CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

This chapter provides the background of research, the reasearch questions,

the research objective, the significances of research, the clarifications of terms, and

the organization of writing.

1.1 Background of the Research

Lyrics are words delivered through tones and songs. Lyrics have a rhyme,

diction, and imagery that contains figurative language as a means of rhetoric. Then

the dictionary turned into expression of feelings, state, or point of view of the

writers. The song writers preach their experiences with words to create an appeal

and distinctiveness to their lyrics, this rhetoric is reinforced by the vocal dynamics

and figurative language. Song lyrics will be more touching because they are

reinforced with melodies and music notations that are adapted to the lyric element

of the song so that listeners can easily feel what the writer intended could have the

theme of love, hatred, miss, politics, protest as well as social criticism.

Lyrics according to Moeliono have two definitions, first is literary works

(poetry) which contain outpourings of personal feelings; second is composition of

songs (Moeliono, 2007). From these two explanations, the lyrics were placed in

written texts that were closely related to literary works, especially poetry and voiced

with composition of songs. This is a combinations of art music and literature. As

claimed by Luxemburg (1989, p.175) lyrics or songs can be considered as poetry

as well as the opposite and states, such as the definition of poetry texts not only

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includes the types of literature but also advertisement, proverb, slogan, prayers and

pop songs. Provided that it contains literary elements, moreover the lyrics that are

elements and forms are commensurate with poetry.

Poetry is a literary work in the form of lines and stanzas, which contain

diction, rhythm, intonation, visual presentation, intention is the expression of

feelings conveyed through figurative language. According to Wolosky (Wolosky,

2001) Poetry is language in which every element word and word order, sound and

pause, image and echo is significant. Significant in that every element point toward

or stand for further relantionships among and beyond themselves. The poetry

generally employed in the utterances and writings reviews those that call for

heightened intensity of emotion, dignity of expression, or subtlety of meditation.

The expression is usually sublimated in figurative language as a means of rhetoric

because figurative language is the heart of poetry.

Poetry will be more effective and suggestive if it contains a figurative

language and the author's mind will be more easily conveyed, especially from the

meaning and attitude. The most important role figurative language in poetry is

metaphor, because metaphors combining two comparisons in one analogy—convey

messages explicitly. As claimed by Keraf, metaphor is a kind of analogy that

compares two things directly, but in a short form: the flower of the nation, the

crocodile, the baby, the souvenir, and so on. As a direct comparison, metaphors do

not use words: like, like, like, etc., so the first point is directly related to the second

point (1993, p. 139).

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Metaphor is a figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way,

to help explains an idea directly and explicitly. The use of metaphors does not only

take language that is superficial and monumental, but can also capture everyday

events and small things. According to George Lakoff and Mark Johnson in

Freeborn, as adherents to a romantic view, recognize that metaphors are not merely

poetic imaginations and mere rhetoric, but pervasive in daily life, not merely in

language, but integrated with thoughts and actions (1996: 63). Through the

metaphor used, a person can know his thoughts and actions.

The metaphor of the writer is a characteristic of diction in the metaphor that

the author expresses and how the writer defines the state in writing. Through

metaphor, poetry expresses a variety of feelings that can be about love, peace,

religion, anxiety, unrest, protest, politics, humanity and social criticism. As the

social situation in the 50s and 60s at the U.S. America on humanity issues, African-

American rights to achieve equality by the Congress, organizations and various

layers of society, race and various skin colors through a movement called the civil

rights movement. The situation in the civil rights movement tells through various

expressions of metaphor in Bob Dylan's song lyrics. One of them is the song

Blowing 'in the Wind which becomes the anthem the movement as a general or

community voice collector. Which is expressed by a metaphor that is very explicit

can touch the feelings of readers and listeners. The expression of the metaphor in

the poem can be found in Bob Dylan's song lyrics, such as:

How many years must some people exit

Before they’re allowed to be free?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind
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In pieces of song lyrics, which describe someone who asks "How many

years must some people exit // Before they are allowed to be free?", It seems to

represent the voices of some people's anxiety in the lyric to be immediately free

from restraints. Then the next line is answered with the principle "The answer, my

friend, is blowin 'in the wind" an answer that blows in the wind which means it is

not lost or there is no answer, which is confirmed by the next line "The answer is

blowin' in the wind". According to Lakoff’s theory the conceptual metaphor, in the

lyrics of this song there are several key words: exit (source domain), free (target

domain), answer (source domain) and wind (target domain). The lyrics of this

Blowing in The Wind song consist of several expressions of metaphor that are very

explicit. The most of Dylan's metaphors are not open to structure but the source

domain and target domain are on another line.

Dylan's lyrics are very well known as movement sound, mostly speaks of

struggle, social inequality, and freedom that are nothing but voices on the basis of

loving fellow human beings as a counterculture. Much of his best-known work

dates from the 1960s, when he became an informal historian of America's troubles.

Especially the songs collected in Bob Dylan's The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan album

were released in 1963 and lyrical The Times They Are a-Changin’ album were

released in 1964. Both of these albums are Bob Dylan's most famous and crowned

as a singer of protest songs.

Bob Dylan has been awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature “"for

having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition"

(Bob Dylan wins Nobel Prize for Literature, 2016). This a prestigious award
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because no one songwriter has won the Nobel Prize for Literature before. Dylan is

a natural but meaningful singer—the song is flat, but the lyrics that became

important and influenced the minds of the people of that era with words that have

more resonance than feelings, and the music helped to unite the masses of people

in protests. He has come to feel the suffering of African-Americans or blacks

expressed concern about fears of nuclear war, black rejection at universities,

boycotts, and many other phenomena of the Civil Rights Movement conditions.

The Civil Rights Movement is an African-American struggle for equality.

As stated by Steven F. Lawson in Chapter Preface to “Who Played the Most

Important Role in the Civil Rights Movement?”. (Lawson, 2005, p. 181) The Civil

rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s radically al- tered the social, political, and

economic conditions that affect all minorities in the United States. While the most

conspicuous change was the abolishment of restrictions that kept blacks separated

from whites, the freedoms gained extended into virtually every sphere of life.

Through countless legal and political battles, African-Americans increased the

black franchise, gained the right to acquire an equal education, to own property, to

enjoy the protection of the law, and to participate in state and federal government

in essence, to enjoy the rights and privileges once reserved for white Americans

only. Perhaps most importantly, the civil rights movement laid bare forever the

overwhelming barriers—many of which continue to plague minorities today—to

full equality.

The movement action with the application of radical love, Through

nonviolent protest actions, Gandhi's nonviolence in connection with Christian love

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seems to be African-Americans as a good base for invoke change. It broke through

the pattern of racial segregation, the practice of the South through which Americans

are not allowed to use the same schools, churches, restaurants, buses, and other

facilities as white Americans. The movement is also intended to end discrimination

against people because of their race.

With a variety of phenomena in the Civil Rights Movement condition, the

researcher will analyze the metaphor was an expression by Bob Dylan through the

song lyrics called The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan and The Times They Are a-Changin’

Albums which portrays how African-Americans defend their rights to achieve

equality. In a theory that can be used as a metaphor theory in which this theory

views literature as an expression of the times that occur in society. Moreover, the

metaphor of the researchers will relate to the social conditions of the civil rights

movement in America.

This paper provides the previous studies which has some similarities related

to this research. The first analysis written by Sumolong (2003) Metafora Dalam

Lirik Lagu Karya Adele. The papers analyzes the metaphor contains a certain

meaning based on the context and each of them refers to a certain object of tenor

and source. In contrast to what is observed by Sumolong, this study did not examine

the meaning contained in the lyrics, but rather on the function and also meaning by

using of metaphor approach contained in the lyrics. Researchers will only take the

same model in researching works through metaphor approach, instead of looking

for the message but rather to look for functions and meaning contained in the lyrics.
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Second, First, the journal was done by Selvia Neilil Kamaliah (2013),

Linguistics major at English Language and Literature Study Program, Indonesia

University of Education Bandung. The title of this research is Conceptual Metaphor

in Mylo Xyloto Album by Coldplay. The aim of this research is to find out that the

dominant conceptual metaphor used in the song lyrics. The qualitative method

especially a case study is used. The result of this study is conceptual metaphor used

in the Mylo Xyloto, dominantly about life, changes, and love. Those include life is

journey, changes are movement, purposes are destination, love is s unity, love is

war, love is struggle, states are location, and less is down. This research only

focuses on the dominant conceptual metaphor which belongs to structural

metaphor. This is different from what the writer studies, because the writer analyzes

the type of metaphorical expression, not only structural metaphor, but also the three

types of metaphor.

Third, An Analysis of Metaphor In Cradle of Filth’s Song Lyric’s. The thesis

analyzed by Fitria Helena (2008). In this study the author discusses the use of

metaphors in the lyrics of Cradle of filth and focuses on the types and meanings

contained in the lyrics of Cradle of Filth. By using referential method and

distribusional method to decipher the lyrics’s that has meaning metaphor and

parables in Cradle of Filth’s song lyric’s. Research conducted by Ady Putra with

this paper is the same in terms of researching the meaning in the metaphor.

Researchers take the example of a model study of meaning through metaphor

approach.
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Fourth, Metaphor in Martin Harrison’s Wild Bees: New and Selected Poem,

a under graduated thesis analyzed by Pungkit Wijaya (2012). The topic is taken to

know how important create metaphor of the author for making the poem. The

conclusion directly refers to research question, researched to know the meaning of

metaphor in a poems contained in Wild Bees: New and Selelcted Poem. By using

descriptive method to decipher the verses of poetry that has meaning metaphors in

Martin Harrison’s Wild Bees: New and Selected Poem.

Fifth, research on metaphor has been done by Sari Ariestyani Pertiwi (2007)

entitled Metaphor on The Song Lyrics of Enka in Besuto Hitto Daizenshu, the

research published in University of Indonesia. The aim of this research is to find

out metaphor which contains in the song lyrics of Enka and to find out background

of the using of the metaphor. The method used in this research is the qualitative

method to analyze the data. While the result of this research, the researcher found

the metaphors, those include life is journey, suffering is uphil road, suffering is

rain/wind, suffering is cold, suffering is luggage, happiness is blooming flower,

happiness is sun, happiness is spring, happiness is sunny day, sadness is fall flowers,

love is flower, hope is tomorrow, dream is flower, soul is fire, soul is entity, life is

entity, happiness is entity. Furthermore, background of the using the metaphor,

related to the experience of Japanese with the environment. Japanese culture seen

from the background of using the metaphor are: (1) proximity of Japanese people

with nature, (2) there is sensitivity ‘aware’, and (3) the concept of impermanence

‘mujo’. This research is also different from what the writer studies. This research
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only analyzes from the type of structural metaphor, and connects to the culture in

Japan

1.2 Research Questions

Researcher in this section will raise questions issues that make the song is

seen as a protest-song by the listeners. Bob Dylan's concern for defending the rights

of the black makes him a song-writer, Dylan writes down reality and is coated with

a thick metaphor. For his works Dylan was awarded the Nobel Lecturer in Literature

(2016). Although previous researcher on previous studies have in common, but in

this study mixing aspects of the research object, the object of study and research

methods different from previous studies into one object even added some research

related to the object of research before.

As for the issue that will be examined in this study are represented in the

following questions:

1. What are found conceptual metaphors of the United State Civil Right

Movement in Bob Dylan’s The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan and The Times They

Are a-Changin' albums?

2. What is the relationship between the metaphor in Bob Dylan’s The

Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan and The Times They Are a-Changin’ albums to

social condition of the United State Civil Rights Movement 21st century?

1.3 Research Objective

Referring to the research question above, the researcher has two purposes of

this research:
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1. To examine the conceptual metaphor of the United State Civil Rights

Movement contained in the lyrics of Bob Dylan selected song.

2. To know the relationship between the metaphors in the lyrics on the Bob

Dylan’s selected song.

1.4 Significance the Research

This research is expected to be useful both theoretically and practically.

Theoretically, this research can be useful as a reference and enrich the concept of

science widely and from research in accordance with the field of science in a study.

Especially in the field of literature that uses moral concept of metaphors about

targets and sources put forward by Lakoff and Johnson.

While practically, this research can provide knowledge about the meaning

of metaphor in semantic study especially for readers, and can motivate them to do

research about metaphor by using different object, and to make the reader literate

metaphor expressed by the singer in the song.

1.5 Clarifications of Terms

There are the clarifications of the key terms used in this research. The

researchers clarify the key point, as follow:

• The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan album which first released on May 27, 1963,

and The Times They Are a-Changin’ album realeased on Janury 13, 1964,

in New York City by Columbia Records. (Wikipedia, 2019)

• Robert Dylan is American singer, song writer, musician, painter, and writer.

He has been influential in popular music in and culture for more than five

decades. (Columbia Records)

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• Metaphor is pervasive in everyday life, not just in language but in thought

and action. Our ordinary conceptual system, in term of which we both think

and act, is fundamentally metaphorical in nature. (Lakoff and Johnson)

• Lyric is in the modern sense, any fairly short poem expressing the personal

mood, feeling, or meditation of a single speaker (who may sometimes be an

invented character, not the poet). In ancient Greece, a lyric was a song for

accompaniment. (Oxford, 2010: 143)

• The Civil rights movement conditions are the state of society of a country

at a given moment.

• The Civil rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s radically altered the

social, political, and economic conditions that affect all minorities in the

United States. While the most conspicuous change was the abolishment of

restrictions that kept blacks separated from whites, the freedoms gained

extended into virtually every sphere of life. Through countless legal and

political battles, African-Americans increased the black franchise, gained

the right to acquire an equal education, to own property, to enjoy the

protection of the law, and to participate in state and federal government in

essence, to enjoy the rights and privileges once reserved for white

Americans only. Perhaps most importantly, the civil rights movement laid

bare forever the overwhelming barriers—many of which continue to plague

minorities today—to full equality. (Lawson, 2005)

1.6 Organization of Writing

This research is divided into five chapters and the description are as follows:
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Chapter I. In the chapter one, there is an introduction of the research and

the reasearchers will explain about background of the research,

the research quetions, the research objective, significances of

the research, the clarifications of terms, and the organization of

writing.

Chapter II. This chapter contains about theoritical foundation that are

relevant to the research and divided into eight sub-chapters,

there are: The civil right movement, understanding metaphor,

metaphor in song lyric, understanding song lyric, song lyrics as

a poetry, Bob Dylan, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan Album, and

The Times They Are a-Cangin’ Album.

Chapter III. The third chapter explain about methodology used in the

research, that consists of the research method, the source of

data, the data, the technique of collecting data, and the

technique of analyzing data.

Chapter IV. The fourth chapter is finding discussions and explain the result

of the research clearly, that consists of the research findings

and the explanation of the research questions.

Chapter V. The last chapter in this research contains about the conclusion

and the suggestion of the research.