Definition of Lyric Understanding Punk Rock Music

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CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW

A. Definition of Lyric

Lyric is a kind of poetry, generally short, often involves the expression of intense personal emotion 19 . The lyric is the commonest, and yet, in its perfection, the most modern; the simplest, and yet in its laws of emotional association; and it all these because it express, more intimately than other types of verse, the personality of the poet 20 . For the last two centuries the lyric, which includes the songs, has been the predominant type of poetry 21 . Most poems are more memorable than most ordinary speech, and when music is combined with poetry the result can be more memorable still 22 . A person who writes lyrics is called a lyricist. In his lyric, lyricist expresses a subjective, personal point of view 23 . He also expresses the thoughts and feelings in the lyrics he writes 24 . 19 http:www.answers.comtopiclyrics April,12,2007. 20 Jay B. Hubbell and John O. Beaty, An Introduction to Poetry New York: The Macmillan Company, 1949, p. 57. 21 Ibid. 22 X.J. Kennedy 1975, op.cit. p. 509. 23 http:en.wikipedia.orgwikiLyrics April,17,2007. 24 http:www.answers.comtopiclyrics April,2,2007. 21 The lyric, then, gives us idea or theme and calls up appropriate pictures in language, which is rich in suggestion, pictorial power, and sensuous beauty 25 . The meaning conveyed in lyrical verses can be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are so abstract as to be completely unintelligible. In such cases, there is a tendency to emphasize the form, articulation, meter, and symmetries of the expressions 26 . Thus, lyric is the most modern and simplest way gives the idea of theme in expressing personal emotion and point of view. The sensous beauty reveal in lyric by emphasizing the form and the ornament of language used in lyric.

B. Understanding Punk Rock Music

Punk rock music constitutes a type of anarchistic rock music, originating in the late 1970s with such UK groups as Generation X, The Buzzcocks, and The Sex Pistols 27 . Punk rock is an anti-establishment rock music movement came from United States, Australia and United Kingdom in 1974-1975, preceded by groups like Ramones, Sex Pistols, The Damned, and The Clash 28 . Punk itself is sub-culture born in London, UK, which is an ideology of life included social and politics aspect 29 . Their thought in viewing their social and politics circumstances can be seen in their lyrics, which rather alludes certain side. Their thought is stimulated by the moral decadency of the politician. Through their lyrics 25 Jay B. Hubbell and John O. Beaty 1949, op.cit. 22. 26 http:en.wikipedia.orgwikiLyrics April, 2007. 27 http:encyclopedia.jrank.orgCambridgeentries097punk-rock.html June, 2007. 28 http:id.wikipedia.orgwikiIdeologi_Punk. June,5,2007. 29 Ibid. 22 which are simple but contained bitter statement and the hard beat of their music, punk bands try to allude the authority even intend to wound their feelings with bitter statement in their lyrics contain their perspective of disagreement of the attitude of the authority 30 . Punk music is a form of rebellion, and that it is turned against all other musical forms and influences. Webster’s Universal Dictionary defines a punk as “a style or movement characterized by the adoption of aggressively unconventional and often bizarre or shocking clothing, hairstyles, etc., and the defiance of social norms usually associated with punk rock musicians and fans”. It says that punk rock is rock music marked by loud, insistent music and aggressive, often abusive or violent lyrics 31 . Punk is recognized by public with its fashion and their attitude, which tend to a rebellion. Mohawk hairstyle like Indian, boots, chain, leather jacket, disheveled clothes, anarchist-criminal lower level, danger drunker are identified by public as punk 32 . Actually, the style of their appearance is the reflection of punk who has a rebellion soul, free in expressing their self, even though some people as above think that their style merely ridiculous, still they have a thought mainstream to their fans that they intend to provoke directly. They believe that extreme way of thinking supposed to be expressed by the unique appearance 33 . 30 Ibid. 31 http:www.exampleessays.comviewpaper93966.html June,2007. 32 Ibid. 33 Ibid. 23 Those kinds of public perspective make rocker, punk, skinhead are mocked once as a thread to regular law but on another chance is admitted as clown that isn’t danger at all 34 . With their unconventional style and thought mainstream in stating something, they make people who accustomed with ordinary system feel annoyed when their thought mainstream begins trying to change the conventional rules. For instance, we can see Superman is Dead, a punk rock band from Indonesia tells that people admit punk rock band no more than tattoo and distortion only 35 . According to Dick Hebdige, even though style construction of punk usually break the conventional style such as having forelock, clothes made of leather and other unordinary declined style, still it has certain subversive value inside 36 . Furthermore, punk musician doesn’t speak of love much in their music. In their lyrics and their music, punk musician rather like a protest shout of a demonstrator against the cruel of life. The music tells the feelings of frustration, anger, figure of an authority and even their awareness of their circumstances 37 . It can be inferred that punk rock is rock music of punk bands, which express certain ideology in social and politics through their lyrics. Their unconventional style in their appearance, their hard music, and their lyrics which is colored by the mockery as a form of allusion to the author of the state or their lyric with rebellion 34 Dick Hebdige, Asal-Usul Ideology Subkultur Punk. Penerjemah, Ari wijaya Yogyakarta: Buku Baik, 1999, p. 13. 35 http:www.sinarharapan.co.idberita050310hib01.html August,2007. 36 Dick Hebdige 1999, op.cit. 14-15. 37 http:id.wikipedia.orgwikiIdeologi_Punk June,2007. 24 words is one way of punk rock bands in expressing the heart of their rebellion as a band with spirit to provoke fans to have the same thoughts.

C. Figure of Speech