29
English Dictionary “hold your tongue” means to not speak. Both of the dictionaries
state that hold your tongue is an informal way to make someone stop talking. This metaphor is usually used in informal situation ore sometimes in rude way. In the
song, “hold your tongue” comes after “stop”. The word stop change the meaning to be “speak up about your mind”. So, if it is combined, it will become to not just keep
in silent. “Hold your tongue” has 3 words that has different meaning in literal if they
are staying together. Lexically, if “hold your tongue” in literal meaning means
holding tongue with hands. It is has significant different meaning if literal meaning is being compared with the metaphorical meaning. According to Longman
Dictionary of Contemporary English the word “hold” has meaning as
to have something in your hand, hands, or arms and tongue has meaning as the soft part
inside your mouth that you can move about and use for eating and speaking. In the context of the song, “stop holding your tongue” is stated in the verse
2. In the context of the song this has meaning that we have to speak up to show that we are brave enough to express our self because this metaphor came up after the
word “don’t run”. The word “don’t run” strengthen the meaning of the metaphor itself.
i. Table 4.10. Lexical Semantics of the Word Hold Your Tongue
Lexical Semantic Signifier
hold your tongue Signified
holding the tongue with hands PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
30
ii. Metaphor
Hold your tongue holding the tongue with hands
To not speak d.
“Maybe there’s a way out of the cage where you live”
Lexically, cage means a place to keep an animal. In this lyrics, the author wants to state that there is a way for someone to free them for something that hold
someone for so long. In literal meaning, cage is used to keep animal pet so the animal will stay and obey the owner.
“Maybe there’s a way out of the cage where
you live ” is classified as live metaphor.
In general, cage can hold so many meaning in some context. As a metaphor in the lyrics, cage has significant meaning in if it is
transferred in literal meaning . It is supported by the context of the song. The author
puts a word that represent about something that makes someone cannot speak up about their mind in public. As the cage keeps the pet in its place,
“cage” in the context of the song keep someone to not speak up. If it is described as a literal
meaning of the cage, it will be there is no way to get out of the cage that a person lives in. It is almost impossible that person will live in cage for any reason. Even
though cage in real life has so many different size, a person will not live in there because it is made of a metal bar like jail.
In conclusion, Cage in the lyrics “
Maybe there’s a way out of the cage where
you live ” means something that hold someone to not be brave enough to speak up
about their own opinion. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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i. Table 4.11. Lexical Semantics of the Word Cage
ii. Metaphor
Cage A place to keep an animal
Something that hold someone to speak up
2. Metaphor in “Love Song”
Love song is Sara Bareilles debut song in the North America. It is released in June 2006. According to her profile, she made this song when she attended
UCLA in 2004 as her very first album was released. This song tells about a girl thought about her relationship that her boyfriend expects her to be what he wants
in relationship. He wants to have a good relationship with the girl and the girl wants the man to accept her as she is. In this song, there are 4 metaphors. The table that
shown in the end of the discussion of every metaphor is the compartion between signifier and signified. Here are the metaphor:
a.
“Hello to high and dry”
“High and dry” is classified as dead metaphor. It is an idiom which means if it is separated, it will have different meaning, compared if they are staying
together. According to Dictionary of idioms and their origins, “high and dry” is
Lexical Semantic Signifier
cage Signified
a place to keep an animal PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
32
difficult situation which a person enable to do anything about. In another dictionary, Collins Cobuild Dictionary of Idioms,
“high and dry” means to be stranded; to be left out of things.
The meaning of “high and dry” can be also as to
be under the influence of marijuana, but not alcohol according to Urban Dictionary
. In the context of the song, the metaphor “high and dry” means left helpless in a situation because someone does not give something that they have
promised before. In literal meaning, the word “high” and “dry” are adjective. They are used to
modify a noun, but in this metaphor they become a noun. “High” means position
that is longer than usual above the ground according to Longman Dictionary. In another hand,
“dry” means without water or liquid. If they both are together, in literal, they will mean a position that is longer than usual and without water or
liquid. In the context of the song, the metaphor “high and dry” means, to be left
helpless because the lover has left with false hope. The girl expects something that the man has promised before, but the man does not give the girl the words. So, the
girl will be left in place with nothing from the men. The line before the metaphor comes up, which is “you are not what I thought you were” is proving that the girl
was expecting something from the man. i.
Table 4.12. Lexical Semantics of the Word High and Dry
Lexical Semantic Signifier
high and dry Signified
position that is longer than usual and without water or
liquid PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
33
ii. Metaphor
High and dry position that is longer than usual and without water or liquid
To be left helpless because the lover has left with false hope
b.
“I’m not gonna write you a love song”
The metaphor “love song” is classified as live metaphor, which means it needs to be compared with the literal meaning and the context in order to find the
meaning of “love song” in the song. In literal meaning, according to Longman
Dictionary of Contemporary English “love” means an affection felling toward
someone and “song” means a short piece of music with words that is sung by a singer. “Love song” means a piece of music with written love story sung by a
singer. “Love song” can be a theme of a song in general.
In the context of the song, “love song” means a good love story or experience. It is supported by several phrases in the song. In the lyrics, the author
wrote “I’m not gonna write you a love song, cause you asked for it, cause you need one, you see
”. This means, the man expects a good relationship with the girl, but the girl disagrees with him because she thinks, the man rules everything in the
relationship. It is supported in second chorus which is “if you’re on your way” that
describes the man in his own ego. In daily life,
“love song” in common use, tells about how love is beautiful or a great love experience. Referring to the daily experience,
in this song, “love song
” represents as a good relationship. The author used the word “love song” to PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
34
say about the expectation of the man towards the girl. Therefore, the girl thinks that she does not have a good relationship with the man, it is stated in the third
chorus in the line 3 which is “I’ma need a better reason to write you a love song today
”. This line support that the girl seemed forced to be in the relationship and she does not think she has a beautiful relationship with t
he man as a real “love song
” in general. The metaphor “love song” is stated so many times in the song. It is stated 10 times.
i. Table 4.12.
Lexical Semantics of the Word Love Song
ii. Metaphor
Love song a short piece of music about love
A good love relationship c.
“I’ll walk the seven seas”
In literal, “seven seas” means the seven seas that the world have. Earth has seven big seas that covers its surface
. If they are separated, “seven” means number after six and “sea” means the large area of salty water that covers much of the
earths surface according to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
. “Seven seas” is classified as live metaphor which means they have to be compared
by the context and the literal meaning in order to find the meaning of the metaphor its self.
Lexical Semantic Signifier
Love song Signified
a short piece of music about love
35
In literal meaning, the lyric “I’ll walk the seven seas” means someone will walk in one sea to another sea until he or she reached the seventh sea. This is
impossible, since no one can walk in the water like Jesus did. In the context of the song, the lyric means the girl is willing to do everything she could if she is really
in love with the man. It is supported by the following words that come up after the metaphor, which is “I’ll walk the seven seas when I believe that there’s a reason
to write you a love song today”. The words “…when I believe that there’s a reason to write you a love song today” support that she does not really fall in love with
the man. In conclusion
, the metaphor “I’ll walk the seven seas” is like a promise to the man that the girl will do everything if she really does love the man.
i. Table 4.13.
Lexical Semantics of the Word Seven Seas
ii. Metaphor
Seven Seas salty water that
covers much of the earths surface An act to do everything for the one that someone loves
3. Metaphor in “King of Anything”
King of anything is Sara Bareilles third single in the album “Kaleidoscope heart
”. This song is released on May 10
th
, 2010. This song is nominated for 53
rd
Lexical Semantic Signifier
Seven Seas Signified
salty water that
covers much of the earths surface PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
