1. UNDERSTANDING SONG LYRICS.

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UNDERSTANDING SONG LYRICS

Tujuan Pembelajaran

Setelah mempelajari materi ini, kamu diharapkan dapat memiliki kemampuan berikut ini.
1. Memahami fungsi sosial lirik lagu.
2. Memahami ciri kebahasaan lirik lagu.
3. Menganalisa makna sebuah lirik lagu.
4. Menulis deskripsi pendek tentang makna sebuah lagu.

A. Social Function

Apakah kamu suka mendengar lagu atau bernyanyi? Biasanya kita dapat menonton atau
mendengarkan musik atau lagu seperti di TV, radio, internet, karaoke, café dan panggung
musik. Dalam sesi ini, kita belajar bagaimana memahami song lyrics atau lirik lagu.

Perhatikanlah contoh lirik lagu berikut ini.

Westlife - I Have a Dream Lyrics

I have a dream I believe in angels

A song to sing When I know the time is right for me, I'll
To help me cope with anything crossed the street
If you see the wonder of a fairy tale I have a dream
You can take the future even if you fail I have a dream
I believe in angels A song to sing
Something good in everything I see To help me cope with anything
If you see the wonder of a fairy tale
I believe in angels You can take the future even if you fail
I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me, I'll cross Something good in everything I see
the street I believe in angels
I have a dream, oh yeah When I know the time is right for me, I'll
I have a dream, a fantasy crossed the street
To help me through reality I have a dream
And my destination makes it worth the while I'll crossed the street
Pushing through the darkness still another mile I have a dream
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see

Fungsi sosial sebuah lagu adalah untuk menyampaikan pesan atau sebagai media
komunikasi kepada pendengar lagunya. Dengan demikian, lagu juga dapat digunakan
untuk memengaruhi, mendapat dukungan, membujuk, menggugah emosi, menanamkan
sikap atau nilai tertentu kepada pendengarnya.

Sekarang, simaklah video dari gurumu dan isilah titik-titik lirik lagu di bawah ini
sambil mendengarkan lagu sebagai latihan listening. Tentu kamu bisa juga ikut bernyanyi
atau mengajak teman atau keluarga di rumah untuk bernyanyi bersama.

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Like a small (1) … on the ocean
Sending big waves into motion
Like how a single word
Can make a (2) … open
I might only have one match
But I can make an explosion

And all (3) … things I didn't say
Wrecking balls inside my brain
I will scream them loud tonight
Can you hear my (4) … ?

This time this is my (5) … song
Take back my life song
(6) … I'm alright song
My power's turned on
Starting right now I'll be (7) …
I’ll play my ght song

B. Language Features

Sebelum kita membahas mengenai ciri kebahasaan dalam lirik lagu, perhatikanlah lirik
lagu di bawah ini. Setelah itu, kerjakanlah latihannya.

Have you ever stood alone? Early Rise-Peace
Have you ever stood alone?
In a corner, broken, shattered They took your innocence
With no place to call your home And left you ghting to survive
Have you ever stood alone? They took your innocence
And left you ghting to survive
Have you ever wondered why?
Have you ever wondered why? Don't be so afraid of the truth, now
Challenge comes to anyone One day you'll be proud of who you are
Who's brave enough to hold alone Easy on yourself, don't go too far
Have you ever wondered why? Let it go, be who you are
Have you ever stood alone?

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Vocab Corner

Shatter : Crush
Survive : Exist
Wonder : Question

Latihan True atau False

1. The song's topic is about self-motivation or self-bravery.
2. In this song, bravery and truth are important.
3. This verse ‘Have you ever wondered why?’ isn’t repeated.
4. The meaning of this verse ‘Challenge comes to anyone’ is ‘Not all people have

problems.’

Oleh karena itu, dapat disimpulkan bahwa ciri kebahasaan sebuah lirik lagu antara lain:

 Repetition: pengulangan kata-kata.

 Figurative language: bahasa yang bersifat perlambang atau majas, seperti metaphor
(penggunaan bahasa atau kata kiasan), seperti simile (perbandingan dengan sesuatu
yang lain), personi cation (pemberian unsur manusia terhadap benda/hewan),
hyperbole (hiperbola).

 Rhetorical question: pertanyaan retorik/kata-kata yang menggugah, membujuk,
memberi kesan, atau memengaruhi.

C. Paraphrasing

Setelah kita melihat ciri kebahasaan song lyrics, paraphrasing dapat digunakan untuk
membantu pemahaman kita terhadap makna sebuah song lyrics. Paraphrasing adalah
mengatakan atau menulis kembali sesuatu pernyataan dengan kata-kata yang berbeda
dan tetap mempertahankan makna yang sama dengan menggunakan sinonim kata-kata
pentingnya.

Contoh:

No. Sentence Paraphrasing
1. If you're fragile and you're delicate. Whenever you are weak.
2. Be gentle with me, please. Be kind to me.
3. This is the time for the rest. Now, it is other people to act.

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Perhatikanlah dan pahamilah lirik lagu di bawah ini dan temukan artinya dengan
sinonim kata-kata penting dengan menuliskan kembali dalam bentuk kalimat
(paraphrasing).

Barbra Streisand-Women in Love Lyrics

Life is a moment in space We may be oceans away
When the dream is gone, it's a lonelier place You feel my love, I hear what you say
I kiss the morning goodbye No truth is ever a lie
But down inside, you know we never know I stumble and fall, but I give you it all
why
I am a woman in love
The road is narrow and long And I'd do anything to get you into my world
When eyes meet eyes and the feeling is and hold you within
strong It's a right, I defend, over and over again
I turn away from the wall What do I do?
I stumble and fall, but I give you it all
Ohh, I am a woman in love and I'm talking to
I am a woman in love you
And I'd do anything to get you into my world I know how you feel, what a woman can do
and hold you within It's a right, I defend, over and over again
It's a right, I defend, over and over again
What do I do? I am a woman in love
And I'd do anything to get you into my world
With you eternally mine and hold you within
In love there is no measure of time It's a right, I defend, over and over again
We planned it all at the start
That you and I live in each other's heart

Vocab Corner

Stumble : Trip
Defend : Protect
Eternally : Endlessly
Measure : Calculate

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Sebagai latihan kedua, temukan makna kalimat dengan sinonim kata-kata pentingnya
dan tuliskanlah kembali dalam bentuk kalimat (paraphrasing).

Latihan

No. Verses Paraphrasing

1. And I'd do anything to get you into my I will make everything to have you and

world and hold you within embrace you.

2. We may be oceans away We might be far in distance.

3. In love there is no measure of time When we like each other very much,
nothing is impossible.

D. Analysing Song Lyrics

Setelah memahami language features dari sebuah lirik lagu, sekarang simaklah video yang
diputar oleh gurumu.

We Are The World - 25 For Haiti

There comes a time when we heed a certain And the truth, you know,
call Love is all we need
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying We are the world, we are the children
And it's time to lend a hand to life We are the ones who make a brighter day
The greatest gift of all So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We can't go on pretending day by day We're saving our own lives
That someone, somewhere will soon make a It's true we'll make a better day
change Just you and me
We all are a part of God's great big family

Vocab Corner

Heed : care/concern
Pretend : assume/act

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Latihan

Berlatihlah menganalisa kedua lagu yang kamu simak di dalam video di atas!

E. Exercise to Make a Poem

Setelah kita belajar memahami song lyrics, kita juga dapat belajar menulis puisi dalam
bahasa Inggris yang dapat digunakan sebagai lirik lagu. Sebelumnya, perhatikan dialog
di bawah ini.
Yola : “Hello Dea. You seem to be looking for something.”
Dea : “Hi Yola, yes, I am looking for references from the internet that I can use to make a

poem for my assignment.”
Yola : “A poem? Well, that’s very exciting. I also have an assignment from my class making

a song lyric. I think if I make a poem then I can use it too for my song lyric, can’t I?”
Dea : “That’s great! Of course, you can. Well, would you like to do it together?”
Yola : “Yes, I’d love too.”
Dea : “Awesome! Let me have my lunch rst and we’ll meet up after an hour from now

at the library. Is it okay, Yola?”
Yola : “OK. It sounds great to me. See you later, Dea.”
Dea : “See you soon at the library.”

Latihan True atau False

1. Dea and Yola are going to meet up in one and half hours.
2. They will meet at the library.
3. They are going to make a short story.

Kita dapat membuat lirik lagu seperti membuat sebuah puisi. Topik dapat dipilih
sesuai yang ditentukan atau dipilih, seperti topik atau judul my mother atau best friend.
Nah, sekarang perhatikan contoh puisi di bawah ini.

Your child's eyes

The innocence lost so long ago The world was right one time it seems
The undying faith we used to know And we could reach beyond our dreams
The gentle rain of a summer's skies To meet a challenge of any size
You can nd it all in your child's eyes. That re still burns in your child's eyes.

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In a world of anger and miscontent Take the time for all those things
And the frustrations of a life misspent Hear his words: feel the joy he brings
And you wait in fear as the storms arise There is no hate; there are no lies
You can still nd peace in your child's eyes. There is only love in your child's eyes.

Marshmallow Vocab Corner

Hello, hello Innocence : Purity
Little fellow Undying : Eternal
Do you want, marshmallow? Beyond : Further
If you want, please follow Misspent : Wasted
Don't run, walk slow!

Sebagai latihan membuat sebuah puisi, berlatihlah membuat puisi dengan judul
atau topik, my best friend. Berikut contoh puisi sebagai referensi kalian.

My Best Friend

You are my best friend, you are inside my heart,
We experience ups and downs, yet nothing keeps us apart.
I see you as a family, and I would always care,
Understanding, honesty, and responsibility are values we share.

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