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God save the U.S.A. is a lyrics tinged with disappointment of the speaker as a US citizen toward the American Government. It was written by pennywise
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. This lyric is a part of the movement against President Bush. Thus, the
disappointments must be addressed to Bush administration’s policies. The disappointments of his every policy are delivered to the listeners with several
kinds of irony. The following table decribes several kinds of irony found in God save
USA: TABLE II
Kinds of Irony Contained in God Save the USA
No. D.
Data
Line
E. Ki
nds of Irony
Notes
a. God you must
be kidding me thought
this was
supposed to be
The home of the
brave and the free for you
and me 1
2
Irony of situation
Irony of situation occurs here. In these lines, what the speaker expects for his
country is uttered in the sentence “this was supposed to be the home of the
brave and the free for you and me”. It has been assumed that a citizen of USA that
his democracy nation supposed to have freedom. However, it has contrast with
the actual result the speaker has to face that “shits been going on too long”.
The condition where many wrong things happened that makes the speaker felt no
more freedom and felt that bravery is no longer sounded. So, freedom and bravery
are hard possessed in USA.
99
Pennywise is a punk rock
band formed in 1988 come from Hermosa Beach,
California ,
United States comprises
Jim Lindberg ,
Fletcher Dragge ,
Randy Bradbury and
Byron McMackin .
http:en.wikipedia.orgwikipennywise Accessed On September 2007
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But now theres
something wrong -
shits been going
on too long. 3
b. Its never
gonna change,
theres no way I say.
4
Satire In this case, the sentence Whats the CIA
and the NRA? is a direct satirical question that is used by the speaker because he
has answered himself that Theyre all the same - just the names are changed. He
was questioning the work of CIA and NRA, which in his eyes gives no big
change for the better day that is actually so far expected. This satirical question
gives hurt to both government institutions to allude their work to make them look
into themselves of the impotent of their work in order to make them repair their
job in the future.
Whats the CIA and the
NRA? Theyre all
the same - just the
names are changed.
5
6
c.
Fuck - theres no excuse -
any way
you lose.
7
Sarcasm Sarcasm is found in the word fuck. Fuck
is a bitter word uttered by the speaker here. Fuck is “to express extreme anger,
annoyance or
disgust
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”. Here,
It expresses anger to the failure of ‘you’.
‘You’, the addressed person the speaker means is a person whom the speaker
angry with. He could not give any excuse to ‘you’ and admit ‘you’ have worst in
doing his duty. So, the bitter word is intended to wound the feeling of you
d. Its all a
joke
in the good old USA
8 Verbal
irony The word joke is “a thing said to cause
amusement or laughter
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”. It is in this line seems hardly literal because in the next
line 9
th
-11
th
line there are several things told by the speaker that are great deal of
100
AS Hornby, 1995, op. cit p. 478
101
Ibid. p. 640.
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problem of a nation such as more factories pumping filth into the sky,
corporate greed and the apathy that has became the national disease. Therefore,
what actually the speaker means is the opposite of joke. It is a great matter of
nation problems. It is a verbal irony
e. All we
need is more
factories pumping filth
into the sky 9
Satire Ordinarily, the word need is “to require
sth sb because they are important or useful..”
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. However in this line, the speaker has told that more factories
pumping filth into the sky is needed. It sounds not literal because the filth is
disgusting dirt that is commonly avoided by anyone but the speaker here needs it.
It is a verbal irony. It is a way in telling the opposite of the surface means ‘filth is
needed’. An ironic and satirical way to say “stop” for the action of making the air filled
with filth with the factory.
f. God save the
USA -
blame the president
and say your prayers
tonight. 12
Satire Satire is found in this line because the
speaker told to the listeners literally and satirically to blame the president. In
uttering that phrase, the speaker would like to make the listeners have a negative
opinion to Bush as a sitting president who has got the responsibility of things such
as more factories pumping filth into the sky, corporate greed and the apathy that
has became the national disease as the speaker uttered in the 9
th
-11
th
line. g.
The irony of liberty is no
one here is truly free
13 Irony of
situation The word here the speaker means is “US”
which is absolutely a freedom democracy country. However, in this line, the speaker
spoke to us that no one in US is trully free. It is Irony of Situation since freedom
supposed to be possesed by every person in a democratic country such as
United States.
102
Ibid. p. 777.
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Thus, it can be deduced there are seven irony found in God Save the USA which are two irony of situation, three satire, one sarcasm, and one verbal
irony.
1.
Sad State of Affairs by Descendent
Its such a sad state of affairs and I dont care A sad state of affairs
Its such a sad state of affairs, I dont care Look at things long enough until they go away
But theyre still there, arent they?
5 And each little insect doesnt get me angry
And the dirt in the sink gets washed down the drain. Its such a sad state of affairs and I dont care
A sad state of affairs This place could use a little repair, I dont care
10 The TV on the table says: listen to me hum
I sit on the sofa with my mind all numb And each little murderer doesnt get me angry
And the dirt in the sink gets washed down the drain Follow the flow, where ever it goes
15 Down the drain and everythings clean
Follow the blood, where is the blood? Washed away, away from the scene
Use your time and memorize the lullaby of the day Process the data and throw it away
20 And each little question doesnt get me thinking
And the lies of my life still buzz around my brain...
Sad State of Affairs tells about the disappointment of the speaker of the apathy of most American citizen concerning every social political issue in their
nation. This lyric is written by the Descendent. It is also a part of movement oppose Bush’ policies. In this lyric, the band seems anxious to the apathy of
American citizens to Bush’ policy whose impact are not really something good.
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The band’s awareness of this issue is conveyed to the listeners with several kinds of irony.
