ELYSIAN JOURNAL

English Literature, Linguistics and Translation Studies

Vol. 3 no.1 (2023)
Program Studi Sastra Inggris Fakultas Bahasa Asing,
Universitas Mahasaraswati, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia

The Analysis of Figurative Language Used in The Song Lyrics of

Adele's Album “30”

I Komang Agus Tri Mahendra1, Ni Wayan Suastini2, Komang Dian Puspita

Candra3
English Study Program Faculty of Foreign Languages, Mahasaraswati Denpasar University,
Jl. Kamboja No. 11 A Denpasar –Bali, 80233
Correspondence Email: agusmahendraa454@gmail.com, wayaneni28@yahoo.com,
dianpuspitacandra@unmas.ac.id

Abstract
This study analyzes the figurative language used in the song lyrics of Adele’s album
“30”. The song writer plays words and language to create attraction and
distinctiveness towards the lyrics of the song. Figurative language has the ability to
be more impactful for the readers. This study is aimed to identify the types of
figurative language used in the song lyrics of Adele's album "30", and to analyze the
meaning of figurative language found in the song lyrics of Adele's album “30”. The
data were analyzed based on the theory of figurative language proposed by
Knickerbocker and Reninger (1974) and theory of Meaning proposed by Geoffrey
Leech (1974). The result of this study showed there are 7 types of figurative
language found in Adele’s album “30”. They are simile, personification, metaphor,
synecdoche, hyperbole, irony and paradox. This study found 3 simile, 2
personification, 4 metaphor, 2 synecdoche, 13 hyperbole, 1 irony and 3 paradoxes. In
analyzing the contextual meaning this study found some types of meaning used in
lyrics of song, those are connotative meaning, thematic meaning, affective meaning,
reflected meaning, and stylistic meaning.
Keywords: figurative language, meaning, song lyric

Abstrak
Penelitian ini menganalisis bahasa kiasan yang digunakan dalam lirik lagu album
Adele “30”. Penulis lagu memainkan kata-kata dan bahasa untuk menciptakan daya
tarik dan kekhasan terhadap lirik lagu. Bahasa kiasan memiliki kemampuan untuk
lebih berdampak bagi pembaca. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menjawab dua
permasalahan penelitian, yaitu: (1) Untuk mengidentifikasi jenis-jenis bahasa kiasan
yang digunakan dalam lirik lagu album Adele "30". (2) Menganalisis makna bahasa
kiasan yang terdapat dalam lirik lagu album Adele “30”. Data dianalisis berdasarkan
teori bahasa kiasan yang dikemukakan oleh Knickerbocker dan Reninger (1974) dan
teori Arti yang dikemukakan oleh Geoffrey Leech (1974). Hasil penelitian ini
menunjukkan ada 7 jenis bahasa kiasan yang ditemukan dalam album Adele “30 ”.

FBA UNMAS JOURNAL

 The Analysis of Figurative Language Used in The Song Lyrics of Adele's Album “30” –
IKAT Mahendra1, NW Suastini2, KDP Candra3

Yaitu simile, personifikasi, metafora, sinekdoke, hiperbola, ironi, dan paradoks.

Penelitian ini menemukan 3 simile, 2 personifikasi, 4 metafora, 2 sinekdok, 13
hiperbola, 1 ironi dan 3 paradoks. Dan sebaliknya dalam menganalisis makna
kontekstual penelitian ini menemukan beberapa jenis makna yang digunakan dalam
lirik lagu, yaitu makna konotatif, makna tematik, makna afektif, makna pantul, dan
makna stilistika.

Kata kunci: bahasa kiasan, makna, lirik lagu

Introduction

Language is very important in human life because every human uses language
to interact and communicate or to get information both in spoken and written
language. Language is a communication system that consists of a series of sounds
and written symbols used by people in certain countries to speak and write.
Language is a communication tool. People can express themselves through their
language, thoughts and feelings. Hornby (1987) states that language is a human and
non-intensive way of conveying ideas, feelings, and desires by means of the sound
system and sound symbols. Language can be represented by explicit and implicit
feelings and thoughts. Also called a vehicle, because through language humans can
share and convey their thoughts.

According to Mayer (1997:1), literature is a term that usually describes the

structure of writing that is separated in the careful use of language, all changing
expressions, including inventive highlights of analogy, various grammars, use of
words and rhymes. Sounds similar, researched in style or proposed by an author for
later reading in a unique or interesting way, and to some extent open to
understanding. Literature works need somebody that really has a thought widely,
imagination, wisely and using many aspects of life that they can put on in their
Masterpiece, the aspects could be experian of life or they usually express their
feeling to somebody that they love and hate in beautiful words. the language in
literature work has a different structure and pattern in their works, the author
commonly puts the message inside their work using beautiful words.

Language uses many figures of speech. In general, figurative language can even
be a language that deviates from the language used on quality intervals, the literal
way used to describe people or things. The victimization of figurative language
creates inventive descriptions in a contemporary way which is usually immediately
apparent whether an author uses figurative language or not (Reaske, 1966:33).
Figurative language is used in some written works such as poetry and songs.
According to Knickerbocker and Reninger (1974), figurative language sometimes
considered and interpreted, is called metaphorical language or just metaphor.
meaning literally language to transfer), consists of many types of figures of speech.
According to Knickerbocker and Renninger (1974), the following are the types of
figurative language: simile, metaphor, personification, synecdoche, metonymy,

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hyperbole, irony, dead metaphor, allusion and paradox. The meaning of figurative
language is language or words used in writing or conversation that give effect to the
writing to give a deeper meaning or choose several different words from
interpretation or translation. The phenomenon of using figurative language is already
rife in the world of poetry and song lyrics. The purpose of figurative language is to
give a deeper meaning or choose several different words with interpretation or
translation, that either emphasizes the feelings or emotions of the author.

The lyrics of the song are composed with words that express the feelings of a
songwriter and use emotions to create imaginative works. The lyrics use ordinary
language, making people feel comfortable when listening to the lyrics of the song.
Lyrics can be explicit or implicit in describing their meaning. Understanding the
figurative lyrics of the song is not as easy as singing, the listener of the song needs
observation about literature or the imaginative mind. Many people are very interested
in listening to and understanding a piece of music that has figurative language.

A singer whose songs always hit on the Billboard music charts, according to
britannica.com, Adele is an English singer and songwriter and musician named
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (5 May 1988). what makes her different from other British
singer-songwriters and musicians is that she always includes a message in her lyrics,
every song always describes feelings of love, every song has several languages
figuratively or even more. Adele is one of the most popular singers at this moment
among teenagers and music lovers due to her beautiful themes and compositions.

Method

The data of this research were taken from the song lyrics of Adele's album
“30”, released on November 19, 2021. This album consists of 12 songs, such as,
Love Is A Game, To Be Loved, Woman Like Me, All Night Parking, Hold On, I Drink
Wine, Can I Get It, Cry Your Heart Out, Oh My God, My Little Love, Strangers By
Nature, and Easy On Me. In this study using song lyrics as a data source and the
lyrics are taken from the website address genius.com, this website displays the lyrics
of Adele's songs. This research applied an observation method with no participation.
According to Ary et al (2010:431) Data collection through observation is an
observation method. This data collection method to obtain data in qualitative
research is categorized as observational research because it is necessary for the
researcher to be immersed in an environment in which the respondent then takes
notes. The note-taking technique was applied to mark the relevant data for the study.
The process of collecting data in this study consists of the following steps. 1.
Browsing the album of Adele with the title Adele album “30” at genius.com. 2.
Collecting Adele songs. The researcher chooses an album by Adele with the title 30
this album includes 12 songs. 3. Reading and understanding the lyrics. In this step,
the researcher read the lyrics seriously, to understand deeply about the lyrics of the
song. 4. Identifying all the sentences, phrases and words that contain figurative
language. After reading and understanding the lyrics of Adele songs, the researcher

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identifies or finds all words, sentences and phrases containing figurative language as
the data.

Result and Discussion

Table 1 Types of Figurative Language

NO Types of Figurative Language Occurrence Percentage
1 Simile 3 10.7%
2 Metaphor 4 14.2%
3 Personification 2 7.2%
4 Synecdoche 2 7.2%
5 Hyperbole 13 46.5%
6 Irony 1 3.5%
7 Paradox 3 10.7%
Total 28 100%

Discussion

Based on the table above, the researcher found seven types of figurative
language in Adele’s album “30”. Based on the theory used by Knickerbocker and
Reninger (1963). The total data of figurative language in each type are Simile 3
(10.7%), Metaphor 4 (14.2%), Personification 2 (7.2%), Synecdoche 2 (7.2%),
Hyperbole 13 (46.5%), Irony 1 (3.5%) and Paradox 3 (10.7%). In explaining the
data, here the researcher only includes some of the best parts of each type of data,
which are analyzed below.

Simile

Data 1: I see your eyes widen like an ocean (My Little love, Line : 2)

The lyrics above contain simile. In this lyric there is a word “like” that
symbolizes simile and there is a comparison between “eyes widen” and “ocean”.
According to the Oxford dictionary (2020), the word "eyes" refers to one of the two
organs on the face that you use to see. And the word “ocean” refers to a mass of salty
water that mostly covers the earth's surface. The word "eyes widen" means someone's
feelings of fear and emotion. In this lyric, the writer describes when the writer sees
someone special or loved in his life, then the feeling of fear and emotion arises, the
writer is afraid to express his love for that person, also afraid of losing that person.
The singer compares "eyes widen" with "oceans" because the eyes describe a
person's emotional feelings and compare them to the ocean because the ocean has
mystery and many secrets inside the ocean. This lyric has a message to convey to his

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lover with the theme of this song is the expression of the author's love, which is
when he looks at someone he once loved and looks into his eyes which are full of
secret feelings.

Based on the theory proposed by Leech (1974) these lyrics is related to

connotative meaning. In this case, the connotative meaning is expressed with “I see
your eyes widen like an ocean”. The songwriter uses the word "ocean", to emphasize
its deep meaning, because the ocean has no limits, and no one knows how and when
people can get out of our lives, the ocean still holds many mysteries in the ocean, of
course. people do not really know how deep the ocean is. The meaning of this lyric is
how scared and emotional he feels when he sees someone, he loves in front of him
but cannot be loved. In this context, the ocean refers to something that is not actually
the ocean, but closer to the singer's sadness because he cannot be with someone who
he loves.

Metaphor

Data 2: That love is a game for fools to play (Love Is A Game, Line : 12)

The lyrics above contain metaphor. This lyric is composed using a metaphor
because there is a comparison between “love” and “game” without using as or like.
According to the Oxford dictionary (2020), the word “love” refers to a strong feeling
of deep affection for something. The word “game” refers to an activity or a sport
with a rule. and “fool'' refers to people who you think behave unintelligently. In this
situation the author states that disagreement about love is a game. Because the author
has a relationship with his lover with a sincere love and not to be played with, only a
fool plays with his love, because every love ending will cause sadness. Comparing
"love" and "game" because they both make a feeling of pleasure, happiness to the
end of sadness. But the author also does not agree that love is only to be played with,
so the author emphasizes the statement that only fools play. The context of the lyrics
of the song and its theme leads to the breakup experienced by the author.
Based on the theory proposed by Leech (1974) these lyrics is related to
connotative meaning. In this case, the connotative meaning is expressed with “That
love is a game for fools to play”. The meaning of this lyric is the author wants to
describe his feeling for someone who has been playing in their place, it can be seen
from the word love is a game, for those lyrics we can feel that it is a person who has
been playing with someone in their place. The song writer tries to tell someone who
played someone in their place, it is not the only one person she can play his feelings like a
game, otherwise the author got played with her also. The lyrics that refer to the author
got played is “love”, The author has been wreathe in a relationship with her and got
cheated with her, the author says that she already plays another person feeling in the
same place.

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Personification

Data 3: I built a house for a love to grow (To Be Loved, Line : 1)

The lyrics above contain personification. This lyric is composed by using a

type of personification because there is an implied comparison between a non-human
being and a human being. The word “house” is interpreted as non-human and the
word “love to grow” is part of the human feeling, interpreted as human. According
to the Oxford dictionary (2020), the word “house” refers to a building for people to
live in, usually for one family. The word “Love to grow” refers to a feeling of
growing and deep affection for someone. The situation described here is that the
author intends to build a relationship with a woman, he makes an analogy that
building a relationship is like building a house, many things must be prepared in it, but
to grow love the author must be able to make the woman comfortable like being at home. In
this case, the words “house” and “Love to grow” here the writer presents the two
words because the songwriter wants to describe that he wants to grow his love for the
person he loves so much, hoping to be as comfortable as a house that can be lived in
with a sense of safety and peace.

Based on the theory proposed by Leech (1974) these lyrics is related to

connotative meaning. In this case, the connotative meaning is expressed with “I built
a house for a love to grow”. The songwriter tries to express that he wants to grow a
love for someone he loves comfortably, but the writer analogizes it to building a
house to find true love which can be seen from the word house, it means the right
person who is the place to live. The author wants to express that someone who builds
feelings or hearts for the right person and wants to make it the right thing as a house
where love can grow like family.

Synecdoche

Data 4: When I'm stumbling in the dark for a hand (Hold On, Line: 10)

The lyrics above contain synecdoche. This lyric is composed by using a type
of synecdoche because that shows the use of a part for the whole. In the lyrics there
is the word "hand" which is identified as human. According to the Oxford dictionary
(2020), the word “stumbling “refers to hit your foot againtst something while you are
walking or running and almost fall. And the word “dark” refers to without or very
little light, especially because it is night. The situation described in this lyric is when
the writer falls or falls into a problem and cannot overcome the big problem, where
the writer feels like he is helpless and very tired of struggling with himself. Using the
word "hand" here because the author needs the help of someone who can save him
from his problems, the intervention of people will make his struggle easier. The
message to be conveyed in this lyric is that the author cannot stand being alone and
his problems, he needs someone's help to ease the problems in his life. In this lyric
"I'm stumbling in the dark for a hand" the singer tells the listener that he seems to

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have fallen into a big problem in his life and hopes to find someone who can help
him out of the darkness.
Based on the theory proposed by Leech (1974) these lyrics is related to
connotative meaning. In this case, the connotative meaning is expressed with “When
I'm stumbling in the dark for a hand”. The meaning of this lyric is that the author
describes the sadness of someone who fell into a slump in his life. The lyrics mean
that someone has fallen into a bad or dark life, illustrated as darkness and wants to
find someone who can help him out of adversity and problems, hoping that person
can make his future life better.

Hyperbole

Data 5: I swear I'm dead in the eyes (Cry Your Heart Out, Line: 10)

The lyrics above contain hyperbole. The lyrics draw attention by saying
something that cannot be true and identify as hyperbole. According to the Oxford
dictionary (2020), the word “swear” refers to make a serious promise to do
something. The word “dead” is no longer alive. And the word "eyes" refers to one of
the two organs on the face that you use to see. The situation described in this lyric is
that the writer feels very tired of what other people have said to him, the writer feels
that he has nothing more to say, the writer cannot even cry because of it. So, the
expression "swear" is a statement that confirms that he is really sad right now, plus
death in the eyes which means he can't see things with a clear mind. The message
conveyed in these lyrics, the singer tells the listener that he has nothing to feel
anymore, and nobody can do it in real life. The context of this song lyric refers to the
theme of the broken heart.
Based on the theory proposed by Leech (1974) these lyrics is related to
affective meaning. Affective meaning has more directly a reflection of the speaker’s
personal attitude or feelings toward the listener or the target of the utterance. The
affective meaning of the lyric above can be seen from how the songwriter expressed
his feeling of sadness to someone in “dead” words. This term was used to make an
exaggeration effect toward the lyric , the fact is when that statement was said , the
speaker was still fine, not dead. The songwriter used this statement to express his
feelings. The lyric was used by the songwriter to show his affection to his crush or
the someone he likes. Based on the lyrics, the songwriter describes his feelings to
someone he likes. He told her that his heart already chose her as his crush, and he
could die if he can’t have her as his lover, and when he thought about it, he described
his feeling as being like dying. The term dead is used to be brought to or as if to the
point of death by an intense emotion. The songwriter used this term to give the lyric
an effect of exaggeration.

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Irony

Data 6: Stop drowning in wait

Your love is useless without it (Cry Your Heart Out, Line: 38)

The lyrics above contain irony. This lyric is a statement of which surface.
According to the Oxford dictionary (2020), The word “love” refers to a strong
feeling of deep affection for something. And the word “drowning” refers to dying
because you have been under water too long and cannot breathe. the author states
describe the situation here about stopping waiting for something that is uncertain
because it will make him happy, the author states that love will be useless if given to
the wrong person. Where the author expresses satire to tell the truth that the person
does not understand. The message that this singer conveyed to the listener about a
person who is disappointed because all his waiting was in vain and did not receive
certainty. Usually, a lover would feel happy and respect any efforts from her couple,
but in this lyric even though the singer gave everything, she wanted more and was
unsatisfied.
Based on the theory proposed by Leech (1974) these lyrics is related to
connotative meaning. In this case, the connotative meaning is expressed with “Stop
drowning in wait”. The author here describes someone having to stop hoping for the
uncertain, where the feeling of being buried for too long will make us suffer and sad,
so here the author intends to stop expecting someone who doesn't love us and start
looking for someone who can love us.

Paradox

Data 7: It's only fair I have to sit in its rain (Cry Your Heart Out , Line : 27)

The song lyric above is categorized as a type of paradox. According to the

Oxford dictionary (2020), the word “sit” refers to resting your weight on your
bottom with your back vertical, for example, on a chair. And according to Oxford
dictionary (2020), the word “rain” refers to water that falls from the sky in separate
drops. The situation described here is that the writer is in a difficult situation. In this
case, the author himself made the problem big because he didn't know the impact
would be this big in the future. So, it is only natural that the author has to live it
himself.

Contrary to public opinion in the word "sit in its rain" which means the author
accepts and gets his own problems and makes an analogy with rain, because if we are rained
on, our bodies will get wet, just like the problem that the author received, it is natural to face
it even though it will end up getting wet. The message of this lyric is that the author
would like to express that feeling in his sadness. In this lyric, the singer tells the
listener that someone who has a broken heart is the one who has ever felt loved by
someone else, because if someone never fell in love or loved by each other they
would never feel heartbroken.

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Based on the theory proposed by Leech (1974) these lyrics is related to

connotative meaning. In this case, the connotative meaning is expressed with “It's
only fair I have to sit in its rain”. The meaning of this lyric is that rain here refers to
a feeling of sadness or discomfort that makes his feelings cannot go away, it can be a
few moments that make his feelings hurt because of his relationship with someone,
create an emptiness in his soul and make him sad where he cannot find a way out of
his problems.

Conclusion
After analyzing the song lyrics, there were 28 figurative languages occurred
that found seven types of figures of speech from 12 songs of Adele’s album “30”,
using theory by knickerbocker and Reninger (1974). Based on the table, the total data
of figurative language in each type are 3 simile, 4 metaphor, 2 personification, 2
synecdoche, 13 hyperbole, 1 irony, and 3 paradoxes. The type of figurative language
that had the highest frequency is hyperbole. because in the song, the singer can
express his feeling by comparing someone he loves with something that has a similar
characteristic of function action in a bigger way than the real condition to bring the
imagination of the listener to the song. In this study, the researcher was dominant in
finding a lot of highly exaggerated lyrics, such as hyperbole. Based on the theory by
Leech (1974), there are 19 connotative meanings, 1 stylistic meaning, 7 affective
meaning, 1 reflected meaning, and 1 thematic meaning. The dominant type of
meaning is connotative meaning. Connotative meaning mostly found in this song
lyric, because the singer refers to expressing his feeling by using not purely the
meaning of a content or the meaning of a word in a dictionary to draw in the
listener's imagination while the listener hears the song lyric.

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