Furthermore, Hornby
(1980:822), cited in Wijayanto (2013:17), the song is a short poem or number of verse set to music
and intended to be a song.
In addition, a song is a short piece of music with words that you sing (Hornby, 2010:1419). It

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means that the producing musical sounds with the voice and augment regular is a speech by the uses
of both tonality and rhythm. Songs play an important role in the development of young children
learning a second language. Therefore, Songs can help young learners improve their listening skills
and pronunciation. They potentially help them to improve their speaking skills. Songs can also be
useful tools in the learning of vocabulary, sentence structures, and sentence patterns, not to mention
their reflectivity of mother tongue culture.
The greatest benefit to use songs in the classroom is that the students can be fun and songs can
add interest to the classroom routine and potentially improve student motivation. In the writers'
opinion people are interested in music first; furthermore, they try to understand the lyrics. Although the
lyrics of a song are often simple, we shall not take them for granted, otherwise, we will not get the
bright sides of it. There is one way to do it that is by analyzing it.
In linguistics, language signs are constituted of four different levels, they are phonology,
morphology, syntax, and semantics. Phonology is a branch of linguistics which studies the sound
system of language. According to Crystal (2008:314), morphology is the branch of grammar which
studies the structure or form of words, primarily through the use of the morpheme construct. It is
traditionally distinguished from syntax, which deals with rules governing the combination of words in
sentences. The syntax is a traditional term for the study of the rules governing the way words are
combined to form sentences in a language (Crystal, 2008:471). Semantics is a branch of linguistics
devoted to the study of meaning in language. Moreover, Crystal says that the term is also used in
philosophy and logic, but not with the same range of meaning or emphasis as in linguistics. On the
other word, semantics is one of the branches of linguistics studying the meaning of language.
Meanwhile, Adisutrisno (2008:1) states semantics is the study of meaning in language. It‟s a fact
that meaning is a part of a language, but this definition has not been clearly delineated and given fair
treatment in the study of language until very recently. In traditional linguistics, language is viewed as
the vocabulary which is contained in literary works. In the study of language, language definitions are
sometimes based on meaning, and sometimes on function. Furthermore, according to Yule
(2010:112), semantics is the study of the meaning of words, there is always an attempt to focus on
what the words conventionally mean, rather than on what an individual speaker might want them to
mean on a particular occasion.
Meanwhile, Adisutrisno (2008:1) states semantics is the study of meaning in language. It's a fact
that meaning is a part of a language, but this definition has not been clearly delineated and given fair
treatment in the study of language until very recently. In traditional linguistics, language is viewed as
the vocabulary which is contained in literary works. In the study of language, language definitions are
sometimes based on meaning, and sometimes on function. Furthermore, according to Yule
(2010:112), semantics is the study of the meaning of words, there is always an attempt to focus on
what the words conventionally mean, rather than on what an individual speaker might want them to
mean on a particular occasion.
In this study, the writers chose literary works like songs. A song is any poem even there is the
attention of it being set to music. It is "Michael Learns to Rock's (MLTR)" Songs. The study limits on
lexical meanings and contextual meanings. Moreover, the writers chose "Michael Learns to Rock's"
song because their song is very interesting to examine and study in more detail. Besides that, the
writers have some reason to be analyzed this study. First of all, this song told about a love story.
Then, Michael Learns to Rock's song lyrics contains many clauses. And their songs are also easy to
listen. And then, the writers took five songs as a source in an album. The five songs were about a
love story that have the same story with the writers in the daily fact. This love story is an introduction
for the reader and listener that if we want to make a good relation with our partner, we must know
about all of the physical, characteristic, and about inherit of family. Besides that, these songs give
lexical meaning and contextual meaning and give a message for.
According to Creswell (2014: 32), qualitative research is a means for exploring and
understanding the meaning of individuals or groups ascribe to a social or human problem. The

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process of research involves emerging questions and procedures, data typically collected in the
participant's setting, data analysis inductively building from particulars to general themes, and the
researcher making interpretations of the meaning of the data. The final written report has a flexible
structure. Furthermore, Creswell (2014:239-240) states the collection procedures in qualitative
research involve four basic types and their strengths and limitations; they are qualitative observation,
qualitative interviews, qualitative documents, and qualitative audio and visual materials. In qualitative
audio and visual materials, this data may take the form of photographs, art objects, videotapes,
website main pages, e-mails, text messages, social media text, or any forms of sound.
Therefore, based on the explanations above, the writers conducted a study“A Semantic
Analysis of Michael Learns to Rock’s (MLTR) Songs”.

METHODOLOGY
In conducting this study, the writer used a descriptive method. According to Ratna (2004), cited
in Sopa (2015: 24): "Descriptive analysis method is done by describing the facts then followed by
analysis". Meanwhile, Ethridge (2004:24) state descriptive research may be characterized as simply
the attempt to determine, describe or identify what is, while analytical research attempts to establish
why it is that way or how it came to be. Furthermore, Denscombe (2010:237) explains that qualitative
research uses words or visual images as the unit of analysis.
According to Kothari (2004:2-3), descriptive research includes surveys and fact-finding inquiries
of different kinds. The major purpose of descriptive research is a description of the state of affairs as it
exists at present. The main characteristic of this method is that the researcher has no control over the
variables; he can only report what has happened or what is happening.
Furthermore, Kothari (2004:7-8) states research methods may be understood as all those
methods/techniques that are used for conduction of research, such as analysis of historical records
(recording of notes, content analysis, tape and film listening, and analysis) and analysis of documents
(statistical compilations and manipulations, reference and abstract guides, contents analysis).
Research methods or techniques, thus, refer to the methods the researchers use in performing
research operations. In other words, all those methods which are used by the researcher during the
course of studying his research problem are termed as research methods.
In analysis song lyrics of Michael Learns to Rock also conducted by library research. The writers
read some books and references that related to the subject matter, then collect and select the
relevant data. Besides that, some information search through web sites.
In line with the definition above, this study describes the lexical and contextual meaning in
Michael Learns to Rock's Songs. The writers used lexical and contextual analysis to analyze the
lexical and contextual meaning in Michael Learns to Rock's Songs. The writers used structural and
semantic analysis to find out the meanings, which construct the story in the songs.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

There are many ways to express someone‟s feelings. One of them is through the song. The data
of this study are words in Michael Learns To Rock‟s song lyrics. The data sources are song lyrics text
in Michael Learns To Rock selected album. It is Paint My Love. The writer only takes five song lyrics
of the album. They are Paint My Love, Sleeping Child, That‟s Why (You Go Away), Love will never Lie
and 25 Minutes.
The writers analyzed the data from collecting some song lyrics by Michael Learns to Rock's from
the internet and another source. After collecting the data from "Michael Learns to Rock" lyrics, the
writers analyzed them in accord with the study focuses. In this analysis, the writers used one word to
explain contain the term in "Michael Learns to Rock" lyrics. Terms here were word or combination of a
word which is used by "Michael Learns to Rock" lyrics in his lyrics to show his feeling or love to his
girlfriend, his family, and the world. There are many terms that have different meanings lexically and
contextually.

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1. Analysis of Paint My Love lyrics

The first analysis is Paint My Love. It is talking about love, the singer falls in love with
the girl that he has been dreaming for a long time. She is a very beautiful and perfect girl. So
the man really loves her. He hopes the girl can change his life, make his love more colorful
and his life becomes the happiest. And finally, the man‟s dream came true. As in the analysis
of song lyrics below:
S1, L1
From my youngest years
Till this moment here
I’ve never seen
Such a lovely queen

In the song lyrics above, the singer wants to describe that since he was a boy and all
his life, he has never met a beautiful girl like her. She is the most beautiful and the most
perfect girl. She is like an angel”.
S2, L4
From the skies above
To the deepest love
I’ve never felt
Crazy like this before

The singer describes that he loves someone special and he never fell in love like this
before. He feels very happy and he loves her so much. This expression based on the fourth
line.
S3, L5
Paint my love
You should paint my love
It’s the picture of a thousand sunsets
It’s the freedom of a thousand doves
Baby, you should paint my love

This stanza means the singer has a wish to the girl. He wants her to make his love
colorful and his life happier than before, the singer uses the phrase of a picture of a thousand
sunsets and freedom of a thousand doves, because sunset is an extraordinary view of
nature at noon and a white dove is a symbol of freedom, peace and love”.
S4
Been around the world
Then I met you girl
It’s like coming home
to a place I’ve known

From the lyrics above, the singer tells about after he traveled from one country to
another, finally the man met his girl adored in one country which is same condition with the
area of origin. So he felt like in his country and not in other countries.
S5
Since you came into my life
The days before all fade to black and white
Since you came into my life
Everything has changed

The last stanza tells us about the change of his life since he met the girl. Before he
met the girl, the days were flat and lonely. He wasn‟t happy. But, after he met her and
became his girlfriend, his dream came true. His life is happier than before.

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2. Analysis of Sleeping Child Lyrics

The song shows that the singer is a good father. He always lulls his son. Like a good
father he prays all the best to his family, his son and his wife. And he will do everything to
protect his son from bad things around him. This song also tells about a peace campaign.
The singer wants all leaders in the world to love peace and prevent conflict in the country or
with other countries. If there are an enmity and war then the victims are all children and
women. As in the analysis of song lyrics below:

S1, L1
The Milky Way upon the heavens
Is twinkling just for you
And Mr. Moon he came by
To say goodnight to you
I’ll sing for you I’ll sing for mother
We’re praying for the world
And for the people everywhere
Gonna show them all we care

The first stanza of Sleeping Child song tells us that the singer is the father of a son.
He was lulling his son. He said that the whole universe like the stars and the moon also said
goodnight to him. As a father, he will sing to his son and his beloved wife as their lullabies.
The man asks them to pray the best for the people everywhere, as proof that they actually
care about them.
S2, L2, and L3
Oh my sleeping child the world’s so wild
But you’ve built your own paradise
That’s one reason why I’ll cover you sleeping a child

In this stanza the singer wants to tell about “the life in the world is very hard and there
are a lot of bad things and problems to be confronted. But a child has his own world, a fun
children‟s world. He feels comfortable with his live and he will still play in the middle of
problems in the world. He will keep laughing and make people around him happy with his
innocent smile. So, all the parents in the world will take care and protect their children from
bad things around them”.
S3
If all the people around the world
They had a mind like yours
We’d have no fighting and no wars
There would be lasting peace on earth

In the part of song lyrics above, the singer has a wish “if all the people in the world
have good thoughts like the thoughts of a child who only knows about a pleasant life, they
will surely keep this world from crime and bad things. There will be no more fighting and wars
in the world and there would be lasting peace on earth.
S4, L3
If all the kings and all the leaders
Could see you here this way
They would hold the earth in their arms
They would learn to watch you play

From the lyrics above, the singer also expressed his feelings about his hopes for all
the leaders of the world. The singer has hopes of all the world leaders can be kind and wise
leaders, they will not create some wars and they will keep world peace in any way. They will
strive to be an honest and trustful leader for the people and the country and they will try to
care for their people.
S5

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I’m gonna cover my sleeping child

Keep you away from the world so wild

The last stanza tells because of there are so many crimes in the world and the targets
are children, so the man will protect his son forever.
3. Analysis of That’s Why (You Go Away) Lyrics
This song tells about the dishonesty of a girl to her lover. It tells the story of a man
who loves his girlfriend very much. But the girl wanted to part with him for no apparent
reason. Actually the man did not want it to happen. There are so many the girl‟s promises
and sweet memories he could not forget. Finally, they must be separated because he is not a
man loved by the girl. There isn‟t a way to make the condition be better and defend the
relationship. As in the analysis below:
S1, L4

Baby, won’t you tell me why there is sadness in your eyes

I don’t wanna say goodbye to you
Love is one big illusion I should try to forget
But there is something left in my head

The first stanza has meaning "a man who must be forced to forget love to his
girlfriend although he still loves and remembers sweet memories because, in fact, he does not
want to leave her"
S2, L3
You’re the one who said it up, now you’re the one to make it stop
I’m the one who’s feeling lost right now
Now you want me to forget every little thing you said
but there is something left in my head

The word "You" above refers to the singer's girlfriend. The singer expressed his
disappointment to her lover because his girlfriend breaks a promise on all the promises and
words that had been spoken once when they were still lovers. But he still cannot forget it. In
other words, in this verse, the man says "You are the one who promises and you are the one
who denies".
S3, L3
I won’t forget the way you’re kissing
The feeling’s so strong were lasing for so long
But I’m not the man your hearth is missing
That’s why you go away I know

At this stanza, the man reveals the reason why his girlfriend left him. “The reason why
the girl left her boyfriend because he is not the man she loves”. We can know this reason
from the third line.
S4
You were never satisfied no matter how I tried
Now you wanna say good bye to me
Love is one big illusion I should try to forget
But there is something left in my head

The fourth stanza means “the girl was never satisfied with all the sacrifices done by
her boyfriend, so she wants to leave her lover even though her boyfriend didn‟t want to leave
her”.
S5, L2
Sitting here all alone in the middle of nowhere
Don’t know which way to go
There ain’t so much to say now between us

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There ain’t so much for you

There ain’t so much for me anymore

The last stanza singer tells us “in his despair and solitude, the man had no purpose.
He wondered where he should go to solve his problems. He didn‟t know what else he wanted
to do to keep his love. Because no matter how hard the effort he has tried to maintain their
relationship, eventually their relationship ends because there is nothing else to fight for”.

4. Analysis of Love will never Lie Lyrics

The next analysis is Love will never Lie. The song is about honesty, trust, and loyalty.
The song tells us about a girl who hopes her boyfriend can change his decision not to go to
war. But the man had chosen the way to become a soldier, he had an obligation to obey the
commands and do the duties. One of them was to fight for independence. The man hopes
that he and his lover can get rid of each other's selfishness, so they can keep loyalty and
honesty for each other, no lies because of the great distance. Behind the sadness of his
going to war, there is little happiness in his hearth. Because, after his departure, there are
still many people who care, affection and attention to his lover are so she is not alone. He is
happy even though he is in the opposite condition when he has to go to war. As in the
analysis below:
S1, L2
Nothing can stop emotions
that run down the sides of your face
Wish I could change this moment to
another time and place

The singer tells “the expression of sadness and disappointment seen on his
girlfriend‟s face when she knew the reality and she hopes her boyfriend can change his
mind”.
S2, L2
Nothing you say can move me
I’ve chosen the road that I’m on
I have to join the fight for freedom
until the war is won

This verse tells of the man‟s determination to keep going on to war. Because as a
soldier, the state is number one. Although the girl wished her boyfriend would not leave to
join the war of independence but her effort wasted because nothing else can change the
boyfriend‟s decision. He had the determination to join the fight to win it”.
S3, L4
We will keep the faith between us
If we only try
We will keep the truth inside us
Love will never lie

The third stanza has meaning "the man hopes that he and his lover can get rid of
each other's selfishness. So they both will always try to keep each other's trust, loyalty, and
love even though they have a long distance relationship. Although they are not always
together, separated space and time, if they love each other there will be no lie between
them".
S4, L3
Someone will always hear you
Care about you when you cry
But no one can hear my heart is breaking
as I say goodbye

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In this verse tells about the man is trying to convince the girlfriend that after he leaves
she will not be alone and there are still many people around her who care about her. But, the
different feelings he felt when he had to go to war. No one knows about his sad feelings. As
a soldier he will remain tough and strong against this condition. He can cover up his sad
feelings from his girlfriend and others around him.

5. Analysis of 25 Minutes Lyrics

This song tells us about the singer's regret for leaving her lover. He regrets after
realizing that the girl is the best for him and wants her to be his girlfriend again. After
searching all places he still did not find her. But there is one place he doesn't go, it's the
church. One day he found the girl in the church, precisely in front of the church. The girl is
wearing a beautiful wedding dress and looks so happy. She just finished her marriage with
another man. In fact the girl also still loved him but it was too late. She's been the wife of
someone else, twenty-five minutes ago. As in the analysis below:
S1, L2, L5
After some times I’ve finally made up my mind
She is the girl and I really want to make her mine
I’m searching everywhere to find her again
To tell her I love her
And I’m sorry ‘bout the things I’ve done

The first stanza contains “regret of a man after he realizes his mistake for having left
his girlfriend, whereas the girl is the best for him. He searched for the girl everywhere to
apologize and asked her to be his lover again”.
S2
I find her standing in front of the church
The only place in town where I didn’t search
She looks so happy in her wedding dress
But she’s crying while she’s saying this

Through these lyrics, the man told if he found the girl in unexpected place, it was the
church and the girl looks so happy because she has held her marriage. But there is her
sadness because of the encounter”.
S3
CHORUS
Boy I missed your kisses all the time but this is
Twenty- five minutes too late
Though you travelled so far boy I’m sorry you are
Twenty- five minutes too late

In fact, the girl still loves the man. Because the man went away for a long time and
there was no certainty so he decided to marry another man. When he meets his ex-lover, the
marriage was done twenty-five minutes ago”.
S4
Against the wind I’m going home again
Wishing me back to the time when we were more than
Friends
From the lyrics above, we know that the singer is very desperate. He is very sad. He
didn‟t expect the marriage of his former lover. In this condition, the man still hopes that he can
be her boyfriend again.
S5
But still I see her in front of the church
The only place in town where I didn’t search
She looked so happy in her wedding dress
But she’s cried while she was saying this

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The singer tells us that he still remembers when he accidentally met the girl in front of
the church. She wore a wedding dress and looked so happy. The man also remembers when
the girl cried and said that she was too late. He still remembers all those memories.
S6, L2 and L4
Out in the streets
Places where hungry hearts have nothing to eat
Inside my head
Still I can hear the words she said
I can still hear her say

The lyrics describe how deep the sadness when he loses his beloved girlfriend. The
man was very disappointed and desperate to know what had happened. He never thought
his ex-lover would marry someone else. Everything that happens is beyond the expectations.
He walked aimlessly. He felt his life was empty. No more hope to get his lover back because
he has belonged to someone else. Now he can only remember all the sweet memories he
had been with her when he became her boyfriend.

DISCUSSION
Based on the result of the data about the lyrics of Michael Learns to Rock' songs on the previous
page, the writers discuss the result of the analysis in this part. And the writers analyzed these lyrics
with one or two words that not has a specific meaning. Lexical and contextual meaning were
analyzed, but not all words were analyzed.
This study has a clue to be known about one word and the other word that wants to analyze. For
example, the writers give a clue for the first stanza was S1. And then, for about line in the stanza, a
clue for the first line was L1. And then, for the next word continued for this clue. So, the reader not
confused to read this study.
1. Paint My love.
“From my youngest years” this lyric is in S 1 and L1. The word “Years” consider as an
adverb. The lexical meaning of “Years” is a period of 12 months, measured from any particular
time, or the period from 1 January to 31 December that is 365 or 366 days divided into 12
months. The contextual meaning was the time that the man had walked or the journey of life
that the man had passed.
“Crazy like this before” this lyric there is in S2 and L4. The word “Crazy” consider as an
adjective. The lexical meaning of “Crazy” is having a mind that does not work normally. The
contextual meaning was he never feels something like this before. He fell in love with someone
special, a very kind and beautiful woman, and he loves her very much.
“Baby you should paint my love” this lyric there is in S3 and L5. The word “Paint” consider
as a verb. The lexical meaning of “Paint” is to cover a surface or object with paint or to make a
picture or design using paints. The contextual meaning was someone who feels happy and had
a wish if the girls will make his life more colorful, nice and make him happy forever. He said
paint my love you should paints my love. It‟s the picture of a thousand sunsets. It‟s the freedom
of a thousand doves. So, the word “Paint” in the lyrics not only to make a picture or design
using paints, but in the contextual meaning have own term.
2. Sleeping Child
The second data is “Sleeping Child” song. Lexical and contextual meaning that the
researcher analyzed not all word that analyzed. “The milky way upon the heavens” this lyric
there is in S1 and L1. The word “Milky Way” has the lexical meaning as the system of stars that
contains our sun and its planets, seen as a bright band in the night sky. The contextual
meaning of “Milky Way” is all Stars on the sky.
“But you‟ve built your own paradise” this lyric there is in the S2 and L2. The lexical
meaning of “paradise” is a perfect place where people are said to go when they die. The

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Tatik Miarsih , Hastuti Retno Kuspiyah , dan Yahya

contextual meaning is a fun children‟s world. “That‟s one reason why I‟ll cover you sleeping
child” this lyric is in the S2 and L3. The lexical meaning of “cover” is to lie or spread over the
surface of something. The contextual meaning is as a father he will take care and keep the
lovely son from all of the bad things around him.
“They would hold the earth in their arm”, this lyric there is in S 4 and L3. The lexical
meaning of the word “hold” is to carry something, to have subject or something in your hand,
arms, etc. The contextual meaning is they will keep world peace in any way.

3. That’s Why (You Go Away)

“But there is something left in my head”. This lyric is in S1 and L4. The word “Left” in the
lyric, this analyzed about lexical meaning is to make or allow subject or something to remain in
a particular condition, place, etc. But in the contextual meaning has difference meaning. The
contextual meaning is the man still remembers, he can memorize in his mind all of the
memories with his girlfriend.
“Now you want me to forget every little thing you said” this lyric there is in S 2 and L3. The
word “thing” consider as a noun. The lexical meaning “Thing” was a fact, an event, a situation
or an action, what subject says or things. The contextual meaning is every word, every
sentence, and every promise of the girl said.
“But I‟m not the man your heart is missing”. This lyric is in S 3 and L3. The word “Man”
consider as a noun. The lexical meaning “Man” is an adult male human. The contextual
meaning of the word “Man” is the former lover girl.
“Don‟t know which way to go”. The lyric there is in S 6 and L2. The word “Way” is a noun.
The lexical meaning “Way” is a route or road that you take in order to reach a place. The
contextual meaning of the word “way” is the solution for the man to solve the problems he was
facing.
4. Love Will Never Lie
“That run down the sides of your face” this lyric there is in S 1 and L2. The word “run-down
consider as an adjective. The lexical meaning “run-down” is tired or slightly ill or sick, especially
from working hard. The contextual meaning of “run-down” is expressions that appear on his
girlfriend‟s face. “I‟ve chosen the road that I‟m on” this lyric is in S2 and L2. The word “road” is a
noun. The lexical meaning “road” is a hard surface built for vehicles to travel on. The contextual
meaning is the decision that has been taken by the man.
“Love will never lie”. The lyric is in the S3 and L4. The word “lie” is a verb. The lexical
meaning “lie” is to say or write something that you know is not true. The contextual meaning of
“lie” is there is never anything hidden from their partner and no one has another lover beside
him or her. Honesty is preferred.
“But no one can hear my heart is breaking”. This lyric there is in S 4 and L3. The word
“hear” in the lyric, this analyzed about lexical meaning is to listen or pay attention to the subject
or something. The contextual meaning is no one else knows what sadness he felt in his heart
when he took leave of war.
5. 25 Minutes
The fifth data is 25 Minutes. Lexical and contextual meaning that the researcher
analyzed not all word that analyzed. The writers take this word in this lyrics, only the word has
a real meaning to be understood for the reader. Because there is a word have lexical
meaning, but not suitable with the context that there is in the lyrics. “She is the girl and I really
want to make her mine”. This lyric there is in S 1 and L2. The lexical meaning of the word “girl”
is a young woman. But, the contextual meaning is the former lover of the man.
“And I‟m sorry „bout the things I‟ve done” this lyric there is in S 1 and L5. The word “done”
is a verb. The word “done” in the lyric, this analyzed about lexical meaning is finished or
completed to do actions. The contextual meaning is doing something bad to the girl or he left

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80 Channing: English Language Education and Literature Vol. 3 No. 2, Oktober 2018 Halaman: 70-81

the girl and there wasn‟t information about him for a long time.
”Places where hungry hearts have nothing to eat" this lyric there, is in S6 and L2. In this
lyric “Hungry” could not be interpreted as feeling that you want to eat something, but in the
contextual meaning has a different meaning. The contextual meaning is an empty feeling
because he doesn‟t get love as his wishes.
“I still can hear the words she said” this lyric is in S 6 and L4. The word "hear" consider as
a verb. The lexical meaning of hearing is to beware aware of sounds with your ears or to listen
or pay attention to a subject or something. The contextual meaning is remembered or
memorizes what she said or her promises.

CONCLUSION
Having analyzed the data as stated in the previous chapter of this study, the writers made
some conclusions based on the findings and the discussions as follows:
Based on the discussion of the findings, the writers concluded that so many terms the different
meanings between lexical meaning and contextual meaning. Having discussion the data, the writers
found that the lexical and the contextual meanings used in the lyrics of Michael Learns to Rock's
songs. They are 1) Paint My Love consists of 3 words; years, crazy and paint. 2) Sleeping Child
consists of 4 words; Milky Way, paradise, cover, and hold. 3) That's Why (You go away) consists of 4
words; Left, thing, man and way. 4) Love will never Lie consists of 4 words; Run-down, road, lie and
hear. 5) 25 Minutes consists of 4 words; Girl, done, hungry, and hear.
The writers concluded that the reader in the reading the terms have to know not only lexical
meaning here is the meaning but also contextual meaning. The lexical meaning here is the meaning
of the terms used in the lyrics of Michael Learns to Rock songs describe in the lexicon or dictionary.
The writer explained those as suitable as were written in the general dictionary. The writer wanted to
show that the meaning of the term used in the lyrics of Michael Learns to Rock songs from the lexicon
or general dictionary is fairly different from the meaning in the context.
The contextual meaning is the terms explained the actual meaning according to the situation in
which they were used. In this case, the situation meant above terms in the lyrics of Michael Learns to
Rock songs. After the writer finds out the lexical meaning and contextual meaning, the writer gives a
short story about this song. Because not all people have only known about the lexical and contextual
meaning but also they are known about the short story.

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 A Semantic Analysis of Michel Learn to Rock’s(MLTR) Songs 81
1 2 3
Tatik Miarsih , Hastuti Retno Kuspiyah , dan Yahya

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