ANALYSIS OF CONNOTATIVE MEANING IN BRING ME THE

HORIZON BAND’S SONG LYRICS IN SEMPITERNAL ALBUM

A THESIS PROPOSAL

SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF EXAMINERS IN PARTIAL

FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF

BACHELOR OF LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

By

MUHAMMAD KARISMA DANAEL

2019 101 046

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

LIA SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE YOGYAKARTA

YOGYAKARTA

2022
 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Study Background

Language is a human communication system consisting of a structured arrangement of

sounds (or their written representation) into larger units, such as morphemes, words,
sentences, and utterances (Richard & Schmidt, 2002). Language is one of the essential things
because it is the primary communication tool that humans use to communicate with other
humans, which has been the case for centuries. Language is a system of arbitrary vocal
symbols that can enable all people to be in a particular culture or other people who will learn
that cultural system by communicating or interacting techniques (Finoechiaro, 1964). The
process of displaying or interacting has a specific goal, such as getting information or
expressing a feeling, and things like that happen in the process of communicating using the
conversation method. However, as time progressed, other ways with the same goal of
communication and interaction emerged, namely, expressing the intentions and contents of a
person's heart and feelings. This can happen not because there are no more extended
conversations between individuals but instead because of the broader community's desire to
be heard more using literary works such as dramas, films, poetry, and songs.

Perhaps if viewed abstractly, things like literary works only contain conceptualized,
beautiful sounds and plots without any meaning in the activity. However, it is different if you
delve deeper into the communication process. In dramas and films, we can see many satirical
messages presented, and we can also see the feelings and thoughts of musicians or poets
through the poetry and songs they write. Even though poetry is more elegant and beautiful to
our ears, we do not listen to poetry every day, unlike a song where we can listen to a song
while doing various daily activities. In "The Infinite Variety of Music," Leonard Bernstein
(1979) defined a song as "a compact melody with words," highlighting the concise and
memorable nature of songs. As a start, we need to know that music and songs have
significant differences because songs have vocals or human voices sung repeatedly, while
music does not always have vocals or human voices. The elements in a song include melody,
harmony, tempo, rhythm, dynamics, and lyrics. Melody is the uniqueness of a song produced
by a series of notes created by the singer. Harmony combines several letters arranged to give
the listener a beautiful impression. Rhythm is a musical structure that consists of various
variations in the duration of sounds. Lyrics are the most important of all the things above
because, without lyrics, they would not be possible. Song lyrics are a person's expression
about something they have seen, heard, or experienced. In expressing their experiences,
musicians or songwriters play with words and language to create attraction and uniqueness in
their lyrics. This language game can take the form of vocal play, language styles, or
deviations in the meaning of words and is strengthened by the use of melodies and musical
notation adapted to the song's lyrics. Hence, the songwriter’s thoughts increasingly carry the
listener away.

Therefore, we need linguistics to understand wordplay and overall deviations in a

song's lyric meaning. Linguistics is a science that focuses on language and its use in
communication. According to Martinet (1987: 19), linguistics is a science that takes language
as its object of study. Meanwhile, according to Matthews (1997), linguistics is a scientific
study of linguistics that studies language. Linguistics is divided into two branches, namely
macrolinguistics (learning language about factors outside language) and microlinguistics
(studying language in a narrower sense as an independent natural phenomenon). In this
research, the branch that the writer took was microlinguistics. Microlinguistics consists of
general microlinguistics and microlinguistics for specific languages. The microlinguistics of a
particular language consists of descriptive, structural, historical, and comparative historical.
Meanwhile, general microlinguistics is divided into phonology (discussing sound from
function), morphology (investigating word structure, parts, and how they are formed), syntax
(investigating word units and other units above words), and semantics (investigating meaning
language whether lexical, grammatical or contextual).

Related to the above, to understand the whole wordplay and deviations in meaning in
a work in the form of song lyrics, the writer uses the branch of linguistics, namely
microlinguistics, which focuses on the general unit of microlinguistics that investigates the
meaning of language, namely semantics. Semantics is a part of language structure that
discusses the importance of an expression or word or a branch of linguistics that examines
symbols and their referents. For example, the term "chair" refers to "an object whose function
is to sit with four legs" (Kirdalaksana, 1993, p. 193).

In his book, Geoffrey Leech (1974:19) distinguishes meaning into seven different
elements, namely conceptual meaning (meaning that emphasizes logical meaning), thematic
(meaning that is communicated according to the speaker's method), reflective (meaning that
arises in terms of multiple conceptual meanings), colorative (meaning that contains
associations obtained by a word), affective (meaning that reflects the speaker's personal
feelings), stylistic (the meaning of a word that shows the social environment in which it is
used), and connotative (the cumulative value of an expression according to what it refers to).
To be more explicit, Leech (1981:12) stated that "Connotative meaning is the communicative
value on expression has by what it refers to, offers and above its purely conceptual content."
For example, in the sentence "He became a chicken because he was terrified of rock
climbing," the word "chicken" in connotative means cowardly or gutless. We need to know
that it is essential to understand the context of using connotative meaning because the
reference meaning of various words can be very different from the actual meaning
(conceptual meaning). Therefore, further research is needed to realize the potential for good
and correct communication.

Other researchers carry out several similar studies regarding their theses. Further
similar research was used as a reference for the writer in conducting this research. The first
related study was Analysis of the Connotative Meaning of Yusuf Islam's Songs (2019) by
Rika Wahyuni from UIN Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh. In her research, she focused on the
connotative meaning, and by comparing the denotative purpose, she showed differences in
the importance of the data. She classified connotative meaning into three types: positive,
negative, and neutral. Researchers apply a qualitative approach to analyzing data. The data
for this research are Yusuf Islam's songs in the album "Footprints in Light" from the internet.
Five themes were selected; "Wind," "Prophet's Seal," "I See, I See," "War Angel," and "God
Is Light." The findings show that thirty-six data contain connotative meaning: nineteen
positive, twelve harmful, and five neutral data. Apart from that, the positive connotative
meaning included in the data refers to the power of Allah SWT. Meanwhile, the negative and
neutral connotative meanings relate to humans and their negative characteristics.

The second study was carried out by Ita Purnamasari, who analyzed the title Analysis
of the Connotative Meaning of Justin Bieber's Song Lyrics. In this research, she focused on
connotative meaning using Chaer's (2013) theory and understanding the values of American
society using Khols' (1984) approach. This research was conducted by analyzing data
qualitatively utilizing the theory of Miles and Huberman (1984). Data collection techniques
are done by downloading songs and lyrics, listening to songs, reading poems, and watching
videos.

The latest research was by Teti Kustanti Kusumo (2021). She also studied it in his
research entitled An Analysis of Contextual Meanings in Taylor Swift's Song Lyrics from
STBA LIA Yogyakarta. The research focused on describing the context contained in the song
lyrics. This research was concerned with analyzing the contextual meaning of song lyrics and
explaining the context contained in the song lyrics.

In this research, the writer tries to find the connotative meaning in the song lyrics that
the researcher has selected from the Sempiternal Album by the band Bring Me The Horizon.
In conducting this research, the writer used Leech's theory of meaning.

The writer is interested in researching "Analysis of Connotative Meaning in Bring

Me The Horizon Band’s song Lyrics in Sempiternal Album." Bring Me The Horizon is a rock
band from England that adheres to metal music and is famous for its experimental and
energetic musical style. The band members are Oliver Skyes as vocalist, Lee Malia as
guitarist, Matt Kean as bassist, Matt Nicholls as drummer, and keyboardist Jordan Fish. They
released several successful albums and stole the attention of the music world. Every album
they released always presented emotional lyrics and upbeat guitar playing. Bring Me The
Horizon can provide an immersive experience for its listeners. With their unique style and
powerful voice, they continue to make achievements and win the hearts of fans worldwide,
including the writers who are amazed by the work they create.

Metal music is a genre that was born at the end of the 1960s and has developed
rapidly throughout its history. Initially, metal was inspired by blues and rock but with a more
complex and aggressive touch. Its development began in England, with bands such as Black
Sabbath and Judas Priest becoming the genre's forerunners. In the 1980s, Metal experienced
an explosion in popularity with the birth of subgenres such as Thrash Metal and Glam Metal.
Then, in the 1990s, Metal experienced an evolution with the advent of subgenres such as
Death Metal and Black Metal, which were more extreme. Metal continues to develop and has
become one of the most iconic music genres. It is loved by fans worldwide, including the
band Bring Me The Horizon, which uses the metal music genre as its instrument.
 According to the writer, their songs can be considered unique and different from those
we generally hear because the lyrics of their songs are full of violence and curses. This does
not appear without reason; the swearing and violence in their music is part of their unusual
exploration. They depict a world that is dark and full of physical and emotional violence.
Their lyrics describe suffering, emptiness, and the desire to escape this harsh life. Their
frightening and provocative words force their listeners to reflect on the violence within
themselves and the world around them. Although they may be controversial, the lyrics of the
songs performed by the band Bring Me The Horizon present an honest and poignant
illustration of the world's harsh realities.

However, despite all the controversy above, they have combined the power and
ferocity of metal with the beauty of melody. The voice of Oliver Sykes as lead vocalist
encapsulates dark and passionate emotions. Every word he spoke had a power that amazed
his listeners. From soul-stirring growls to heart-melting screams, he can deliver lyrics with
extraordinary intensity. This vocal technique strengthens the profound message contained in
their songs. In this way, Bring Me The Horizon creates an unforgettable musical experience
for its fans.

In this research, the writer chose songs from Bring Me The Horizon, specifically from
their fourth album, Sempiternal. Because they have messages that can be studied and
analyzed in depth, their album Sempiternal was released on April 1, 2013. This album marks
a change in Bring Me The Horizon's musical genre because it uses electronic, ambient, and
pop music. This album also reached the 11th out of 200 positions on Billboard with first-
week sales of 27,522 pieces, making it the highest charting album in America. Initially, this
album spawned four songs such as "Shadow Moses," "Sleepwalking," "Go to Hell, for
Heaven's Sake," and "Can You Feel My Hearth." However, the Sempiternal album now has
11 songs and three deluxe songs. The writer discusses the song lyrics from Bring Me The
Horizon's album from a semantic point of view. Then, the writer analyzes the song's lyrics
using Leech's theory of meaning. The music genre and story behind the band is what makes
Bring Me The Horizon one of the writer's favorite bands. Bring Me The Horizon is also quite
famous in the metal music scene. Although initially known as an aggressive metalcore band
with screaming vocals and dark lyrics, as time went by, they began to experiment with
elements of electronic and pop music. Throughout its career, the band has released several
albums featuring exciting variations of the metal genre. However, interesting differences
remain in the album "Sempiternal," which makes the writer interested in discussing the song
lyrics from the album. Their album used a more experimental approach by combining
metalcore elements with a more dominant electronic feel. Beautiful melodic guitars and
futuristic synthesizers create a darker and more mysterious atmosphere. Songs like "Shadow
Moses" and "Sleepwalking" show a shift in the band's musical style while maintaining the
power and intensity of metal.

In this research, the writer intends to erase the lousy stigma about metal music among
ordinary people. Apart from this goal, the writer also analyzes the message in the song's
lyrics and then explains what the lyrics mean. The songs chosen by the writer in this album
mostly tell stories about life's journey and the meaning of life from the perspective of people
with freedom.
1.2 Problem statement

The formulation of the problem that researchers want to analyze in the lyrics of the band
Bring Me The Horizon's song on the Sempiternal Album is:

1. What connotative meaning is contained in the song lyrics on Bring Me The

Horizon's Sempiternal album?

1.3 Scope of Study

In this research, the writer focused on finding the meaning and connotative messages in ten of
the fourteen songs from the Sempiternal album (playlist). The song titles are: "Can You Feel
My Heart,” “Empire,” “Sleepwalking,” “Shadow Moses,” “And the Snakes Start to Sing,”
“Seen It All Before,” “Antivist,” “Crooked Young,” “Hospital for Souls,” and “Go to Hell,
for Heaven's Sake.”

1.4 Objectives of Study

Based on the problem statement that the writer previously stated, the research objectives on
the lyrics of the song by Bring Me The Horizon on the Sempiternal Album are:

1. To find out the connotative meaning contained in the song lyrics on Bring Me
The Horizon's Sempiternal album.
1.5 Significance of the Study
 1. For the writer, this research aims to develop researchers' understanding of
semantics, especially in connotative meaning.
2. For readers, it is believed that this research can enrich readers' understanding of
connotative meaning. Apart from that, it can also be an alternative reference for
readers who are interested in conducting similar research.

1.6 Theoretical Approach

The writer uses the leading theory and other supporting theories. There are many definitions
of Semantics from many linguists.

Meaning plays an essential role in understanding what is communicated. The study of

meaning is a new field in this century, and in the future, this field of study will become more
advanced and have much value in the analysis of meaning in linguistics. In his book, Leech
(1981:12) stated, "Connotative meaning is the communicative value on expression has by
what it refers to, offers and above its purely conceptual content."

1.7 Research methods

Research methods are essential in conducting this research. Researchers used qualitative
descriptive methods to determine data sources, collection, and analysis.

The writer also conducted library research to collect data. First, researchers collected
data by downloading songs and song lyrics on the internet. After that, the writer describes the
data obtained and then finds out the connotative meaning of the song lyrics. The data and
results are written on paper and classified based on theory.

1.8 Thesis Organization

This thesis is divided into five chapters. The first chapter introduces the research background,
problem formulation, scope, objectives, significance, theoretical review, research methods,
and thesis organization. The second chapter is a review of related literature. In this chapter,
the writer will quote several theories about semantics, meaning, and types of importance in
semantics.
 The third chapter is about research methods. This chapter consists of data sources,
research instruments, and data analysis techniques used by the writer. The fourth chapter is
the research findings and discussion. In this chapter, the writer explains the data that has been
analyzed. The final chapter is the conclusion. In this section, the writer summarizes the entire
scope of research carried out in this study.

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