Song : Definition, Social Function, General Structure, Identify, and Language Features of Songs

Welcome back sahabat Artikel Pandai, pada kesempatan ini kita akan membahas materi pelajaran Bahasa Inggris about "SONG". Adapun yang akan kita bahas adalah Definition, Social Function, General Structure, Identify, and Language Features of Songs. Mari kita simak pembahasannya dibawah ini.

Definition of Song

A song is a single (and often standalone) work of music intended to be sung by the human voice with distinct and fixed pitches and patterns using sound and silence and a variety of forms that often include the repetition of sections.

A. Introduction

Can you sing an English song? Is it difficult for you or not?  Singing an English song can help us to learn English. It is a fun way.

Do you have a favorite singer? Who is he/he? Why do you like him/her? Do you like his/her songs, too? One of the best tools to learn foreign language is using songs. The real songs can be very efective to help us understand English.

There are some reasons why many people use songs to learn English. First, song are authentic materials. If we want to learn English, we should listen to English songs. Second, English songs also contain culture and history.

The reason is that song contain repetitions and repetitions enhance learning. The next reason is it's a good way to learn voccabulary and pronunciation. An last, English songs are fun and they can easily energize the listeners.

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B. Songs

Song have been an amusing companion for human beings for as long as or even longer than we can speak. Songs are highly expressive. Some convey love and emotions ; some tell a memorable and moving story; some embody one's dreams and ideals; and some reminisce about the golden past. Songs are abundant in themes and expressions which will echo in the learner's heart.

1 .  Sosial Function of Songs

Teh social function of song are:

1. To entertain the listeners.


2. To teach moral value through the lyrics of the songs.


3. To provide a way of managing the realitionship between our public and private emotional life.


4. To express personal feeling and cultural values.


5. To give someone to not only shares their emotions with others, but also to have an emotional connection that just can't be experienced in any other way.

2.  General Structure of Songs

The general structure of a song consists of verse-chorus-verse-bridge-chorus. It is better for us to learn more about the complete structure of songs.

a. Intro

The introduction establishes melodic, harmonic, and/or rhythmic related to the main body of song.

b. Verse

It is the section of the song structure that tells the story. This is the exposition, describing the scene or the person, or an emotion. There are usually two or three verses in a row that have the same musical structure, the same rhyme and poetic meter, but different words. The second verse builds on the picture painted in the first verse, etc.

c. Chorus of Refrain

A chorus is the most repeated section, so it's the easiest remembered. A chorus is the summary of the song's story. All the verses have been leading up to the chorus, and is usually the part of the song people sing along with. A chorus can come at the beginning of the song structure; it can also start in the middle, or come at the end. In fact, some songs don't have choruses at all. Some people are usually confused to differentiate between choruses and refrain. A refrain is any line that repeats in the song lyric, while a chorus is any group of lines that repeat.

d. Break

A break is actually a brief "rest" or "pause" for the core melody within a song used to add further dimension and excitement. It may include a quick instrumental solo or drum interlude or it may be a brief moment of silence, or acombination of each of these elements.

e. Bridge

This is the part of the song that shifts. It can suddenly change tempo, or volume, or instrumentation. The bridge is the section that gives the audience time to reflect on the story, or gives them the "climax" or conclusion of the story through verses and chorus. Bridges can be used to give the singer a break.

f. Outro or Coda

This is the end of the road for the song. It can repeat the intro, chorus or a refrain as an outro, or a bridge with an instrumental solo.

Below Are Some Forms of Song's Structure

Intro-verse-verse-chorus-break-verse-verse-break-bridge-break-out

Verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus.

Identifying Social Functions and Structure of English Song

Earth Song Michael Jackson Verse 1 What about sunrise What about rain What about all the things that you said We were to gain What about killing fields Is there a time What about all the things That you said were yours and mine Chorus Did you ever stop to notice All the blood we've shed before Did you ever stop to notice This crying Earth, these weeping shores Aah, ooh Verse 2 What have we done to the world Look what we've done What about all the peace That you pledge your only son What about flowering fields Is there a time What about all the dreams That you said was yours and mine Chorus Did you ever stop to notice All the children dead from war Did you ever stop to notice This crying earth, these weeping shores Aah, ooh Aah, ooh Verse 3 I used to dream I used to glance beyond the stars Now I don't know where we are Although I know we've drifted far Aah, ooh Aah, ooh Aah, ooh Aah, ooh Bridge Hey, what about yesterday (What about us) What about the seas (What about us) The heavens are falling down (What about us) I can't even breathe (What about us) What about apathy (What about us) Drowning in the seas (What about us) What about the promised land Preachin' what I believe (What about us) What about the holy land (What about it) What about the greed (What about us) Where did we go wrong Someone tell me why (What about us) What about baby boy (What about him) What about the days (What about us) What about all their joy Do we give a damn Aah, ooh Aah, ooh

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C. Language Features of Songs

Song lyrics can appeal to emotions, and they should also appeal to the ear. It can be assumed that different genres of songs will exhibit different styles of lyrics. The verse of songs contains the details of the song: the story, the events, images, and emotions that the writer wishes to express. Song are not always composed of simple sentence structure or grammar. Lyrics are characterized by the use of rhythms, conversational speech, and poetic expressions. The following are the leanguage features of songs.

1. Lyrics are written in first, second, or third person given on the specific perspective you choose. Often time point of views change in lyrics, but only when needed.


2. They use rhyming words. Usually songs use a familiar catchy tune and rhyme. A rhyme is a linguistic style, based on consonance or similiar sound of two or more syllables or whole words at the end of one line; rhymes are most commonly used in poetry and songs.


3. They use alliteration. It is a stylistic device in which a number of words, having the same  first conconant sound, occur close together in a series, for example: A big bully beats a baby boy.


4. Some songs use poetic devices, such as figure of speech and imagery. While songs can paint a vivid picture since they are longer mediums, imagery can be found in just a single sentences as well. Imagery is vivid descriptive language that appeals to one or more of the senses (sight, hearing, touch,semll, and taste) for example : Her blue eyes were as bright as the sun, blue as the sky, but soft as silk. A figure of speech is a word or phrase that has a meaning something different than its literal meaning.


5. Some songs use amusing word play and slang language. A word play is the manipulation of language (in particular, the sounds, and meanings of words) with the intent to amuse; verbal wit. Salng is kind of language consisting of very informal words and phrases. Slang is more common in speech than in writing, for example: gonna, wanna, ain't, etc.

Author : Wahyu Fikri

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