DENOTATIVE AND CONNOTATIVE MEANING IN ALL OF ME SONGS LYRIC

Muhammad Ivan Fauzi

Linguistic Department, Diponegoro University

Ivanfauzi@students.undip.ac.id

ABSTRACT

This research focuses on denotative and connotative meaning in John Legend song which the title
is All of Me. This research is examined the denotative and connotative meaning in All of Me
song lyrics. Descriptive qualitative method was implied in the research. The data in this
research are all English words, phrases, and sentences that support the occurrence of
denotative and connotative meaning. The source of data of this research is lyrics in All of
Me song. The steps of collecting data in this research are reading the lyrics in All of Me,
underlying sentences which is belongs to denotative meaning and connotative meaning,
classifying the data that had been underlying into denotative and connotative meaning. The
result shows that the use of denotative meaning and connotative meaning in the lyrics is equal.
There is no dominant to one another.

Keywords: Denotative and Connotative, Semantic, Song’s Lyrics

Meaning can be studied

through scientific study of language
INTRODUCTION called Linguistics. The branch of
Linguistics which deals with meaning
Music is an interactive and is called Semantics. In Semantics,
participatory medium (Small, 1998) meaning is divided into two parts,
that appears to constitute a literal meaning and non-literal
communicative system (Miell et al., meaning. Literal means based on the
2005), but one that is often actual words. Non-literal meaning is the
understood as communicating only other way around. The speaker means
emotion (Juslin & Sloboda, 2001). something different from his literal
Therefore, music is kind of media to meaning of the words, he has another
convey message through a song. A song intention’s which different from the
is considered as effective and common meaning of words he said. The hearer
media that can drop concept, message, may find it difficult to understand what
and expression of its creator to its the speaker wants to convey if the
listener through lyrics, music speaker speaks non-literally. There are a
composition, and the way its creator number of ways in expressing ideas
sings the song. A song contains lyrics which deviate from the semantic
which can be written as a completion or conventions, some of which are through
addition after the music itself. Lyrics the use of denotative and connotative
can be explicit and implicit and meaning.
sometimes lyrics have abstract meaning
or even cannot be understood. Semantics is central to the study
of communication and as
communication becomes more and more
a crucial factor in social organization, lyrics of songs because it deals with the
the need to understand it becomes more meaning of language used by people in
and more pressing. Semantics is also at order to convey their intended meaning
the central of the study of the human of speaking or message of a language
mind - thought processes, cognition, used. This research will investigate
conceptualization - all these are about the denotation and connotation
intricately bound up with the way in meanings are found in All of Me song
which we classify and convey our lyrics.
experience of the world through
language. Semantics as a part of linguistics
study, where the meaning of the
There are 7 types of meaning in semantics is the study of meaning and
semantics; (1) Denotative meaning sentence and also in language.
(meaning by dictionary), (2) According to Cole (1981), “Semantics is
Connotative meaning (meaning by involved in the determination of
suggest of mind),(3) Social meaning conventional (or literal) meaning”.
(social context), (4) Affective or Similarly, Recanati (2004) stated that
Emotive meaning (convey about semantics deals with the literal meaning
personal feeling),(5) Reflected meaning of words and sentences as determined by
(multiple conceptual meaning), (6) the rules of the language. According to
Collocative meaning (association of Fromkin (2001), “The study of linguistic
words), and (7) Thematic meaning meaning of morphemes, words, phrases,
(message of meaning) (Leech, 1974). and sentences is called semantics”.
Subfields of semantics are lexical
Denotation is the meaning of a semantics, which is concerned with the
word which is primarily refers to the meanings of words, and the meaning
real word, Meanwhile, Connotative relationships among words; and phrasal
meaning is when a word suggests a set or sentential semantics, which is
of associations or it is an imaginative or concerned with the meaning of syntactic
emotional suggestion connected with the units larger than the word. Therefore it
words, while readers can relate to such came onto a conclusion that semantics is
associations. the study of the meaning of words
(lexical semantics) and fixed word
The function of semantic is the combinations (phraseology), and how
purpose exact meanings of the words these combine to form the meanings of
and phrases and remove confusion, sentences.
which might lead the readers to believe a
word has many possible meanings. It According to Leech (1974),
makes a relationship between a word there are seven types: denotative
and the sentence through their meanings. meaning (meaning by dictionary),
Besides, semantic enables the readers to connotative meaning (meaning by
explore a sense of the meaning, because suggest of mind), social meaning (social
if the people remove or change the place context), affective or emotive meaning
ofa single word from the sentence, it (convey about personal feeling), and
will change the entire meanings, or else reflected meaning (multiple conceptual
the sentence will become anomalous. meaning), collocative meaning
Hence, the sense relation inside a (association of words), and thematic
sentence is very important, as a single meaning (message of meaning). The two
word does not carry any sense or types of meaning according to Leech are
meaning. Semantics is appropriated to as follows; denotative is the literal.
be used on investigating the meaning of “dictionary” meaning of a word – what
 is “supposed” to mean and connotative connotative and denotative meaning on
your personal meaning implication, or referrring a specific object, (2) Connotative
interpretation of a word. The differences meaning found more dominant compare than
between denotative and connotative dennotative meaning. Another related study was
meaning are; denotative meaning is a undertaken by Prayitna (2015). his research is
real meaning based on dictionary. It aimed to show the interpretation of the
means, it interprets directly a word, connotations found in the song lyrics, the
phrase, or sentence according dictionary. messages of the songs, and the contribution
Meanwhile, connotation is about getting of the connotations to the messages. The result
a meaning from a word, phrase, or of the research shows that there are 46
sentence according suggests, or what we utterances containing connotative meanings in
associate the word with, that goes the song lyrics. The connotative meaning found
beyond its formal definitions. is carried within words, phrases, and also
sentences. The messages conveyed in the songs
There are plenty of studies that are mostly motivating and persuasive. The
have been conducted internationally to connotations used in the song lyrics are to
investigate denotative and connotative portray images and build certain atmospheres.
analyzed in various media or object. The connotations found in the song lyrics play
There is a study has been carried out by an important role in creating particular senses
Apriyani (2018). This research focuses and delivering the messages.
on connotative meaning of expression
in maroon 5 V album. This research In conclusion, the following may be said about
has two major objectives proposed by the past studies discussed in this part. All the
the writer, they are (1) to explain the above – mentioned studies reconfirmed the
connotative meaning of key words as importance find out denotative and connotative
used by the composer of the Maroon 5 V meaning in a song. This research is expected
album, (2) to describe the to enrich the development of Semantics
components of the main words as study especially in denotative and connotative
expressed by the composer in the lyrics meaning. Based on the case above, the writer
of the Maroon 5 V album. The type of intends to study further about denotative an
this research is descriptive qualitative connotative meaning found All of Me song
research. The result of the research lyrics.
indicates that (1) the connotative
meaning found in Maroon 5 V
album’s lyrics are: anger 6,7%, METHODOLOGY
curiosity 6,7%, 2 happiness 13,3%, In this present study, descriptive-qualitative
melancholy 13,3%, needing 6,7%, method was considered as the most
sadness 53,3%. The dominant appropriate research design to be adopted.
connotative meaning of the main words Ary (2010) noted that descriptive qualitative
in the Maroon 5 V album is sadness. inquiry dealt with data that were in the form
Sari and Kusumawardhani (2016) conducted a
of words or pictures rather than numbers and
research about The purpose of the analysis is to statistics, in this case the data itself were the
find out some words that contains with text of speech. The data source for this study
connotative and denotative meaning on specific was the lyrics of All of Me song.
object in the three one direction’s songs lyric Christensen, Johnson, and Turner (2011: 52)
based on Withers and Keami (2003) as the state that “qualitative data consist of words,
activity in semantic class. Descriptive qualitative pictures, clothing, documents, or other non-
employed as the method in the research. After numerical information”. Then, according to
analyzing the data found from the lyrics, this Arikunto (2002: 107), “data source is the
study found that (1) Some lyrics contained with subject from which the data are obtained”.
The data in this research are all English The conclusion of the phrase
main words that support the occurrence of “smart mouth” related on the song lyric
denotative and connotative found in All of “What would I do without your smart
Me song. The source of data in this research mouth” has connotative meaning,
because the phrase “smart mouth” in
is All of Me song lyrics.
here, if the writer connects to all lyric in
“All of Me” song ,it describes of a
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION woman who expresses what she feels
inside. The way she talks, the gestures
Based on the data analysis below, the researcher she makes are addictive.
presents research findings as follows. The
researcher also encloses two tables as the 2. Drawing me in /phrase/
additional explanation of the research finding. second line
The connotative meaning of keywords as used
The conclusion of the phrase
by the composer of the All of Me song lyrics
“drawing me in” related on the song
is delivered on the table below:
lyric “Drawing me in, and you kicking
Table 3.1 me out” has connotative meaning,
because the phrase “drawing me in” in
Word/ Phrase Meaning here, if the writer connects to all lyric in
Smart mouth Connotative Meaning “All of Me” song , it describes of a
Drawing me in Connotative Meaning woman who invites him to come to her
Head spinning Connotative Meaning life.
Beautiful mind Connotative Meaning
Magical mystery Connotative Meaning 3. Head spinning / phrase/ third
ride line
My head's under Connotative Meaning
The conclusion of the phrase
water but I'm
“head spinning ” related on the song
breathing fine
lyric “Got my head spinning, no
Crazy Connotative Meaning
kidding, I can’t pin you down” has
Out of my mind Connotative Meaning
connotative meaning, because the phrase
All Connotative Meaning
“head spinning” in here, if the writer
Curves Connotative Meaning
connects to all lyric in “All of Me” song,
Edges Connotative Meaning
it describes that he can't understand her,
My end and my Connotative Meaning
but loves her nonetheless. He is
beginning
confused with all that is going on in her.
World Connotative Meaning
Every move Connotative Meaning 4. Beautiful mind / phrase /
Beating down Connotative Meaning fourth line
My rhythm and Connotative Meaning
blues The conclusion of the phrase
Heart Connotative Meaning “beautiful mind” related on the song
lyric “What’s going on in that beautiful
mind” has connotative meaning, because
There are six words, 10 phrases and 1 sentence the phrase “beautiful mind” in here, if
that contain connotative meaning. The meaning the writer connects to all lyric in “All of
is explained below: Me” song, it describes of rational in a
grown-up way, using its logical and
1. Smart mouth /phrase/first other rational skills to seek the truth, as
line far as possible, instead of using those to
win arguments.
 5. Magical mystery The conclusion of the word “all”
ride/phrase/fifth line related on the song lyric “'Cause all of
me loves all of you” has connotative
The conclusion of the phrase meaning, because the word “all” in here,
“magical mystery ride” related on the if the writer connects to all lyric in “All
song lyric “I’m on your magical mystery of Me” song, it describes of his soul, his
ride” has connotative meaning, because heart, his effort and he will do anything
the phrase “magical mystery ride” in for her.
here, if the writer connects to all lyric in
“All of Me” song, it describes that he 10. Curves/word/eleventh line
does not know what is going on him.

6. My head's under water but The conclusion of the word “curves”

I'm breathing fine/ sentence/ seventh related on the song lyric “Love your
line curves and all your edges” has
connotative meaning, because the word
The conclusion of the sentence “curves” in here, if the writer connects
“my head's under water but I'm to all lyric in “All of Me” song, it
breathing fine” has connotative describes of her imperfection.
meaning, because the phrase “my head's
under water but I'm breathing fine, if the 11. Edges/ word/eleventh line
writer connects to all lyric in “All of
Me” song, it describes that every time he The conclusion of the word
got trouble or encountered difficult “edges” related on the song lyric “Love
situation in which he doesn't know what your curves and all your edges” has
he will do, she is there to comfort. And connotative meaning, because the word
with her everything is fine even there are “edges” in here, if the writer connects to
ups and down. all lyric in “All of Me” song, it describes
of her limitedness.
7. Crazy/ word/ eighth line
12. My end and my
The conclusion of the word beginning/phrase/twelfth line
“crazy” related on the song lyric
“You’re crazy and I’m out of my mind” The conclusion of the phrase
has connotative meaning, because the “my end and my beginning” related on
phrase “crazy” in here, if the writer the song lyric “You’re my end and my
connects to all lyric in “All of Me” song, beginning” has connotative meaning,
it describes that she attracts him deeply. because the phrase “my end and my
beginning” in here, if the writer
8. Out of my mind/ connects to all lyric in “All of Me” song,
phrase/eighth line it describes that the woman is his entire
world. He wants to say that he can't live
The conclusion of the phrase without her.
“out of my mind” related on the song
lyric “You’re crazy and I’m out of my 13. World/ word/ fifteenth line
mind” has connotative meaning, because
the phrase “out of my mind” in here, if The conclusion of the word
the writer connects to all lyric in “All of “world” related on the song lyric “The
Me” song, it describes that he cannot world is beating you down, I’m around
think normally. through every move” has connotative
meaning, because the word “world” in
9. All / word / ninth line here, if the writer connects to all lyric in
“All of Me” song, it describes of her In other hand, there are
surroundings. seventeen denotative meaning that are
found in the lyrics. There are three
14. Every move/phrase/ phrases and fourteen words. The
fifteenth line researcher searched the meaning using
Cambridge Advanced Learner's
The conclusion of the phrase Dictionary - 3rd Edition.
“every move” related on the song lyric
“The world is beating you down, I’m Table 3.2
around through every move” has
connotative meaning, because the phrase
“every move” in here, if the writer Word/phrase/ Meaning
connects to all lyric in “All of Me” song, sentence
it describes of wherever the woman Kicking out to force someone to
goes, he will be with her. leave a place or
organization
15. Beating you down/phrase/
fifteenth line
Pin down to stop someone from
The conclusion of the phrase escaping by
“beating you down” related on the song surrounding them and
lyric “The world is beating you down, shooting at them if
I’m around through every move” has they try to escape
connotative meaning, because the phrase
“beating you down” in here, if the writer Dizzy feeling as if everything
connects to all lyric in “All of Me” song, is turning round and
it describes that when she in the bad being unable to
situation. balance and about to
fall down
16. My rhythm and
blues/phrase/nineteenth line Hit to touch something
with sudden force
The conclusion of the phrase
“my rhythm and blues” related on the Love to like another adult
song lyric “My worst distraction, my very much and be
rhythm and blues” has connotative romantically and
meaning, because the phrase “my sexually attracted to
rhythm and blues” in here, if the writer them, or to have strong
connects to all lyric in “All of Me” song, feelings of liking a
it describes that she is what he always friend or person
listening to and makes him happy Perfect complete and correct
imperfection in every way; and
17. Heart / word/ twentieth line
weakness
The conclusion of the word
“heart” related on the song lyric “Cards Give to offer something to
on the table, we’re both showing hearts” someone, or to provide
has connotative meaning, because the them with it
word “heart” in here, if the writer
connects to all lyric in “All of Me” song, Tell To say something to
it describes of their feelings. someone, often giving
them information or
instructions
 also sentence that contain connotative meaning,
Cry to produce tears as the which are Smart mouth, Drawing me in, Head
result of a strong spinning, Beautiful mind, Magical mystery ride,
emotion, such as My head's under water but I'm breathing fine,
unhappiness or pain Crazy, Out of my mind, All, Curves , Edges ,
My end and my beginning, World, Every move,
Beautiful very attractive Beating down, My rhythm and blues, Heart.
Downfall to no longer have There are words, phrases that contains the
something because you denotative meaning, which are Kicking out, Pin
do not know where it down, Dizzy, Hit, Love , Perfect imperfection,
is, or because it has Give , Tell , Cry, Beautiful, Downfall, Muse ,
been taken away from Distraction, Lose, Winning.
you
The use of meaning between denotative and
Muse that has won connotative meaning on the song lyrics by John
something Legend is equal to one another. The reader can
see the example of them and understand the
Distraction (something that
differences of denotative and connotative
causes) the usually
meaning, so the reader knows the true meaning
sudden destruction of a
of All of Me song. The Researcher hopes that
person
this research will be useful to know about
Lose an imaginary being or
semantic especially denotative and connotative
force that gives
meaning, because this mini research has some
someone ideas and
denotative and connotative meaning theory
helps them to write,
based on some experts.
paint or make music

Winning something that

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