Irony analysis on the three lyrics in a punk rock music album compilation rock againts bush
1
“ROCK AGAINST BUSH”
INDAH PRATIWI
NO. 103026027656
ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT
LETTERS AND HUMANITIES FACULTY
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY
SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH
JAKARTA
2008
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IRONY ANALYSIS ON THE THREE LYRICS IN A PUNK
ROCK MUSIC ALBUM COMPILATION
-“ROCK AGAINST BUSH”
A Thesis
Submitted to Letters and Humanities Faculty
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for
Sarjana Degree of English Letters Department
INDAH PRATIWI
NO. 103026027656
ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT
LETTERS AND HUMANITIES FACULTY
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY
SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH
JAKARTA
2008
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ABSTRACT
Indah Pratiwi. Irony Analysis on Three Lyrics in A Punk Rock Music Album Compilation “Rock Against Bush”.A Thesis. English Letters Department. Adab and Humanity Faculty. State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, 2007.
In this research, the writer analyzes kinds of irony and its meaning in three lyrics included in a punk rock music compilation album titled Rock Against Bush
which comprises twenty lyrics with Fat Mike as the producer. The writer uses qualitative and analytic descriptive method.
The three lyrics most contained several kinds of irony as the tools to express feelings, thought, and perspective against President Bush’s polices in order to pursue the listeners to vote against Bush in 2004 election. The three lyrics are Heaven is Falling,God Save the USA, andSad State of Affairs.
Heaven is Falling
contains satire, exaggeration, irony of situation, and irony
of fate or cosmic irony. Whereas,
God Save the USA
, there are irony of
situation, satires, sarcasm, and verbal irony. While, in
Sad State of Affairs
by
Descendent
, dramatic irony constitutes the only irony found.
Kinds of irony contain in
Heaven is Falling
convey critics to President Bush
in the issue of the impact of Iraq war. Madness and disappointments of an American
citizen related with the impact of government’s policies are exposed applying several
kinds of irony in
God Save the USA
. Meanwhile, one kind of irony can convey the
message to vote as a crucial step toward a change in
Sad State of Affairs.
It can be concluded that conformity between the aim of irony and punk rock
attitude has found. Irony is chiefly to criticize a person, a community or an
organization or even a figure of authority. And punk rock music with its extreme
style expresses its perspective to the government with applying irony in their lyrics in
order to criticize government’s policies.
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APPROVEMENT
IRONY ANALYSIS ON THE THREE LYRICS IN A PUNK
ROCK MUSIC ALBUM COMPILATION
-“ROCK AGAINST BUSH”
A Thesis
Submitted to Letters and Humanities Faculty In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for Sarjana Degree of English Letters Department
INDAH PRATIWI NO. 103026027656
Approved by :
Danti Pudjiati S. Pd., M.M., M.Si. NIP. 13233516
ENGLISH LETTER DEPARTMENT
LETTERS AND HUMANITIES FACULTY
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY
SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH
JAKARTA
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LEGALIZATION
A thesis entitled
“IRONY ANALYSIS ON THE THREE LYRICS IN A
PUNK ROCK MUSIC ALBUM COMPILATION
–
“ROCK AGAINST BUSH”
.
has been defended before the Letters and Humanities Faculty’s Examination
Committee on January 2008. The thesis has been accepted as a partial fulfillment of
the requirement for the Sarjana degree in English Letters Department.
The Board of Examiners
Chair Person, Secretary,
Dr. H. M. Farkhan, M. Pd. Drs. A. Saefudin M. Pd
NIP. 150 299 480 NIP. 150 261 902
Members
Examiner I Examiner II
Dini Masitah, SS., M. Hum. Supardi, SS.
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DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma of the university or other institute of higher learning, except where due acknowledgment has been made in the text.
Jakarta, Januari, 2008
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. All praises are due to Allah, the Almighty, and the Lord of all that exist. May Allah’s peace and blessing be upon His final Prophet and Messenger, Muhammad, his family and his companions.
This skripsi is presented to the English Letters Department of the Faculty of Letters and Humanities UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for sarjana degree (S1).
It is a great honor for the writer to make acknowledgment of indebtedness to convey her sincere gratitude to Danti Pudjiati who patiently has given valuable advice and guidance to accomplish thisskripsi.
The writer also would like to convey her sincere gratitude particularly to:
1. Dr. H. Abd. Chair, MA, as The Dean of Adab and Humanities Faculty.
2. Dr. H. M. Farkhan, M. Pd., as The Head of English Letter Department.
3. Drs. A. Saefudin, M. Pd., as The Secretary of English Letter Department.
4. All the lectures of English Letters Department for their encouragement to the writer.
5. The writer’s beloved parents, H. Ahmad Emen (memories with him are immortal in her heart) and Hj. Robiah, whose patients and spirits inspired the writer in her every anxious.
6. Her beloved brothers and sisters, Ir. Junaidi M.Si. for his eager to give the favour; Syaiful Fahmi, SE.; Wiwin wiwitri, S.Pd. for giving her passion and
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patient; Eliya and Yudithia Ahmad for lending our lovely room at whole; who have supported the writer in accomplishing herskripsi.
7. Her beloved friends, Ciko Permana Shidiq for the idyllic place; Amel, Bharier, and Kiki for the moment of hugs, tears, inspirations, and laughs; Zahro, Farah, Fitri, Ko2m, and Inung for the valuable references; ka Imma, ka Harris, ka Ade, Fariq and other friends in Kafe Bahasa for the sincere brotherhood; Erun for every precious words; Teh wulan, Nyda, Eulis, Zamra, Fenti, Diah, Andi, Firman, Davy for the comprehension of punk rock, Edo, Yudi, Vay, and Eko for his uncountable kindness.
8. All Librarians of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Library, Catholic University of Atmajaya’s Library, University Indonesia’s library, and Library of UNJ., who have helped her to obtain some useful books in relation to the topic of her skripsi.
Finally, she realizes that this skripsiis far from being perfect. It is a pleasure for her to receive constructive critics to her e-mail, e22e_terescova@yahoo.com for improving thisskripsi.
Jakarta, Januari 2008
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ... i
APPROVEMENT ... ii
LEGALIZATION ... iii
DECLARATION ... iv
ACKNOWLEDGMENT ... v
TABLE OF CONTENTS ... vii
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ... 1
A. The Background of Study ... 1
B. The focus of Study ... 6
C. Research Question ... 6
D. The Significance of Study ... 6
E. The Methodology of The Research ... 7
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ... 9
A. Definition of Lyric ... 9
B. Understanding of Punk Rock Music ... 10
C. Figure of Speech ... 13
D. Irony ... 14
1. Verbal Irony... 18
2. Dramatic Irony... 22
3. Irony of Situation ... 24
4. Cosmic Irony ... 26
5. Understatement... 28
6. Exaggeration... 29
CHAPTER III: IRONY ANALYSIS ON THREE LYRICS INROCK AGAINST BUSH -A PUNK-ROCK MUSIC -ALBUM COMPIL-ATION... 31
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1. Heaven is Falling by the Ataris ... 33
2. God Save USA by Pennywise ... 37
3. Sad State of Affairs by Descendent... 40
B. The Way Irony Found in The Three Analyzed Lyric Provoke the Listeners not to elect Bush in 2004 presidential election ... 43
1. Heaven is Falling by the Ataris ... 43
2. God Save USA by Pennywise ... 50
3. Sad State of Affairs by Descendent... 55
CHAPTER IV A. CONCLUSION... 59
BIBLIOGRAPHY ... 61 APPENDIX 1. Rock Against Bush
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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A. The Background of The Study
Music is the peculiar art in society. It has always been ahead of societal change and a major influence on both the culture and the politics of the day. It is believed so, since a song, a combining of lyrics and harmony may evoke certain feeling of the listeners. As Geoffrey Madell explained “it is the peculiar genius of music to capture and evoke patterns of intentional feeling such as expectations, desires, joyful, sadness even madness1
”.
Lyric is one of parts of music. For the last two centuries, the lyric, which includes the songs, has been the predominant type of poetry2. Lyrics tinged with violent close with punk rock as it is stated that “Loud, hard beat, insistent music and aggressive, often abusive or violent lyrics is calledpunk rock3”.
The lyric of punk rock often contained perspectives of disagreement of the attitude of the authority4. The disagreements may occur if the real and the ideal are out of balance. It is when expectation crushes with the reality.
In an age, when the real and the ideal are out of balance, O’ Connor said, irony5 is one of chief instruments of critical intelligence. It plays a central role when
1 Geoffrey Madell,
Philosophy, Music and Emotion(Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2002), p. 126.
2
Ibid.
3
http://www.exampleessays.com/viewpaper/93966.html. June,07,2007. 4
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the society is struggling to conceive its basic premises6. It is a general way of thinking that recognizes contradiction and disparities, which express an intellectual expression of freedom.
According to John Seery, irony has been applied, not merely to several authors and their different voices, but also in the entire fields of endeavour such as visual art, poetry, novels, music, prayer, and confession7. Those endeavours that
contained irony help society to express their idea of the out of balance above happened.
As one of those endeavors, poetry is defined as a kind of language that says moreand says it more intensively than does ordinary language8. It is a way for poet to express their inner emotion impliedly. The language of poetry is compact with idea, thoughts and experience either it is a pleasure experience or a mean expression.
It can be considered lyric as poetry. As it has been known that lyric is a kind of poetry, generally short, often involves the expression of intense personal
5
Irony is an indirect presentation of a contradiction between an action or expression and the context in which it occurs.
The Random House(© Random House, Inc., 2006), March 2007,Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1),p. 1.
6
WM. Van O’ Connor, Sense and Sensibility in Modern Poetry (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1948), p. 123.
7 John Evan Seery
, Political Returns: Irony in Politics and Theory from Plato to the Antinuclear Movement(Boulder: Westview Press, 1990), p. 183.
8 Laurence Perrine,
Sound and Sense An introduction to Poetry, Eight Edition, (Fort Worth: Harcourt, Brace and world, Inc., 1969), p. 3.
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emotion9. Therefore, lyric is a kind of modern poetry harmonized with music. When music is combined with poetry the result can be more memorable10.
In punk rock lyrics, punk rock musicians express their thoughts in viewing their social and politics circumstances which rather allude certain side. Punk rock is about taking an attitude in order to rebel against the problems of our society11.
In the year 2004, there were number of movements dislike US President George Walker Bush like Women Against Bush, Bike Against Bush, and Bluetooth Users Against Bush many others. They have even sites to share their perceptions related reasons they dislike their own president and activities they held in expressing their dislike. It was caused by number of Bush administration’s policies and attitudes that led to controversy. One of them is the policy of Bush administration in starting war in Iraq in 2003. The mission based on US suspection to Iraq for having threadful biological weapon which is later unproven. The fact led controvercy in the worldwide. It was recorded that thousand of anti-war protesters have marched up Sixth Avenue in New York, March 20, 2004. Anti-war protests are taking place in many cities around the world on the anniversary of U.S.-led war in Iraq12
. The disagreement of anti-war was not only expressed by US citizen who are anti-war in Main Streets, but
9
http://www.answers.com/topic/lyrics. April,15 2007. 10
X.J. Kennedy, Literature: An Introduction To Fiction, Poetry And Drama, Second Edition(Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 1979), p. 509.
11http://punkvoter.com/about/about_obj.php. March,05,2007.
12
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also in a lyric tinge with critics as it can be found in lyrics included in Punk Rock Music Album Compilation titled “Rock Against Bush”.
The compilation associated with a punk community site namely www.punkvoter.com, which aimed to harness the youth vote to not elect bush in 2004 presidential election. “They unite to raise political awareness and encourage pop-punk fans to vote in the next presidential election — against George Bush”13.
Their idea can be seen in a compilation punk rock music album titled Rock Against Bush. The effort was initiated by Fat Mike (Michael Burkett) of the band NOFX. As the producer of the compilation album, he has spirit of change for the nation. His sense of disappointment toward the president’s policies concerning some cases presents in every song in this album as he said in an interview:
"About a year ago I decided to use my influence to get bands together to speak out about the president," Fat Mike said. "I think it's our responsibility as citizens and musicians to do so. He's wrecking the country and the world. He's starting wars for no reason, our economy is in the toilet, he's ruining the environment, and he does things like cut taxes when we need money."14
Punk bands include in this compilation album are Descendents, Flogging Molly, The Offspring, Rise Against, the Ataris, Pennywise, Anti-Flag, Against Me!, Green Day, Sum 41, The World/Inferno Friendship Society, The Epoxies, Autopilot Off and many others. They contribute their rebel song lyrics to the compilation Rock Against Bush harmonized with rock music in order to approach the listeners,
13
Jon Wiederhorn,Good Charlotte, Green Day, NOFX to Rock Against President Bush:Anti-Bush compilation album due next spring, along with tour, Rock Against Bush. Accessed on April, 2007.
http://www.vh1.com/news/articles/1479176/20030919/index.jhtml?headlines=true
14
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particularly punk fans that most are youths to achieve the goal of the album to vote and to opposed Bush in general election.
The compilation punk rock music album Rock Against Bushconsist of twenty six lyrics15
. Punk musicians involved the album; engage the punk rock spirit into political battles against the President Bush. They have seen that the reality is out of balance with what they expect as a citizen. Therefore, they criticize, allude, and even mock the government through lyrics that are full of disappointments. They apply irony in expressing their thoughts, point of views, the spirit of punk rock, and their disappointments in the circumstances of political battle.
In this research, the writer would like to analyze irony contained in three song lyrics from this compilation album and elaborate each meaning. The writer would like to know further the irony applied in those three song lyrics as a critical intelligence to the government’s policy.
The song lyrics do not only state the feeling and inner emotion of the lyric writer but also provoke the listener particularly youth in that country to use their right to vote and not to vote George Walker Bush as a president in the next general election. It is rarely for the musicians beware of the politics. However, punk rock musicians such us Fat mike, Pennywise, Descendent, the Ataris and other punk musicians include in this compilation album in using their influence urge youth to vote makes them involved in politics. The writer sees that it is an interesting to be analyzed.
15
Emily Beaulac,Rock Against Bush Knocks off Socks, Rock Against Bush. November,19,2007.
http://media.www.thetriangle.org/media/storage/paper689/news/2004/10/29/Entertainment/R ock-Against.Bush.Knocks.Off.Socks-786205.shtml
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Three out of twenty six song lyrics included in this album, the writer would like to analyze are Heaven is Falling by the Ataris, God Save USA by Pennywise, and Sad State of affairs by Descendent.
The lyric of Heaven is Falling by the Ataris is an anti-war protest track from Rock Against Bush: Vol 116. This lyric tells a story of a soldier who speaks to God of his fate of the unexpected situation that happened to him. He is having a dilemma in a complicated situation. The Ataris express his protest to war by giving a horrible experience of a soldier in the middle of the war.
God Save USA is a titled contributedby Pennywisetells an inner emotion of the speaker. He thinks that his country has no more freedom-a precious thing that so far has been a proud of this country. The government organization like CIA or NRA has no longer use to replace the wrong condition to be better. And it caused by the president.Even, the people of the country are careless and apathy.Those make the speaker angry and desperate with Bush as the president. The speaker also states that Bush as a president of United States has already failed in leading the country. The speaker wants a change and asks God to save the country from all the unexpected situation happened in his country.
A disappointment to the apathy of the society in relation with the impact of government’s policy can be seen in Sad State of Affairs by Descendent. In these lyrics, the lyric writer has repeated the word I don't care for many times. It emphasized impliedly that actually the lyric writer has an opponent idea with what the speaker says in that lyric- that the lyric writer cares much about the case and get
16
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mad why every body being so careless. In fact, it is not actually a little case but a big deal for the nation that needs a change.
B. The Focus of the Study
The research is focused on the irony contained in the three lyrics in Rock Against Bush-a compilation punk-rock music album. They are Heaven is Falling by the Ataris, God Save USA by Pennywise, and Sad State of affairs by Descendent. Those lyrics will be analyzed on the variation of irony contained in the three lyrics and the writer also deliberates each meaning.
C. The Research Questions
Based on the background of the research and the focus of the study above, the problem will be discussed are:
1. What kinds of irony found in Heaven is Falling by the Ataris, God Save USA by Pennywise, and Sad State of affairs by Descendent?
2. How does irony found in the three analyzed lyrics provoke youths to not re-elect Bush in 2004 presidential re-election?
D. The Significance of the Research
The significance of the study is to give the advantage through the result of the analysis for readers and writer herself, to know deeper about kinds of irony, and how to understand irony by classifying it based on its variation.
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E. The Methodology of the Research 1. The Objective of the Research
Based on the research question, the research has some objectives. They are:
a. To give knowledge to the readers and the writer herself concerning irony as a means to express inner emotion for punk rock musician who get their association in the compilation punk-rock music album, Rock Against Bush.
b. To know deeper kinds of irony implied in those three lyrics and to obtain each the meaning to know further irony works in provoking youths to not choose Bush in presidential election.
2. The Method of The Research
To answer the question presented in the research question, the writer uses descriptive analytic method which means elaborate something. The writer described some facts and also the result of analysis17
. The writer reads the three lyrics, analyzes kinds of irony occurred in them with a table and deliberate each meaning.
3. The Unit of Analysis
Analysis unit used in this research are three lyrics in Rock against Bush- a compilation music album that is released in 20 April 2004 in US by Fat Mike as a producer. The album associates with punkvoter organization namely www.punkvoter.com to spread the idea that vote is crucial step to a
17 Kutha Ratna, Nyoman,
Teori, Metode, dan Teknik Penulisan Sastra. (Jakarta, 2004). p. 53.
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change and urges the youth to use their vote and vote against Bush. The album comprises twenty six lyrics. The writer found the lyrics from website
www.lyric.com Copyright © TSRocks since it was released in US. The three lyrics the writer analyzes are Heaven is Falling by the Ataris, God Save USA by Pennywise, and Sad State of Affairs by Descendent.
4. The Technique of Data Analysis
The collected data will be analyzed through descriptive qualitative analysis. The writer conducts the research by analyzing what has been written18
. The author expresses his inner emotion totally in his work. Irony is one way the author express his pattern of feeling. In this research, the writer analyzes kinds of irony the punk musicians applied in their lyrics and deliberate each meaning.
5. The Place and Time of The Research
The research is accomplished in the ninth semester 2007/2008 in English Letters Department, Adab and Humanities Faculty. This research is conducted at Islamic State University Jakarta Library and other university‘s library in Jakarta, which provide the information and references about the material that the writer needs, such as Catholic University of Atmajaya’s Library, University Indonesia’s Library, and Library of UNJ.
18
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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 emotion19. 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 poet20.
For the last two centuries the lyric, which includes the songs, has been the predominant type of poetry21. Most poems are more memorable than most ordinary speech, and when music is combined with poetry the result can be more memorable still22.
A person who writes lyrics is called a lyricist. In his lyric, lyricist expresses a subjective, personal point of view23. He also expresses the thoughts and feelings in the lyrics he writes24.
19http://www.answers.com/topic/lyrics 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.
22X.J. Kennedy (1975),
op.cit.p. 509.
23http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyrics April,17,2007. 24http://www.answers.com/topic/lyrics April,2,2007.
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The lyric, then, gives us idea or theme and calls up appropriate pictures in language, which is rich in suggestion, pictorial power, and sensuous beauty25. 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 expressions26.
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 Pistols27. 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 Clash28.
Punk itself is sub-culture born in London, UK, which is an ideology of life included social and politics aspect29. 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.org/wiki/Lyrics April, 2007.
27http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/Cambridge/entries/097/punk-rock.html June, 2007. 28http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideologi_Punk. June,5,2007.
29
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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 authority30.
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 lyrics31.
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 punk32. 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 appearance33.
30
Ibid.
31http://www.exampleessays.com/viewpaper/93966.html June,2007. 32
Ibid.
33
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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 all34. 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 only35.
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 inside36. 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 circumstances37.
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.id/berita/0503/10/hib01.html August,2007.
36
Dick Hebdige (1999),op.cit.14-15.
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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
Figure of speech constitutes anyway of saying something other than the ordinary way38. It avoids telling something directly in order to emphasize its meaning.
As it is elaborated by Bradford T. Stull in his book The Elements of Figurative Language that figurative language is the language that avoids speaking directly or plainly about the subject under examination. Figurative language is also the language that either speaks symbolically about the subject or heightens the musicality of the language when speaking about the subject.
Scharbach adds, language is the ‘dress’ of thought, and figures are the ‘ornaments’ of language39. It needs some times ornament in language either good ornaments or even displeasure ornaments in expressing thoughts.
As an ornament of language, figure brings us into an artistic sensation of writing. Figurative language is a term that might throw you for a moment. It suggests more artistic forms of writing and you may have the impression that only artistic writing has it40.
Moreover, Stull explains that the sensations, feelings, desires, thoughts, ruminations, revelations, memories, and the like are condensed and crystallized by
38
Laurence Perrine (1969),op.cit.65.
39Alexander Scharbach,
Critical Reading and Writing(New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1965), p. 229.
40 Daniel Brown,
Connections A Rhetoric/ Short Prose Reader (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company), p. 153.
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language figured in order to elucidate, illuminate, hint, provoke, and prod, but not to speak plainly41.
Thus, it can be inferred that figure of speech is the ornament of language with a certain aim the author intends that brings the reader into certain impression.
D. Irony
Irony is a kind of figure of speech that it is included like allegory, metaphor and symbol as a species design characterized by doubleness- when a writer can have two things going on simultaneously since all the common and familiar literary techniques, and all ways of complicating structure42.
It is different with allegory, metaphor and symbol, and other double design, the two things going on at the same time the writer can have in irony particularly is the reality and the ideal, between a human concept of an ideal and what actually comes as a reality43.
As it has been explained irony is a manner of speaking that implies a discrepancy44. It is a way in telling something indirectly- a way that is implied incongruity so that it needs more attention for the readers to comprehend the meaning since it contains special purpose.
41 Bradford T. Stull, The Elements of Figurative Language (New York: Pearson
Education Inc., 2002), p. 4.
42Charles B. Wheeler (1966),
op.cit.p. 92.
43http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony March,2007. 44X.J. Kennedy (1979),
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Moreover, O’ Connor adds irony as a way of seeing around and behind opposed attitudes45. Now it can be said, something opposite is the essential part of irony. Based on Random House Dictionary, the essential feature of irony is the indirect presentation of a contradiction between an action or expression and the context in which it occurs46.
Hence, with the indirect presentation of a contradiction, irony can be a chief instrument and has a central role for the society in criticizing the reality that has discordance with the ideal one. As O’ Connor has stated that “In an age, like our own, when the real and the ideal are out of balance…the critical intelligence plays a central role. And irony is one of its chief instruments47”.
It is also known that Irony which relies on a sharp discordance between the real and the ideal is very often occurred in our lives. It is appeared in various ways like text, speech, events, music and others48.
From those various ways like music, text and acts that irony can be appeared, it often establishes point of view of the author or even the musician. Often creating a marked emotional response in the reader or listener, an ironic treatment of a subject is usually effective in giving great emphasis to a point of view49.
45
WM. Van O’ Connor (1948),op.cit.p. 134.
46
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006
47
WM. Van O’ Connor (1948),op.cit.p. 123.
48
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony March,2007.
49Clarence E. Schneider,
Syntax & Style (Chandler & Sharp Publishers, Inc., 1974), p. 204.
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It needs a great consideration in recognizing point of view contained in irony. O’Connor explained few characteristics that may help the reader in approaching irony. Listing its characteristic is one of ways in approaching irony. They are:
1. An essential characteristic of irony is that it has to do with point of view or attitude: the way one looks at something.
2. The whole point of having two elements in irony is that they set each other off, or react against each other.
3. There is no grammar of irony, no system overt signs by which its presence is made known.
4. As a result, irony can always be misunderstood, or ‘taken seriously’, as the phrase goes. The most effective irony tends to be that in which the separation of the two contrasting elements is actually very wide but appears to be very small or even non-existent.
5. The manifestation and uses generally speaking its purpose is always critical. To be critical is not necessarily to be hostile; sometimes irony is sympathetic, benignant, approving. It must, however, pursue what it takes to be the truth.
6. The surface temperature of irony is cool. It can convey strong emotions. Irony involves a certain emotional distancing, in part because its structure forbids direct expression, whether of feelings or anything else, and in part because its critical purpose, makes it primarily an instrument of reason.
7. More than any other design, irony suffers by being explained.50
50Charles B. Wheeler (1966),
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Those characterizations help to identify the irony and its form. It has been widely comprised differently in several references. It comprises three until eight forms of it.
According to Laurence Perrine, irony is divided into three forms. They are verbal ironyincluded sarcasm and satire,dramatic irony, andirony of situation51.
X.J. Kennedy classified irony into four kinds of it. They are Ironic point of view, verbal ironywith sarcasm included, dramatic irony or tragic irony, andcosmic ironyor irony of fate52.
Charles B. Wheeler delineated irony intofivesub-species. They are
“(1)irony of fate (reversals of expectation); (2)cosmic irony (the God-like point of view); (3) dramatic irony (characters acting in ignorance of something that the audience knows); (4) socratic irony (self-deprecation and exaggerated deference used as a weapon in argument); and (5) verbal irony (the irony of language itself, where words mean the opposite of what they seem to mean-which is much like socratic irony, except that the personal element is missing)”53. Meanwhile, exaggeration and understatement are included in irony by Clarence E. Schneider and Sylvan Barnet. Clarence E. Schneider statedthreeforms of irony, such as exaggeration, understatement, and satire54. As Sylvan Barnet stated verbal irony, understatement, and overstatement (hyperbole) are also included intothreeforms of irony55.
51
Laurence Perrine (1969),op.cit.p. 113.
52X.J. Kennedy (1979),op.cit.p. 429. 53Charles B. Wheeler (1966),op.cit.p. 93. 54
Clarence E. Schneider (1974),op.cit.p. 204.
55 Sylvan Barnet,
An Introduction to Literature Fiction/Poetry/Drama, tenth edition, (Harper Collins College Publishers, 1993), p. 484.
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From five different sources, the writer herself will divide irony into six forms of it to be discussed in this research. It is done to lessen the confusion to identify its forms conveyed on the object of the research; and the comprising is based on the need of this research. They are verbal irony, dramatic irony, irony of situation, Irony of fate (reversals of expectation, downfalls) or cosmic irony, exaggeration, and understatement.
1. Verbal Irony
The first form of irony the writer would like to delineate is verbal irony. Verbal irony is the irony of language itself, where words mean the opposite of what they seem to mean56. Verbal irony occurs whenever words say one thing but mean something else, usually the opposite57. For instance, "A fine thing indeed!" he muttered to himself58. This sentence describes someone who muttered himself because having something unpleasant but saying with the opposite, fine thing. Verbal irony is supported by the intonation of the speaker whether they are in the kind or mean.
It is also concerned that verbal irony is the language in which the author’s intent is in contrast to what his words seem to say in surface. For example, when you praise someone sarcastically with the true intent of disparaging him59. “Indeed, you
56
Charles B. Wheeler (1966),op.cit.p. 93.
57X.J. Kennedy (1979),
op.cit.p. 428.
58http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/lit_terms/irony.html March,2007. 59Hulon Willis,
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are the most beautiful girl in this universe who can simultaneously decimate the whole,” said a person meanly when seeing a girl dressed improperly.
As it is known from above that through verbal irony always implies the opposite of what is said, it has many gradations. And in its simplest form, it does mean only the opposite of what is said. Somehow, in more complex form, it means both what is said and the opposite of what is said, at once, though in different ways and with different degrees of emphasis60. The more complex the author apply verbal
irony in his work, the more high the degree of emphasize the author intent to send to readers. In discussing verbal irony, sarcasm and satire are often occurred61.
a. Sarcasm
Sarcasm as a form of irony is widely used in English especially when people are being humorous. Generally the sarcastic speaker or writer means the exact opposite of the word they use, often intending to be rude or to laugh at the person the words are addressed to62.
It is also usually called sarcasm when it is a somewhat sour statement tinged with mockery63. It can be said that it is a way of technique in communication where verbal statement is stated cynically, telling something but emphasizing the other hand.
60
Laurence Perrine (1969),op.cit.p. 113.
61
Ibid.
62http://www.usingenglish.com/glossary/sarcasm.html. August,2007. 63X.J. Kennedy (1979),
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In expressing sarcasm, it is known that for destructive purposes, ridicule or mockery in sarcasm is used harshly, often crudely and contemptuously. It may be used in an indirect manner, and have the form of irony, as in “What a fine musician you turned out to be!” or it may be used in the form of a direct statement, “You couldn't play one piece correctly if you had two assistants.” The distinctive quality of sarcasm is present in the spoken word and manifested chiefly by vocal inflection64.
In addition, according to Perrine, Sarcasm is simply bitter or cutting speech, intended to wound the feelings (it comes from a Greek word meaning to tear flesh)65.
Sarcasm is also a particular kind of personal criticism leveled against a person or group of persons. For example, a person got an ovarian cancer rather dedided to see a spiritual healer instead of going to a medical doctor. Her friend response and says sarcastically, "Great idea! I hear they do fine work!". The response of her friend seem critisize and allude the work of the spiritual healer and has no trust in him. Fine work he means is the opposite that the spiritual healer has bad reputation and it is not a legitimate treatment for cancer66.
On this basis, it can be deduced that sarcasm is a verbal statement which is stated cynically, telling something but emphasizing the other hand. It is also as a
64 Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged
Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
65
Laurence Perrine (1969),op.cit. p. 104.
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particular kind of personal criticism leveled against a person or group of persons that is intended to wound the feelings.
b. Satire
Satire is a form of humour where the writer or speaker tries to make the reader or listener have a negative opinion about someone, by laughing at them, making them seem ridiculous or foolish etc. If someone is being satirical, their aim is not just to amuse, but to affect the person that they dislike; to hurt them, ruin them, etc67.
In the same way, Perrine stated that satire is both cruel and kind just like surgeon who is cruel and kind who cut open body to repair to be health. Similarly, satire applied in a certain text gives hurt in order to make things be better. Correspondently, Gorys Keraf stated that satire is used to against something in order to be held a correction ethically and aesthetically68. For instance, one of the members of your class raises his hand on the discussion of this point and say, “I don’t understand,” and your instructor replies, with a tone of heavy disgust in his voice, “Well, I wouldn’t expect you to,” he said satirically. It gives hurt for the member to have more efforts to understand.
Different from sarcasm which is often used on colloquial level, satire is a more formal term, usually applied to written literature rather than to speech and ordinarily implying a higher motive: it is ridicule (either bitter or gentle) of human folly or vice, with the purpose of bringing about reform or at least of keeping
67
http://www.usingenglish.com/glossary/satire.html. August,2007.
68 Gorys Keraf,
Diksi dan Gaya Bahasa (Jakarta: PT. Gramedia Pustaka Utama, 2005), p. 144.
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other people from falling into similar folly or vice. As Dean Spears defines “satire is a piece of writing that seeks to expose folly or wickedness and to hold human behavior up to ridicule69
.
Moreover, satire is implied usually for censorious or critical purposes and is often directed at public figures or institutions, conventional behaviors, political situations, etc70.
Thus, it can be inferred that satire is a satirical statement, which its purpose is to affect the person that they dislike; to hurt them and even to ruin them. However, satire is bringing about reform concerning certain human folly or at least is keeping other people from falling into similar folly or vice.
2. Dramatic or Tragic Irony
The further form of irony the writer would like to discuss in this research is dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is a relationship of contrast between a character's limited understandings of his or her situation in some particular moment of the unfolding action and what the audience, at the same instant, understands the character's situation actually to be71. The reader has the pleasure of knowing something that neither of the character does72.
As a result of the limited understanding of the character above, leads a tragedy that could be happened in a literary work. That is why, in this case, some
69
Dean Millan Spears,Developing Critical Reading Skill(USA: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1999), p. 224.
70
http://dictionary.reference.com/cite.html?qh=irony&ia=luna March,2007.
71http://www.k-state.edu/english/baker/english320/cc-dramatic_irony.htm September,
2007.
72Alexander Scharbach (1965),
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critics heel speak of tragic irony instead of dramatic irony73. Tragedy is associated with dramatic Irony so that it can be some of the most famous and powerful uses of dramatic irony, where it serves to emphasize how limited human understanding can be even when it is most plausible, and how painful can be the costs of the misunderstandings, in some sense inevitable, that result74.
We can see a misunderstanding among characters as a result of the limited knowing of the character leads a tragedy in a playwright by Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet in Shakespeare’s play suffered of misunderstanding that leads both into death. It is occurred when Romeo finds Juliet in a drugged death-like sleep; he assumes her to be dead and kills himself. Upon awakening to find her dead lover beside her, Juliet kills herself with a knife.
On the other side, according to Perrine, the discrepancy is not between what the speaker says and what he means but between what the speaker says and what the author means. The speaker’s word may be perfectly straightforward, but the author, by putting those words in a particular speaker’s mouth, may be indicating to the reader ideas or attitude quite opposed to those the speaker is voicing. It is used not only to convey attitudes but also to illuminate character, for the author who uses it that is indirectly commenting not only upon the value of the ideas uttered but also upon the nature of the person who utters them. Such comment may be harsh, gently mocking, or sympathetic75.
73X.J. Kennedy (1979),op.cit.p. 430. 74
http://www.k-state.edu/english/baker/english320/cc-dramatic_irony.htm September,2007.
75Laurence Perrine (1969),
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As it is known that a game of irony, after all, cannot be played straightforwardly; there must always be a contrast between what is and what seems to be. When the author ostensibly speaks in his own person, it can be sure that in some very particular context he is masking himself. For instance, in poetryUnknown Citizen by W.H. Auden, which represents modern citizen, who, according to the poem, are programmed like machine. Actually, the speaker is masking himself. The speaker tells many frigid actions of the citizen that actually implied an idea of the author that is actually contrast with the actions of the unknown citizen. The contrast makes us see that the author doesn’t agree with the like-machine human life be portrayed in the speaker’s word.
Therefore, it can be concluded that dramatic irony can be a tragic irony where the limited understanding of character in a work leads a tragedy. However, dramatic irony also can be found when an author masking himself to speak the opposite of what he really concerns.
3. Irony of Situation
According to Perrine, irony of situation occurs when there is a discrepancy between the actual circumstances and those that would seem appropriate or between what one anticipates and what actually comes to pass76. It can be said also; Irony of situation or irony of circumstances is a discrepancy between the expected result and actual results77.
76
Ibid, p.117.
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O’Connor adds, the irony of circumstances, or situation, with its dramatic nature, seems common to all periods. It is a chief feature in drama, but it is found also in ballads, lyrics, and certain forms of narrative poetry78.
When we see that a situation is ironic, it may contain some contrast or incongruity which evoke wryness79. It can be said that situational irony results from
recognizing the oddness or unfairness of a given situation. And it could be positive or negative80. Hence, It needs more attention to the ironic twists and a plot of a work.
When authors contradict what we expect, they do so for a reason81. It is a way the poet state his point of view implicitly. Irony itself is rather a way of thinking about texts that produces an oblique form of human interaction82.
It is same with dramatic irony. Irony of situation is also a powerful device for the poet, for like symbol, dramatic irony and irony of situation enable him to suggest meanings without stating them- to communicate a great deal more than he says83.
For instance, the situation enables the poet spoke his implicit point of view which is ironic can be seen in O. Henry's storyThe Gift of the Magi, in which a young couple is too poor to buy each other Christmas gifts. The man finally pawns his heirloom pocket watch to buy his wife a set of combs for her long, prized, beautiful
78
Van WM O’ Connor (1948),op.cit. p. 130.
79
X.J. Kennedy (1979),op.cit. p.85.
80http://www.sarcasmsociety.com/irony/situational.php August,2007.
81http://www.waukeganschools.org/WHSCommunications/discuss/msgReader$75
June,2007.
82
John Evan Seery (1990),op.cit. p. 194.
83Perrine, Laurence (1969),
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hair. She, meantime, cuts her hair to sell to a wigmaker for money to buy her husband a watch-chain. The results of the situation here are far different from what was expected. The husband expects that the comb he bought can be used to more beautify his wife’s long hair. While, the beautiful hair of his wife has been sold to buy a chain for his sold watch. It seems very ironic because they cannot even use what they have bought for each. However it leads to a happy ending where the lovers are drown closer together.
Thus, it can be inferred that irony of situation occurred when the situation seems ironic and the results of the situation can be far different from what was expected. The poet often do so for a reason and the reason is to put certain point of view in such situation implicitly.
4. Cosmic Irony (Irony Of Fate)
In cosmic irony, the discrepancy is between a character’s aspiration and the treatment he or she receives at the hands of fate84. It occurs when the ambition or the strong desire of a character is having opponent with the reality of fate he has to receive. The unexpected fate often gives a frustration. Cosmic irony suggests that some malicious fate (or other spirit in the universe) is deliberately frustrating human effort85.
O’Connor adds this kind of irony express a negative impulse and invite ridicule. It spells frustration or megalomania as well as the persistent need for
84
X.J. Kennedy (1979),op.cit. 430.
85
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‘debunking’86. In that frustration some of people then castigated a God who could put men in a certain miserably low status87.
In this life, sharp contrasts between human ideals and reality, or between human intentions and actual results often happened. This fact stimulates the existence of cosmic irony as O’Connor has said cosmic irony could be sustained easily while there was a strong feeling that man had somehow been betrayed or badly treated by God88. It can be said that cosmic irony could express a
disappointment of a character in a work to God treatment or someone who betrayed his trust.
It can be seen for instance in the inventing world where the chlorofluorocarbon Freon-12 were invented as safe chemicals by Chemist and mechanical engineer Thomas Midgley and intended for wide environmental use. However, it became an environmental disaster since the compounds in widespread harm to the ozone layer. This fact must much or little frustrate the inventor of his effort since the reality is far different with what is intend.
It can be concluded that cosmic irony is a disparity between human intention and the reality happened. It could express a dissapointment of someone who feels that he have been betrayed by someone or even been badly treated by God.
86WM. Van O’ Connor (1948),
op.cit.p. 132.
87
Ibid. p. 126.
88WM. Van O’ Connor (1948),
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5. Understatement
Understatement is also a form of irony, which expresses a concept in term less strong than those of the intended meaning89. Based on Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, understatement is a statement that expresses an idea, etc in a very weak way90.
For instance, a statement from a captain, says his best effort in a less term when he announces the condition of aircraft to passengers. The event is like this: During the Kuala Lumpur to Perth leg of British Airways Flight 9 on 24 June, 1982, volcanic ash causes all four engines of the Boeing 747 aircraft to fail. Although pressed for time as the aircraft rapidly lost altitude, Captain Eric Moody still managed to make an announcement to the passengers, "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. We have a small problem. All four engines have stopped. We are doing our damnedest to get them going again. I trust you are not in too much distress."91The worddamnedestsounds ironic because actually the crew have done their best to make the engine get work again.
In other side, according to Sedgewick, understatement is the “true nature” of irony; irony is “language mocking itself.” He interprets this self-mockery as a recognition of discrepancy: “For the thing as stated, the appearance, falls so far short of the thing itself, the reality, as to be for all practical purposes a different entity.” In
89Clarence E. Schneider (1974),op.cit.p. 204. 90
AS Hornby,Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English Fifth Edition
(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995), p. 1299.
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other word, understatement is language mocking since considering the discrepancy between the reality and the appearance shown by certain character.
Thus, it can be inferred that understatement is a lesser expression that is made than the intended meaning.
6. Exaggeration
Exaggeration is a means to emphasis through overstatement. It is a form of irony, expresses a concept in terms that are stronger than the intended meaning92. Based on Oxford exaggeration constitutes an action that make something seem larger, better, worse, etc than it really is93. Like when we say her smile is as wide as ocean. Therefore, we have described the smile to the listener that it is greater than the wide of smile actually could be.
Perrine added exaggeration or overstatement might be used with variety effects. It may be humorous or grave, fanciful or restrained, convincing or unconvincing94. To create the desired dramatic effect is also one of the effects when someone uses an exaggeration. For instance when persons use expressions such as "I nearly died laughing," and "I tried a thousand times." Such statements are not literally true, but people make them to sound impressive or to emphasize something, such as a feeling, effort, or reaction.
Even more in a broader sense, in political rhetoric and advertising slogans, exaggeration might be used to emphasize what they mean through their
92Clarence E. Schneider (1974),op.cit. p. 204. 93
AS Hornby,Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English Fifth Edition
(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995), p. 397.
94Laurence Perrine (1969),
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exaggerated words. It is used to attract the concern of people to choose a certain party in a general election or even in advertising world to gain the interest of consumer to buy a certain product.
Hence, it can be concluded that exaggeration is a statement that make something is much better or even worse than it really is. It is used to emphasize the intended meaning the author would like to deliver.
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CHAPTER III
IRONY ANALYSIS ON THREE LYRICS
IN A PUNK ROCK MUSIC ALBUM COMPILATION- “ROCK AGAINST BUSH”
As it has been explained in the previous chapter that irony is a manner of speaking that implies a discrepancy. It is a way in telling something indirectly- a way that is implied incongruity so that it needs more attention for the readers to comprehend the meaning since it contains special purpose.
Irony is the most figures of speech that are found in this research. It is variously found in three lyrics that include in the punk rock music album compilation – “Rock Against Bush”. They are Heaven Is Falling by The Ataris, God save the U.S.A.by Pennywise, and Sad State of Affairsby Descendents.
It is known that punk musicians involved in the compilation album form a union to against the policies of George W. Bush that has been put in place and to oppose him in 2004 election. It has been recognized from the previous chapter that punks have always preached social political change in their songs. Punk musicians like Descendents, the Ataris, Flogging Molly, The Offspring, Rise Against, Pennywise, Anti-Flag, Against Me!, Green Day, Sum 41, The World/Inferno Friendship Society, The Epoxies, Autopilot Off and others here unite around issues they all care about and that they have all sung about. They all stand together as one voice in shaping the future of their country by choosing another candidate who has better domestic and foreign policies in the future.
The issues they preached are about personal freedom, the environment, and economic responsibility. One of the issues they more concern is about antiwar,
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particularly war in Iraq, which was started by America On March 2003. Iraq was suspected to haveWeapon Mass Destruction. Bush Administration feels that military actions, regime change, invasion in Iraq are necessary to be done to protect Americans against Iraq's WMDs. The destructive weapon later is not proven possessed by Iraq. It is sufficient to mention the 448 dead American souls (as of 12/12/2003), the 11,000 maimed American servicemen, and the Iraqis (tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, it is difficult to know) that have resulted from the invasion95
. This unexpected tragedy brings the question that “was this invasion and conquest really necessary to protect Americans?” Punk musicians involved in this album were pretty aware of this issue and bring it onto their songs to criticize the government.
The purpose of punk rock musicians in bringing the social political issues in their songs has accordance with the purpose of irony that is to criticize the figures of authority to allude them which is intended to touch the emotion of the listeners and to make them having negative opinions toward them.
In this chapter, the three lyrics where irony variously found like Heaven Is Falling by The Ataris, God save the U.S.A.by Pennywise, and Sad State of Affairs by Descendents are analyzed in tables to make them easier to be classified and to be elaborated each meaning to find out how the irony found in lyrics may provoke listeners to not chose Bush in 2004 presidential election. In each lyric, the writer takes the lines contained irony and classifies them based on the variation of irony
95
Thom White,It's Official: Voting Bush Is 'Not Punk' (This article revised February 5 and October 10, 2004. Original redaction -- December 15, 2003. )
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and comprehends the implied meaning to find out that irony found there may influence listeners not to elect Bush in the 2004 election.
B. Kinds of Irony in Three Analyzed Lyrics
1. Heaven Is Falling By The Ataris As I walk beneath the valley I shall fear no evil
for thanks to King George and his rainbow cabinet today murder is legal
God I know that it's wrong 5
to kill my brother for what he hasn't done and as the planes blacken the sky it sounds like heaven is falling it sounds like heaven is falling
you promises me a new day a'dawning 10
I've seen a thousand points of light
like so many points of hatred, shame and horror God I want to be a man
but I don't want to die with a rifle in my hand)
and as the planes blacken the sky 15
it sounds like heaven is falling it sounds like heaven is falling
you promised me a new day a'dawning well nothing here looks new to me
but a score of mothers' sons 20
caught 'tween the devil and the deep blue sea 21
Heaven is Fallingis an anti-war protest track fromRock Against Bush: Vol 196. This lyric titled heaven is falling is written by the ataris97. As it has been recognized that the title of this punkrock compilation album is Rock Against Bush. Hence, the idea tinged the lyrics with the disagreement toward President George W. Bush Administration’s policies.
96
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_AtarisAccessed On September 2007
97
The ataris is an alternative punk rockband formed in 1995 come from Anderson,
Indiana, USA comprisesKristopher Roe, John Collura, Paul Carabello, Angus Cooke, Bob Hoag, Sean Hansen andShane Chickeles. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_AtarisAccessed On September 2007
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Meanwhile, the issue reveals inheaven is falling is the dissagreement of the Ataris to American Invasion to Iraq on March 2003. It is assumed so since the lyrics seems uttering several dissapointments of the impact of a war. The dissapointments are delivered to the listeners through several kinds of irony contained in the lyrics.
The following table decribes several kinds of irony found inheaven is falling:
TABLE I
Kinds of Irony Contained inHeaven is Falling No.
Data
Line
Kinds of
Irony
C. Notesa. forthanksto
King George and his rainbow cabinet today murder is legal 3 4 Satire, Exaggeration, Irony of situation Satire:
Ordinarily, the word thanks is used to express one’s gratitude to someone else or even to God. However, thanks as a satirical word in this line sounds hardly sincere and hardly literal because the speaker saidthanks to King George who is in this case is George W. Bush- a President of US for the condition today the king had made murder became an action permitted to do.
Exaggeration:
The wordkingcommonly occurs in a country where the king himself is the male ruler. It is also known that a kingis a man who gains his position through his family bloodline and of
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course has a centered-absolute authority. However, in this case, the word king is addressed to US President George Walker Bush as a head of a democracy nation. It is not appropriate and sounds hardly sincere since it is intended to exaggerate bush’ real position as a president totally acts like a king in his kingdom and made the rules by his consideration only without listening other opinions come from minority.
Irony of Situation:
The situation is ironic since what is expected in the word murder contrast with the condition described in the 4th line. As it has been known that murder is an illegal action in everywhere. It is an action of loosing someone’s life. It against the basic human right to have a life. However, in this 4th line, it is said that the condition today as the reality that has to be faced is “murder is legal to do”. It is contrary to the fact people have commonly known that murder supposed to be said as something avoided to do.
b. God Iknow
that it's wrong 5
Irony of fate
Irony of fate or cosmic irony occurs here. In the fifth line, it is told that the speaker has already known that to kill someone is something wrong to do. However, as a person in a war to kill is an action must be done. The contrast here where Cosmic Irony lies are between the desire of a speaker to be a good man who had already known that it is wrong to kill someone; and his fate to kill someone.
tokillmy brother for what he hasn't done
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c. it sounds like
heaven is falling
8
Exaggeration
Literally, the word heaven is the sky, as seen from the earth98. Therefore, it seems not real to say that heaven is falling. It is an exaggeration. It symbolizes the condition of war at that time where booms and guns were sounding and shaking every district in war area.
it sounds like
heaven is falling
9
d. you promise mea new day a'dawning
10
Irony of fate
Obviously, cosmic irony or irony of fate is contained in these lines because the incongruity can be seen between the speaker’s desire of a promised enlighten days the speaker expects so far in the phrase a new day a'dawning; and the real condition wherehatred, shame, and horror must be faced because of the lies (the unfulfilled promise). The real condition is still unavoidable where there isn’t any change and peace found there.
I've seen a thousand points of light like so many points of
hatred, shame and horror
11
12
e. you promised mea new day a'dawning
18
Irony of fate
Irony of fate or cosmic irony also occurs here since it can be seen the discrepancy between the phrase a
new day a'dawning as the
expectation of the speaker about a new brighter day that has been
98AS Hornby,Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English Fifth
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well nothing here looks new to me
buta score of mothers' sons caught 'tween the devil and the deep blue sea
19
21
promising; and the sentence a score of mothers' sons caught 'tween the devil and the deep blue sea as the condition the speaker has to face. The condition of dilemma of two difficult unavoidable choices whether facing satan or drowning in the dark deep ocean.
Hence, it can be concluded that there are seven irony found inheaven is falling which are one satire, one irony of situation, two exaggeration, and three irony of fate.
1. God Save the U.S.A. by Pennywise
God you must be kidding me, thought this was supposed to be 1 The home of the brave and the free for you and me
But now there's something wrong - shit's been going on too long.
It's never gonna change, there's no way i say.
What's the CIA and the NRA? 5
They're all the same - just the names are changed Fuck - there's no excuse - any way you lose It's all a joke in the good old USA.
All we need is more factories pumping filth into the sky.
Corporate greed and perverted priests, it's the story of our lives 10
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God save the USA - blame the president and say your prayers tonight.
The irony of liberty is no one here is truly free When elections are stolen bij the G.O.P
So watch the nightly news - find out how you are getting
screwed. 15
What you gonna do? - there's no use i say Fuck the industry - the aristocracy
Fuck they're all the same - just the names are changed. Fuck ther's no excuse, any way you lose
It's all a joke in the good old USA 20
Government hypocricy - American Idolatry - Corporate philosophy.
Nightly news of tragedies - Where no one cares what's right or wrong
Our heroes now are all long gone - The freedoms that we all abuse
The obituaries front page news 24
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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 bypennywise99. 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 inGod save USA:
TABLE II
Kinds of Irony Contained inGod Save the USA
No. D. Data
Line
E. Ki
nds of Irony
Notes
a.
God you must be kidding me thoughtthis 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 “shit's 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
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But now there's something wrong -shit's been going on too long.
3 b. It's never gonna change, there's no way I say.
4
Satire
In this case, the sentenceWhat's the CIA and the NRA?is a directsatiricalquestion that is used by the speaker because he has answered himself that They're 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.
What's the CIA and the NRA? They're all the same -just the names are changed.
5
6
c. Fuck- there's no excuse -any wayyou 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 disgust100
”. 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 ofyou d. It's all ajoke
in the good old USA
8 Verbal
irony
The word joke is “a thing said to cause amusement or laughter101”. It is in this line seems hardly literal because in the next line (9th-11thline) there are several things told by the speaker that are great deal of
100AS Hornby, (1995),
op. citp. 478
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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 averbal irony
e. All weneed 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..”102
. 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 isa 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 9th-11thline.
g. The irony of
liberty is no one here is truly free
13 Irony of
situation
The wordherethe 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 Situationsince freedom supposed to be possesed by every person in a democratic country such as United States.
102
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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 DescendentIt's such a sad state of affairs and I don't care A sad state of affairs
It's such a sad state of affairs, I don't care Look at things long enough until they go away
But they're still there, aren't they? 5
And each little insect doesn't get me angry
And the dirt in the sink gets washed down the drain. It's such a sad state of affairs and I don't care A sad state of affairs
This place could use a little repair, I don't 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 doesn't 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 everything's 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 doesn't 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 rea
lly something good.
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The band’s awareness of this issue is conveyed to the listeners with several kinds
of irony.
The following table decribes several kinds of irony found inSad State of Affairs:
TABLE III
Kinds of Irony Contained inSad State of Affairs
No. Data F. i n e G. inds of Irony
Notes
1. It's such a
sad state of affairs and I don't care
A sad state of affairs
1
2
Dramatic Irony
Obviously, dramatic irony found here since what the speaker says and what the author means have contrast. The speaker’s word, which is straightforward and frigid, uttered the sentence I don’t care repeatedly. It means the author has a certain implied meaning besides the surface meaning. Further, the phrasesad state of affairs, which is also uttered repeatedly, means pathetic national problems. It indicates the author actually has a great awareness of the affairs.
It's such a sad state of affairs, I don't care
3
2. Andeach
little insect doesn't get me angry
6 Dramatic
Irony
The concept of dramatic irony appeared in the previous lines is a consideration that the same case is also found here which what the speaker says and what the author means is having incongruity. The little insectactually contrasts with the idea of the author. State of affairs as the
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You want a revolution?(YEAH)
You gotta make a difference on your own Wanna revolution?(YEAH)
Stand up
Stand out and make it known Copyright © TSRocks
http://www.tsrocks.com/a/authority_zero_texts/revolution.htmlhttp://u8717.22.spylog .com/cnt?cid=871722&f=3&p=0&rn=0.37259971878228093
(2)
ANTI-FLAG - The School Of Assassins
1, 2, 3, 4!
Has your life got you down? Are you feeling lost and blue? I’m thinking maybe a career change is the best answer for you. You’ve never lived, never known true romance,
Till you've been taught the steps to the death dance. Fort Benning, Georgia's gonna teach you how to move! Take our rights back! Stand up for Liberty!
This is the era when we give the world a better way. Take our rights back! Shut down the SOA!
This is the era when we give the world a better way. Torture, rape, murder and death are all waiting for you; Democracy subversion, well, they got that covered too.
The grad names on their walls, most infamous of all dictators/coup learders Learn well, someday you may be ranked with these awesome k-k-k-k-killers! Take our rights back! Stand up for Liberty!
This is the era when we give the world a better way. Take our rights back! Shut down the SOA!
This is the era when we give the world a better way. Take our rights back! Stand up for Liberty!
This is the era when we give the world a better way. Take our rights back! Shut down the SOA!
The setting son can burn a brilliant vibrant flame. [Spoken Word by Father Roy Bourgeois]
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We can see our country at work in Latin America,
on the side of the men with the guns, the sweatshops, the IMF of the World Bank.
They’re selling war as peace STRIKE!
Doing it in our name STRIKE! STRIKE BACK!
Tax dollars fund the war machine STRIKE!
The people can’t live in its flames STRIKE! STRIKE BACK!
[Spoken Word Continued]
We are on the side of the poor; on the side of life and hope and nonviolence... AHHHHH!
Take our rights back! Stand up for Liberty!
This is the era when we give the world a better way. Take our rights back! Shut down the SOA!
The setting son can burn a brilliant vibrant flame! Vibrant flame!
(4)
To The World lyrics by STRIKE ANYWHERE Look how the ruts cling to my footsteps
the fatal invisible tool
by which we define we fight! for our approval and fear our removal from the safety of fools from the tidal forces of our positions
not won not one! to take for granted are our rebel hymns in canted
to sing in the mines for the fortunate sons? So brothers in spirit sisters in rage,
will we live out our lives in this concrete cage? another heartbeat lost another police murder buried in the public eyes on the back page. Heartbeats lost in a new world order
hobbled and bound but still walking away I pledge allegiance to the world
nothing more, nothing less than my humanity I pledge allegiance to the world
searching for vision not invisibility I pledge allegiance to the world searching for vision not invisibility I pledge allegiance to the world
until the last lock breaks none of us are free none of us are free...
we fight to balance our minds
petty powers pushing profits over our lifetimes world leaders mortaging our lives with words
I don't need to be reminded of whom you really serve. Brothers in spirit, sisters in rage,
will we live out or lives in this concrete cage? another hearbeat lost another police murder buried in the public eyes on the back page.
(Too many) heartbeats lost in the new world order while we're standing alone with our backs to the maze I pledge allegiance to the world
nothing more, nothing less than my humanity I pledge allegiance to the world
until the last lock breaks none of us are free I pledge allegiance to the world
until the last lock breaks none of us are free I pledge allegiance to the world
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in justice in hunger united searching for vision united in justice in hunger united
law and order but for whose order? I pledge allegiance to the world
nothing more, nothing less than my humanity I pledge allegiance to the world
until the last lock breaks none of us are free I pledge allegiance to the world
under no nation will we ever be I pledge allegiance to the world for nothing more, nothing less
than my humanity, than my humanity, than my humanity (pledge allegiance!) to our humanity, to our humanity, to our humanity (to the world!)
Copyright © TSRocks
http://www.tsrocks.com/s/strike_anywhere_texts/to_the_world.htmlhttp://u8717.22.s pylog.com/cnt?cid=871722&f=3&p=0&rn=0.8169756498747448
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WARBRAIN BY ALKALINE TRIO I can't go on
You said my head's too heavy I need that song
those trusty chords could pull me through and early on
they saw the warning signs and symptoms all day long we sit and dream of better days
where we'd hit the ground running on empty stories we've been told
and all those nights we spent together never felt this fucking cold when we let the car run in the driveway
kiss you one last time
before we brought the horse's in before the storm of '59'! of 59' [x2]
i cant go on these limbs have grown to heavy
i need that song a night on earth could pull me through and early on
they saw the warning signs and symptoms all day long wonder how far from here we'll fall
before we hit the ground running on empty stories we've been told
and all those nights we spent together never felt this fucking cold when we let the car run in the driveway
kiss you one last time
before we brought the horse's in before the storm of '59'! of 59' [x4]