Euphemism as Deception The Third Element of Hidden Transcript: Euphemism

4.3.2. Euphemism as Deception

As a lyrical genius Bob Marley applied many ways in uttering his concerns about the socio-and political conditions around him. They are his rhetoric. Thus it is no surprise that he paid a careful attention to what he was going to sing. Words are carefully chosen to meet his aims. He would usually spread the spirit of positivity, hope and optimism among his people. By using euphemism he made the bad seem good, the negative appear positive, and the unpleasant appear attractive or tolerable. As examples we can see in I Shot The Sherif, Talkin Blues, and Crazy Baldhead. I shot the sheriffBut I didnt shoot no deputy I Shot The Sheriff ...whos gonna stay at homeWhen the freedom fighters are fighting? Talkin Blues Build your penitentiaryWe build your schoolBrainwash education to make us the fool Crazy Baldhead In I Shot The Sheriff Bob Marley laid a contrasting sensibilities of the word sheriff. He admitted that actually he wanted to sing I shot the police, but the government would get very upset so he sang I shot the sheriff instead. 68 It was intended to be put in that way so it will less offensive and function as a means to deceive. Police has a bad connotation to most Jamaicans, especially the Rastas. For them police is the symbol of brutality and wickedness. Thus, Bob Marley intentionally made it like a fictional tale by using the term sheriff. Despite it sounds so American but it is accessible to a wider audience. And in doing so the government would not put any suspicious attempt upon the song. In some of his songs Bob Marley directly declared himself to be a militant 68 Moskowitz, David. The Words and Music of Bob Marley, p. 43. soul rebel like in his songs Rebel Music, Babylon System, and Soul Rebel. However in Talkin Blues he would use the term freedom fighter instead of rebellion. Here Bob Marley clearly wants the negative to appear positive. There is a shift from something sounding bad rebellion to something sounding good freedom fighter. The change in term is depending on political interpretation. Crazy Baldhead is a sarcastic song about the hypocrisy of the non-Rastas. The term baldhead refers to one who lacked dreadlocks which also symbolizes one who works for Babylon. The use of the term penitentiary instead of jail in the second verse of the song aims at making it sounds positive yet it is sarcastic. School is the penitentiary that will entrap peoples mind through brainwashing. These two humanity institutions have shifted their function to be a means of propaganda. Unlike Bob Marley, The Black Brothers used euphemism as deception mostly to avoid direct retaliation with the authority. During the New Order regime of Soeharto the censorship was very tight. In reading Indonesia history, the political situations including social and cultural life were controlled by policies issued by the government. These policies became the tool of repression to the society. The rise of military power, strict censorship, and corrupt government had limited the movement of resistance and peoples freedom. 69 The Black Brothers were very aware of it. Thus in facing those particular circumstances, The Black Brothers somehow would enter into the universe of dishonest euphemism by avoiding offensive lyrics. As examples we can find in their songs about their land 69 Duka Kuda. The Untold Story of Indonesian Underground Music in the 70s, ruang rupa, p. 3. Web Juli 2. 2014. https:www.qagoma.qdl.gov.au_dataassetspdf_file0009141498booklet_ruanrupa_APT_ok_print_rev2_ 0312.pdf. like Irian Jaya 1, Irian Jaya 2, and Keroncong Irian Jaya. Irian Jaya kau kupujaIrian Jaya tercintaIrian Jaya kau ku kenang...Tanah subur menggiurkanKaya akan pertambangan -Irian Jaya [Irian Jaya I praise youmy beloved Irian JayaIrian Jaya youre in my mindluscious and mesmerizing landfilled with prescious minerals - Irian Jaya]. Suburnya tanahkuAsalku Irian JayaKau kupuja slaluAsalku Irian JayaBanyak kekayaanYang masih terpendam di sana - Irian Jaya 2 [I come from luscious landI come from Irian Jayathe land I always praiseI come from Irian JayaPlenty of richnessare hidden there - Irian Jaya 2]. Irian Jaya yang kupujaItulah tanah tumpah darahku - Keroncong Irian Jaya [Irian Jaya that I praisethats my mothers land - Keroncong Irian Jaya]. As what has been explained previously, Papua has changed its name several times, New Guinea, West New Guinea, West Papua, Irian Barat, Irian Jaya, and Papua. From aforementioned names, Papua is the most strictly forbidden. It was feared by the government that the name will rise solidarity and nationalism among Papuans. In 1973 under the New Order regime of Soeharto, the name was changed to Irian Jaya. Things were even getting worse in this period. Mentioning the name Papua would be seen as a capital offence or a serious problem which can cause ones life. It is no wonder in many of their songs, The Black Brothers would refer to the land with the term Irian Jaya instead of Papua. For the writer, the use of the term in their lyrics has a nuance of resistance if we take a closer look. In this way it can be seen as a form of euphemism as deception. Irian Jaya 1, Irian Jaya 2 and Keroncong Irian Jaya are not only a mere tribute to the land but also a sarcasm to the government. They exist as one entity yet they have layer of meanings. At a glance the songs are about praising and boasting of the land. However behind this glorification lies a sarcastic lines, Tanah subur menggiurkanKaya akan pertambangan and Banyak kekayaan yang masih terpendam di sana luscious and mesmerizing landfilled with prescious minerals. These two lines can bee seen as cynical and sarcasm form of expression to mock the government or they who usually only tempted with Papua natural richness. They see Papua as a mere commodity and not as a community. This treatment has caused Papuans to feel excluded and alienated. At least it can be seen in Keroncong Irian Jaya when they sing Irian Jaya yang ku pujaItulah tanah tumpah darahku Irian Jaya that I praisethats my mothers land. In the context of euphemism as deception the term tanah tumpah darah mothers land has a strong sense of exclusivism, nationalism and belonging. Therefore, basically the phrase tanah tumpah darah mother land might refer specifically to Papua as distinctive land apart from Indonesia. It is more than just a land, it is a nation. Furthermore, this expression also wants to show the sense of pride and that they are unique. The distinctive characters also including physical appearances which shall become their strength to be forward in the society where they are usually marginalized. Both Bob Marley and The Black Brothers used euphemism as deception to avoid vulgar verbal attack to the authority that would possibly cause direct retaliation in turn. However, for Bob Marley it used not only as deception but also as his rhetoric for arts sake. It is to show Bob Marleys artistic and poetic capacity to play with words. In many songs Bob Marley would clearly position himself against the corrupt government, although he did it in a more respective way by using these elements of hidden transcripts. While for The Black Brothers, euphemism as deception might be the only solution since it would have been impossible to lodge a direct open criticism at all cost. Euphemism as deception is merely used for the safetys sake as well as for their survival in the popular music industry. This might because of the tight censorship and policies enacted both by the government and recording company that financially support their respective existence.

CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION

Bob Marley and The Black Brothers are two different artists who are separated by language, musical genres, socio-political background, and geography. However, parallels can still be drawn from their artistic works as this thesis has shown. Both of them represent the Black power movement which emerged from a racially, culturally, and economically marginalized context. They are the symbol of resistance who stand on the behalf of their respective social groups. Other than being a milestone for the development of popular music in their respective place of origin, their music is also the vehicle to carry their criticism and protests against the hegemonic power domination. The analysis on the lyrics in their commercial studio albums reveals that their songs consist of elements of or posses several elements of hidden transcript such as metaphor, anonymity, and euphemism. It can be seen also that they employ linguistic tricks in their songs. The elements of hidden transcript are used to disguise their protests against the socio-political condition of the day, and an in-depth analysis of their songs reveals those hidden transcripts. There are some differences in applying these elements into their songs. An early investigation reveals that Bob Marleys songs tend to focus and emphasize on socio-politic and religious matters, while The Black Brothers tend to focus more on the romance of love song and dance tunes. Therefore, Bob Marleys works seem to be more straight-forward in giving protest against the hegemonic power domination while The Black Brothers seemed to neglect the issue.