Qualitative Research Proposal

The Analysis of Figurative Language on Vince Gill Songs.

By

Fransiskus Xaverius Kabe (214020730560

ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF MALANG

GRADUATE PROGRAM IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION

July, 2015

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

In this preliminary chapter the researcher includes background of the study,

problem of the study, purpose of the study, significance of the study, limitation of the
study, and definition of the key terms.

1.1 Background of the Study

In this fast and ever-changing world of today with all of its advancements that
human beings have achieved, one cannot image how those achievements are pursued
and gotten without the presence of language. The existence of language is truly
essential and fundamental in the life of every human being. Human being always
converses to one another through language. For instance, a father talks to his children.
A student communicates to his or her trusted associates about his or her deep feelings
that burden upon his or her life. In short, human beings live in the world of words.
They engage in language and wrestle with words and meanings.
Knowing the essentiality of language in human’s life, therefore, language has
various definitions given by some people. Finocciaro, (Brown: 4) states that language
is a system of arbitrary, vocal symbols which permit all people in a given culture, or
other people who have learned the system of that culture, to communicate or to
interact. Moreover, Wardhaugh (Brown: 4) says that language is a set or system of
linguistic symbols as used in a more or less uniform fashion by a number of people
who are thus enabled to communicate intelligibly with one another. And Oxford
Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (1995: 662) states that language is the sounds and
words used by humans to express their thoughts and feelings. From the definitions
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above, the researcher can infer that language is set of arbitrary symbols that have
conventionalized meanings to which they refer and used for human communication.
Literature is a creative and imaginative work of arts which can be in the spoken
form or written form. As its aim, literature gives human beings great pleasure and
knowledge. Human beings take literature to express their feelings and their thoughts
and attitudes towards life. As a creative and imaginative work of arts, literature
henceforth implies certain figurative language. Some examples of literature where
figurative language is mostly used are poetry, drama, novel, and short story. Well-
arranged words as an expression of a good literary works are not only found in the
form of drama or short story but also in the form of songs which is called lyrics. “Lyric
is expressing the writer’s feelings or composed for singing,” (Oxford Advanced
Learner’s Dictionary, 1995: 733). In other words, the researcher can conclude that
song lyrics reflect one’s feelings or thoughts.
The usage of figurative language used by the song composers in the lyrics to
show his or her creativity and imagination in expressing his or her feelings and
thoughts varies from one composer to another. Therefore, one needs to be keen enough
to the figurative language found in the song lyrics in order to be able to grasp a good
understanding of song composers’ feelings and thoughts.
Song is a poem that is voiced and sung by solo voice or in group with music.
That is why this musical song has been called the universal language because though
some people may not well comprehend the language or song lyrics, yet through
listening and feeling to it they can get what the song is all about through the kind of
music accompanied in that song.
Well-arranged words of songs have implied certain figurative languages. For
instance, songs composed by Vince Gill. People might have difficulty in interpreting
the meaning of the songs but they can still come to certain point of understanding as to
what the song talks about through kind of music that accompanies the song. Many
things can be expressed through a song. It can reflect the feelings, the thoughts of the
song composer about his or her own personal experience or how he or she views the
world.
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Refers to the background above, therefore, the researcher is interested to

analyze the kinds of figurative language and the meaning of figurative languages of
songs composed by phenomenal American song composer, Vince Gill.

1.2. Problem of the Study

Based on the background of the study in the previous discussion, the researcher
formulates the questions in this study as follows:
1. What are the kinds of figurative languages found in the songs of Vince
Gill?
2. What are the messages conveyed in the songs of Vince Gill?
1.3. Purpose of the Study
Referring to the problem of the study above, this study has two purposes. They
are formulated as follows:
1. To describe the kinds of figurative language found in the song of Vince
Gill?
2. To describe the messages conveyed in the songs of Vince Gill

1.4. Significance of the Study

Through determining and explaining the meaning of figurative languages, this
study would be worth-reading material theoretically and practically. Theoretically, this
study can serve as a means of contribution to build up some real examples of figurative
language found in songs. And practically, this study helps English teachers widen or
broaden their knowledge of figurative language and use it as one of their references in
teaching poem analysis to their students. Moreover, for the students especially the
students of English Education Department this study is expected that the students
would be more interested in finding figurative languages found in their favorite songs.

1.5. Limitation of the Study

Some limitations should be made in this study in order to have the same page
of understanding and avoid misunderstanding from the topic discussed. Therefore, the
researcher focuses this study on the figurative languages found in the songs of Vince
Gill and analyzes the messages conveyed in each song.

1.6. Definition of Key Terms

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In order to avoid misunderstanding of the terms used in this study, henceforth,

the researcher would like to give the definition of key terms, as follows:
1. Figurative language means language that conveys meaning by the use
of an explicit or implied comparison with something else, such as in figures or
tropes, as the metaphor, simile, or symbol (Singleton, 1966: 192)
2. Song means short pieces of music with words that is sung (Oxford
Learner’s Pocket Dictionary 2003: 412)
3. Vince Gill is a very famous singer and song composer from the city of
Oklahoma United States of America.
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

In this chapter the researcher presents the result of his review on the sources of
information pertained to the topic of the study by using some books or other printed
materials supporting the theory, applied in this work.

2.1 Literature
There are various definitions as to what literature truly is. Etymologically, the
word literature derives from Latin word Littera or letter which means acquaintance
with letters. In (Breneman and Carter: 2010) stated that literature is the art of written
works. Furthermore, Meyer (1997: 2) says that literature is a canon which consists of
those works in language by which a community defines itself through the course of its
history. It includes works primarily artistic and also those whose aesthetic qualities are
only secondary. The self-defining activity of the community is conducted in the light
of the works, as its members have come to read them or concretize them.
Roberts (1983: 3) states that technically, anything spoken or written is
literature. As work of art, literature often entertains, interests, stimulates, broadens, or
ennobles the reader. A written literature always gives a great flexibility to the reader. It
is precisely because when one reads it, he or she depends only on his or her own effort
and imagination. One may reread a passage one or many times because any written
literature will always be there waiting without having any change when he or she is
gone for a while. Literature, moreover, satisfies human curiosity and stimulates
human’s imagination and provides knowledge. As Roberts (1983: 4) says that literature
accelerates growth and transforms our perceptions of life in ways that we can never
predict, or ever even know for sure and it makes us human.
From all the given definitions above, the researcher can infer that literature is a
term used to describe written or spoken material which is mostly common referring to
works of creative imagination such as poetry, drama, fiction and nonfiction.

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2.2 Poetry
Poetry has been defined in different ways by different people. Roberts (1983:
5) says that poetry is a compressed and often highly emotional form of expression.
Furthermore, Roberts says that poetry relays heavily on comparative, allusive,
suggestive form of expression that is applicable to a wide number of human situations.
It is in this compactness of expression that makes poetry unique. Due to the
compactness of poetry, the rhythms of poetic speech become as vital as the emotions
and ideas. That is why these rhymes are sometimes called the music of poetry.

According to Mark Flanagan (contemporarylit.about.com) says that Poetry is

an imaginative awareness of experience expressed through meaning, sound, and
rhythmic language choices so as to evoke an emotional response. Poetry has been
known to employ meter and rhyme, but this is by no means necessary. In addition, in
(Nihil Novi: 2010) states that poetry is an art form in which human language is used
for its aesthetic qualities in addition to, or instead of, its notional and semantic content.
It consists largely of oral or literary works in which language is used in a manner that
is felt by its user and audience to differ from ordinary prose. It may use condensed or
compressed form to convey emotion or ideas to the reader's or listener's mind or ear; it
may also use devices such as assonance and repetition to achieve musical or
incantatory effects. Poems frequently rely for their effect on imagery, word
association, and the musical qualities of the language used. The interactive layering of
all these effects to generate meaning is what marks poetry. Meyer (1997: 1) states that
poetry is words arranged in a rhythmic pattern with regular accents (like beats in
music), words which are carefully selected for sound, accent and meaning to express
imaginatively ideas and emotions. Each poem has rhythm, melody, imagery, and form.

2.3 Figurative Language

Figurative language is very essential and useful approach to analyze poem. In a
broadest definition, a figure of speech may be said to occur whenever a speaker or a
writer, for the sake of freshness or emphasis, departs from the usual denotations of
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words. Reaske (1966: 33) says that figurative language is that kind of language which
departs from the language employed in the traditional, literal ways of describing
persons or objects. Moreover, he says that using figurative language is making
imaginative descriptions in fresh ways. Meanwhile according to X. J. Kennedy and
Dana Gioia as stated in Silvia Wulandari’s thesis (2005: 11) say that figures of speech
are not devices to state what is demonstrably untrue. Indeed they often state truths that
more literal language cannot communicate, they call attention to such truths, and they
lend them emphasis.
According to Ralph as stated in Theofilus’ thesis (2009: 9) says that figurative
language is language that conveys meaning by the use of explicit or implied
companions with something else. And according to Abrams (1981: 45) “figurative
language is a deviation from what speaker of a language apprehend as the ordinary, or
standard, significance, or sequence of words, in order to achieve some special meaning
of effect.”
From the definitions above it can be concluded that figurative language allows
a speaker to convey something in an unusual way. Instead of making literal statement,
he makes a figurative statement; that is he presents something in terms of another and
the hearers need to seek for the intended meaning which is beyond what is said.
Before discussing kinds of figurative language and their examples, the
following are some reasons for the effectiveness of using figures of speech stated by
Laurence Perrine: first, figure of speech affords us imaginative pleasure. Second,
figures of speech are a way of bringing additional imagery into verse, of making the
abstract concrete, of making poetry more sensuous. Third, figures of speech are a way
of adding emotional intensity to otherwise merely informative statements and of
something attitudes along with information. Fourth, figures of speech are a means of
concentration, a way of saying much in brief compass (Perrine, 1982: 64-65).
There are many forms of figurative languages and some examples of them are
as follows:

2.3.1 Allegory
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Stanton (1965: 62) says that allegory is different from realism in that it portrays
impossible events, and from romanticism, in that it appears more to the intellect than to the
emotions. Furthermore, he says that allegory is a dramatization of an implied complex
statement about politics, religion, morality, or another organized subject. Such a statement
might also be the theme of a nonallegorical work, but whereas a nonallegory dramatizes an
example of the truth stated, allegory dramatizes the statement itself. Reaske (1966: 25),
furthermore, says that allegory is a literary statement presenting its meaning in a veiled way or
simply one thing that consistently being presented in the guise of something else.

2.3.2 Allusion
Abrams (2005: 10) says that allusion is a passing reference, without explicit
identifications, to a literary or historical person, place, or event, or to another literary
work or passage. For example, in Elizabethan Thomas Nashe’s “Litany in Time of
Plague” as quoted by Abrams:
Brightness falls from the air,
Queens have died young and fair,
Dust hath closed Helen’s eye,
The unidentified “Helen” in the last line alludes to Helen of Troy. Moreover, Abrams
states that since allusions are not explicitly identified, they imply a fund of knowledge
that is shared by an author and the particular audience for whom the author writes and
most allusions serve to illustrate or expand upon or enhance a subject, but some are
used in order to undercut it ironically by the discrepancy between the subject and the
allusion.

2.3.3 Antithesis
Abrams (2005: 12) states that antithesis is a contrast or opposition in the
meanings of contiguous phrases or clauses that manifest parallelism that is a similar
word-order and structure in their syntax. For example in a sentence from Samuel
Jhonsosn’s prose fiction Rassealas as quoted by Abrams “Marriage has many pains,
but celibacy has no pleasure.” Meanwhile, according to Zillman (1966: 116) the aim of
antithesis is to balance one idea against another or one part of an idea against another
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part, to the mutual intensification of both. For example, good nature and good sense
must ever join; To err is human, to forgive divine.

2.3.4 Apostrophe
According to Zillman (1966: 114) says that apostrophe is a direct address to
person or thing in which to create the desired mood.” For example:
O Wild West Wind, thou breathe of Autumn’s being,
Though, from whose unseen presence the leaves dead
Are driven, like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing.

Furthermore, Kennedy (2005: 2) says that apostrophe is direct address to someone or

something. In apostrophe, a speaker may address an inanimate object, a dead or absent
person, an abstract thing, or a spirit. For example: Hi, you heaven gods come and
rescue me from manacles (shackles) of this pressure.

2.3.5 Epithet
Reaske (1966: 32) states that epithet is the phrase which is used to capture the
most outstanding characteristic(s) about a person or an object.
Example: - The king of jungle for the lion
- Night lady for the moon.

2.3.6 Euphemism
Reaske (1966: 33) states that euphemism is a figure of speech which veils the
obvious word with another, less direct one. For example: Their mother is no longer in
the middle of them (passed away). Furthermore, Reaske says that euphemism is
substitution of an agreeable or at least non-offensive expression for one whose plainer
meaning might be harsh or unpleasant. For example, his father crossed into heaven in
World War II (politer expression than died), or this is not a very good paper (more
refined than bad paper).

2.3.7 Hyperbole
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Zillman (1966: 114) states that hyperbole is simple exaggeration for emphasis
or for some other special poetic effect. For example:
By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world

The foe long since in silence slept;

Alike the conqueror silent sleeps;
And Time ruined bridge has swept
Down the dark stream that seaward creeps.

Reaske (1966: 34) states that hyperbole is a figure of speech which employs
exaggeration and sometimes it is used for comic purposes, but more often it is used
seriously. For example, in faith, I do not love thee with mine eyes, for they in thee a
thousand errors note. Meanwhile, Abrams (2005: 126) says that hyperbole is bold
overstatement, or the extravagant exaggeration of fact or of possibility. It may be used
for serious or ironic or comic effect.

2.3.8 Irony
Gower and Pearson (1986: 263) say that irony is a form of subtle mockery in
its purpose form it is a way of speaking or writing in which words are made to mean
the opposite of their normal or their apparent meaning. Abrams (2005: 142) says that
irony is a statement in which the meaning that the speaker implies differs sharply from
the meaning that is ostensibly expressed. Furthermore, Reaske (1966: 35) says that
irony is a result from the contrast between the actual meaning of a word or statement
and the suggestion of another. The intended implications are often actually a mockery
of what is literally being stated.

2.3.9 Metaphor
Zillman (1966: 112) says that metaphor in many respects is stronger than the
simile, in which one thing is said to be another. Furthermore he says that metaphors are
common in everyday speech; indeed, most of them are notably trite: “You rat!” “You
son of gun!” “You angel!” etc.; but for poetic purposes the vivid metaphor can be a
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most effective part of the poem only when it is fresh and carefully devised to bring out
the desired shade of emphasis. Moreover, Reaske (1966: 36) says that metaphor is the
figure of speech which compares one thing to another directly. Usually a metaphor is
created through the use of some form of the verb “to be.” For instance, life is a hungry
animal. Hungry animal has become a metaphor for life.

2.3.10 Oxymoron
Abrams (2005: 209) says that oxymoron is the paradoxical utterance conjoins
two terms that in ordinary usage are contraries. For instance, pleasing pains, loving
hate, I burn and freeze. In addition, “oxymoron is apparent paradox achieved by the
juxtaposition of words which seem to contradict one another.” For instance, I must be
cruel only to be kind (Saylor and Wombel 2002).

2.3.11 Climax
“Climax is describing something which uses the highest level of the word,
stating from lower class meaning of word into higher class meaning of words. For
example: Not only new clothes, new motorcycle or new apartment I am able to
purchase for you.” (Pusat Pembinaan dan Pengembangan Bahasa departemen
Pendidikan Nasional Indonesia 2007: 71). In addition, climax is an arrangement of
words, phrases, or clauses in an order of ascending power. Often the last emphatic
word in one phrase or clause is repeated as the first emphatic word of the next. For
example:

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
(Gregory R. Crane: 2010).

2.3.12 Anticlimax
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Anticlimax is a description of something or idea that is important or

complicated declines to something usual and unimportant. For instance, do not force
me to lend you one million rupiahs, one hundred rupiahs even I do not have. (Pusat
Pembinaan dan Pengembangan Bahasa departemen Pendidikan Nasional Indonesia
2007: 71).

2.3.13 Paradox
Abrams (2005: 209) states that paradox is a statement which seems on its face
to be logically contradictory or absurd, yet turns out to be interpretable in a way that
makes sense. For instance, I dwell in a house that vanished. Reaske (1966: 38) says
that paradox is a pair of ideas, words, images or attitudes which are, or appear to be,
self-contradictory. Furthermore, paradox is an assertion seemingly opposed to common
sense, but that may yet have some truth in it. For instance, what a pity that youth must
be wasted on the young (Saylor and Wombel 2002).

2.3.14 Parallelism
Reaske (1966: 38) says that parallelism is a principle advocating that ideas of
equal importance or significance should be treated at equal length within a poem. In
other words, parallelism is a figure of speech that uses the word, phrase, clause, which
is parallel. For instance, if you ask I will come, if you wish I will come, if you want I
will come.

2.3.15 Personification
Reaske (1966: 39) states that personification is the process of assigning human
characteristics to nonhuman objects, abstractions or ideas. For example, the moon as a
lady is often referring to her beauty. The poet thus personifies qualities or describes
them as if they were in fact people. Furthermore, Zillman (1966: 113) says that
personification in its stronger use is the treatment of inanimate objects as if human, but
with a clear indication that it is done to bring out certain qualities in the object.

For example:
Three years she grew in sun and shower,
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Then Nature said, “A lovelier flower

On earth was never sown;
This Child I to myself will take;
She shall be mine and I will make
A lady of my own.

2.3.16 Alliteration

Abrams (2005: 9) says that alliteration is the repetition of a speech of nearby words.
Usually the term is applied only to consonants, and only when the recurrent sound begins a
word or a stressed syllable within a word. Moreover, Reaske (1966: 26) says that alliteration is
the repetition of the same sound at the beginning of several words which are near one another.
The most commonly known example of alliteration is the old jingle about Peter Piper picking a
peck of pickled peppers. The string of “p” sounds gives a rhythmical, enchanting effect.

2.3.17 Symbols
Perrine (1982:76) states that a symbol may be roughly defined as something
that means more than what it is. Another definition of symbol is given by Lado (1973:
17) who says that symbol is something that stands for something else. While Abrams
(1982: 42) defines symbols as a word or phrase that signifies an object or event that in
twins signifies something, or has a range of reference beyond itself. For example, she
was our queen, our rose, our star.

2.3.18 Synecdoche
According to Zillman (1966: 116) synecdoche occurs when a part is referred to
as the representative of the whole. For example “A hundred wings flashed by” would
thus use “wings” to stand for “bird” or “planes” or whatever winged object is in the
mind of writer. Synecdoche is a very specialized form and extremely important to
poetry for it lends much of the suggestive value to the lines and invites the readers to
participate in the imaginative process by his realization of the implied object. The
detailed chosen for synecdoche should be important to the object, a distinguishing
feature that will emphasize the quality to be stressed.
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2.3.19 Similes
Zillman (1966: 110) states that simile is normally introduced by like, or as, in
which one thing is compared to something else. But though the two objects are
different it is essential that they have some characteristics in common (or in contrast,
as when the child told her father: “I love you more than I hate skunks”) in order that
the figure may be valid. Moreover, “simile uses the words “like” or “as”
to compare one object or idea with another to suggest they are alike.”
For example: busy as a bee (Phillip Martin, 2010).

2.3.20 Tautologies
Tautology is a repetition of synonymous words. For example: My heart is
breaking and sorrowful whenever my grades are not so good. (Pusat Pembinaan dan
Pengembangan Bahasa departemen Pendidikan Nasional Indonesia 2007: 70).
Furthermore, tautology is a repetition of an idea in a different word, phrase, or
sentence. For instance, with malice toward none, with charity for all (Saylor and
Wombel 2002).

2.3 Vince Gill

Vince Gill paid nearly a decade and a half of dues on route to becoming one of
the most popular country stars of the '90s. Starting out as a bluegrass singer and multi-
instrumentalist, he initially made his name with country-rockers Pure Prairie League,
and spent the '80s as part of country's new traditionalist wing before finding massive
success as a contemporary country hit maker. Gill had strong mainstream appeal, yet
enough songwriting chops and grounding in tradition that he could maintain his artistic
credibility without being branded a crossover-happy hack. That balance made him the
kind of performer that awards ceremonies can feel good about honoring, and honor
him they did. Vince Gill has won more CMA awards than any performer in history and
his 14 Grammys tie him with Chet Atkins for the most ever by a country artist.
Vincent Grant Gill was born April 12, 1957, in Norman, OK. His father, a
judge, played banjo and guitar, and Vince picked up both by his teen years; he later
added fiddle, mandolin, and bass to his repertoire. In high school, Gill played in the
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bluegrass band Mountain Smoke, which gained enough of a local reputation to open a
concert for Pure Prairie League. Gill graduated in 1975 and moved to Louisville to join
the band Bluegrass Alliance, with whom he stayed for a year. He then briefly played
with Ricky Skaggs' Boone Creek outfit before setting out for Los Angeles, where he
joined fiddler Byron Berline's group Sundance. In 1979, he accompanied a friend to
audition for Pure Prairie League, mostly out of curiosity as to whether they
remembered his high-school band, and they wound up hiring him as their lead singer.
Gill recorded three albums with the band, helping them land a Top Ten pop hit with
"Let Me Love You Tonight," and also began writing songs for them. He departed in
1981 to join Rodney Crowell's backing band, the Cherry Bombs, where he met Emory
Gordy Jr. and Tony Brown, both of whom would later produce his solo records. In
1982, he appeared on the David Grisman album Here Today.
In the following year he landed a solo deal with RCA thanks to his connection
with Brown. Gill, his wife Janis (née Oliver, a member of the Sweethearts of the
Rodeo), and their young daughter moved to Nashville. With Gordy producing, Gill
issued his debut mini-album, Turn Me Loose, in 1984, with a style in keeping with his
recent country-rock past. He notched his first charting country single with the minor
Top 40 entry "Victim of Life's Circumstance," and the following year completed his
follow-up, The Things That Matter. A duet with Rosanne Cash, "If It Weren't for Him,"
gave Gill his first Top Ten hit, and his next single, "Oklahoma Borderline," duplicated
its predecessor's success. 1987's The Way Back Home gave Gill his biggest RCA hit in
the Top Five "Cinderella." In the meantime, he also worked as a session guitarist,
wrote songs for other artists, and toured with Emmylou Harris.
In 1989, Gill left RCA to sign with MCA, where he reunited with Tony Brown,
now a successful producer. Though he'd enjoyed some success in his own right, Gill
wasn't really a star. That all changed with the release of his label debut, 1989's When I
Call Your Name. A duet with Reba McEntire, "Oklahoma Swing," made the Top 20,
but the title track was the true breakout hit, climbing to number two and winning Gill
his first Grammy. Its follow-up, "Never Knew Lonely," hit number three, and the
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album went on to sell over a million copies. Perhaps partly as a result, Gill declined an
offer from Mark Knopfler to become a full-time member of Dire Straits. Gill's follow-
up album, 1991's Pocket Full of Gold, was another platinum smash, giving him four
Top Ten singles in "Liza Jane," the title track, "Look at Us," and the number two
smash "Take Your Memory With You." 1992's I Still Believe in You made Gill an
outright superstar; the title ballad was an enormous hit that became his first number
one single, and its follow-up, "Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away," also topped
the charts. The album took only a few months to go platinum, and still spun off more
hits: two more number ones in "One More Last Chance" and "Tryin' to Get Over You,"
and the number three "No Future in the Past." Additionally, "The Heart Won't Lie,"
another duet with McEntire from her It's Your Call album, went to number one in
1993. Over the next few years, I Still Believe in You would sell over four million
copies.
Gill issued the stopgap holiday album Let There Be Peace on Earth in late
1993, and returned with When Love Finds You in 1994, which became his first album
to break the pop Top Ten. It, too, sold over four million copies, and gave him five Top
Five country hits: "What the Cowgirls Do," the title track, "Whenever You Come
Around," "Which Bridge to Cross (Which Bridge to Burn)," and "You Better Think
Twice." Gill was clearly a country hit factory by this point, but instead of coasting into
the inevitable decline, he got more ambitious with his next project, 1996's High
Lonesome Sound. Returning to his bluegrass roots, Gill crafted a tour of American
roots-music styles that earned him some positive critical attention, even if overall
reviews were mixed. It proved commercially potent as well, giving him several more
hits, including the Top Fivers "Worlds Apart," "Pretty Little Adriana," and "A Little
More Love." In 1998, Gill released his most universally acclaimed album, The Key,
which was both a return to hardcore country and a chronicle of the breakup of his
marriage to Janis Oliver. Although country radio shied away from its more traditional
approach (save for the Top Five hit "If You Ever Have Forever in Mind"), it sold well,
going platinum and becoming Gill's first album surprisingly to top the country charts.
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Rumors about Gill's relationship with pop singer and onetime Christian star
Amy Grant proved to be true, and the couple married in early 2000. Gill's next album,
Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye, was largely a tribute to his new romance that many
critics found overly sentimental. It gave him another Top Ten hit in "Feels Like Love,"
but it was uncharacteristically snubbed come Grammy time, despite securing four
nominations. Gill returned to critical favor with his next outing, 2003's Next Big
Thing, which marked the first time he produced an entire album on his own.

2.4 The Previous study

In order to make this study better of and more complete, the researcher looked
for and read some studies pertained to figurative language which had been done
before. The thesis entitled A Study on Figurative Language Used in Michael Learns to
Rock’s songs written by Theofilus Yohanes (2010) was the thesis the researcher did
read first. In his study, Theofilus found the theme of the songs such as the sadness and
the happiness of someone’s life reflected through the figurative language found on
Michael’s songs. He also found some figurative languages found in Michael Learns to
Rock’s songs such as personification, simile, hyperbole, and symbols. Furthermore,
the researcher read Silvia Wulandari’s thesis (2009) entitled A Study on Figurative
Language Used in Karen Young’s and Celine Dion’s Song Lyrics. She analyzed the
figurative language in the song lyrics of both singers and she found out some
figurative language conveyed through the songs such as simile, metaphor, hyperbole,
personification, symbolism, and sarcasm.
Having studied some previous researches done by other researchers on the
figurative language, therefore, the researcher can conclude that the previous
researchers only stated some figurative language found on their object of studies.
Henceforth, in this study the researcher does not only heavily emphasize on the
figurative languages found in the songs of Vince Gill but also the researcher studies on
the moral messages conveyed in the songs of Vince Gill.
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 CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

This chapter will cover design of the study, subject and object of the study,
instrumentation, data collection, and data analysis. All of them will be discussed in
details in this chapter.

3.1. Design of the Study

Prior to a further discussion, the researcher would like to give a definition of
what research design is all about. According to Donald Ary (2002: 426) said that
research design is the researcher’s plan of how to proceed to gain an understanding of
some group or some phenomenon in its natural setting. In other words, research design
is the step used by the researcher in conducting the study.

The research design of this study is qualitative research. According to Semi

(Semi, 1993: 23-24) said that descriptive qualitative research is the research which
focuses on deep analyzing toward interaction of each concept empirically in which the
data is explained in the form of words or sentences not number. Furthermore, the
researcher uses literary criticism in order to analyze the object of his study. Literature
criticism is said to be is a view or opinion on what a particular written work means. It
is about the meanings that a reader finds in an author's literature. Moreover, Literary
criticism is an attempt to evaluate and understand the creative writing, the literature of
an author. Literature includes plays, essays, novels, poetry, and short stories. Literary
criticism is a description, analysis, evaluation, or interpretation of a particular literary
work or an author's writings as a whole. Literary criticism is usually expressed in the
form of a critical essay ( http://42explore.com/litcrit.htm). Therefore, in this study the
researcher uses qualitative research to describe the figurative languages and the
messages conveyed through Vince Gill songs.

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3.2. Source of the Data

The subject of this study is the songs of Vince Gill and the object is the
figurative languages and their meaning found in Vince Gill songs. In analyzing the
figurative language of the songs, the researcher heavily focuses on the seven songs
which have some figurative languages based on the theory in the previous chapter.
Those seven songs are as follows: first, Look at us, second, The only love, third, The
key to life, fourth, Real lady’s man, fifth, Pocket full of gold, sixth, What you give
away, seventh, I still believe in you

3.3. Instrumentation
In order to aid the researcher get the suitable data related to the problem of the
study and to make data analysis of the figurative language, documentation and corpus
are used in this study by the researcher.

3.3.1. Documentation
The documentation of this study deals with the text of Vince Gill songs to
observe and classify the data.
3.3.2. Corpus
The corpus is used in this study in order to analyze the data and make notes to
classify the figurative language of each song. Each corpus is based on the different
topic of figurative language.

Lines’ quotation Figurative language Interpretation

1st line  
2nd line  

3.4. Data Collection

In collecting the data, the researcher takes six songs which are selected from
Vince Gill’s songs. In gathering the accurate data to analyze the researcher uses some
steps as follows:

Reading and understanding some books related to

English literature

Selecting the data related to the study of figurative

language
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Listening and writing the texts of Vince Gill songs

Reading and comprehending the song texts of Vince Gill

Seven songs contained with figurative language

3.5. Data Analysis

After gathering the data and the data were analyzed by using the figurative
language theory in the previous chapter. In analyzing the data, the researcher uses
corpus to help him transcribe all figurative languages found in each song. The steps he
Presenting all the data containing figurative languages of each
uses in data analysis are as follows:
song.

Giving detailed explanation about those figurative languages

which are directly followed with their meaning.

After studying the data and the theory, the researcher analyzed the
figurative languages of each song.

The researcher uses corpuses for transcription and analyzed the

data.
3.6. Triangulation
As the researcher as is the main key of instrument in this study, his
objectivity can bias the finding of this research so that triangulation needs to be done
in the data analysis. The purpose of verifying the data is to check the trustworthiness,
validity, and reliability of the data. As cited in Ningsih (2009), Denzin (in Lincon and
Guba, 1985: 305) introduces four kinds of triangulation: data triangulation,
investigator triangulation, theory triangulation, and method triangulation. The four
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kinds of triangulation suggest the use of multiple and different sources, investigators,
theories, and methods.
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