*This article is published in a book entitled Fantasylicious: Fantasy in the Persperctives

of Language and Literature edited by SF.Lutfie Arguby Purnomo.

*To cite this article:
Pratama, ID. (2019). Shifts in songs: The cover versions of English popular song into
Javanese. In SFLA. Purnomo (Ed.), Fantasylicious: Fantasy in the perspectives of
language and literature (pp. 251–282). CV Gerbang Media Aksara and Fakultas
Adab dan Bahasa IAIN Surakarta: Yogyakarta & Sukoharjo.

Shifts in Songs: The Cover Versions of English Popular Song into Javanese
Ikke Dewi Pratama

Abstract
The improvement of internet and technology nowadays gives space for people to be more
creative in composing the song translation and the music video recreation. Youtube site, for
example, enables worldwide content creators to publish their cover songs widely. This paper
aims at analyzing the shifts in the Javanese cover versions of Shape of You, which is originally
sung by Ed Sheeran, performed by two Indonesian content creators Ndrew Neverend and
Gafarock. The analysis focuses on: (1) the meanings correspondences of the original song and
the cover version, and (2) the music videos of the original song and the cover versions. Both
of these analysis lead to the narrative of the cover songs.
The analysis of meaning correspondences in both Ndreww Neverend and Gafarock versions
shows two categories. The original lyric is translated with: 1) completely different meanings,
and 2) meanings shifts in some parts of the lyrics. The first category is found in Gafarock’s
version while the second category is reflected in Ndrew Neverend’s versions. The analysis of
music video shows that, as found in the original MV, there are some parts of Ndrew Neverend’s
MV that do not represent synchrony among the lyric, image, and sound. Meanwhile,
Gafarock’s MV shows synchrony among the lyric, image, and sound.
The shifts found in Gafarock’s cover version are considered major that lead to a significant
difference. Thus, this lead to a product of localization. Meanwhile, the cover version of Ndrew
Neverend is still considered minor as it does not alter the narratives of the song. Therefore,
Ndrew Neverend’s cover version of Shape of You still can be grouped as a product of
translation.

Introduction
The translation of song lyrics is not a new discussion in translation studies. Researchers
agree that the analysis of song translation reaches beyond the semantic meaning of both the
original and translated lyrics. Song lyric is usually treated as a poem which comprises “beauty”
on its content. As found in poetry, song lyric contains distinct ornaments, such as rhymes,

1
alliteration, repetition, figurative language, etc. No wonder some researchers analyze song
translation using these poetic devices (Cintrao, 2009; Garcia, 2013; Pratama, 2017). Indeed,
translating song lyric is not only done by conveying the semantic meaning of the original song
but also delivering the same ‘beautiful effects’ in the target text.
The strategies in translating song lyric can be applied by determining the purpose of the
translation itself. Song lyric is usually translated with the aims of: (1) only to be read by the
readers, such as song lyric translations on web or magazine and those in the form of subtitling,
(2) to be sung in the target language, as found in the dubbing or songs which is covered by
other artists. When people listen to songs which contains foreign language, they usually go to
internet and search for the translation. This kind of translation product has nothing to do with
the time, spatial, as well as rhythmical constraints. As the purpose is only to be read, so that
the readers may understand the meaning of the lyrics, translator only needs to focus on the
meaning of the lyrics.
The other example is the translation of popular songs, such as the original soundtrack
of Asian Games 2018 entitled Meraih Bintang or the original soundtrack of Aladin movie
entitled A Whole New World, which are sung by various singers in various languages. This type
of song translation is aimed to be sung. Thus, the translator must consider the lyric and its
correlation with the rhythm of the music. Similar case is also found in the dubbing.
When it comes to song translation which occurs on TV series or movies, translators
have two choices: whether to make it as a product of subtitle or dubbing. The translator of song
in which the translation is in the form of subtitles, as found in Upin & Ipin series broadcasted
in MNC TV, needs to focus on the meaning as well as the subtitling standards or rules. Thus,
the subtitler has to synchronize the visual aspect with the occurrence of its translation on screen.
Meanwhile, in dubbing version, as found in some of Disney series such as Sofia the First and
Doc Mc. Stuffin, the translated versions are aimed to be sung. Thus, the translator has an
obligation to create a translation product which is “singable” for the target listeners. Garcia
(2013) conducts a research regarding this issue by comparing the subtitle and the dubbing
versions of the song translations in My Fair Lady musical film. It is found out that song, rhyme,
rhythm, music, and visual coherence are necessary in the dubbing version. Meanwhile, the
subtitle version shows the tendency of showing content-accuracy as the more significant aspect.
However, it does not mean that song translation in the form of subtitle does not have strict
rules. Subtitler does not seem to convey the rhymes in the translated version by putting the
meaning as the priority but he still has constraints on the technical factors, such as time and
space.

2
 The above explanation shows that actually song translation can be categorized as
constrained translation (Cintrao, 2009; Garcia, 2013). The term constrained translation is firstly
used to represent the limitation faced by subtitlers in composing a subtitle. The constraints are
then grouped into three: technical, textual, and linguistic (Georgakopoulou, 2009). Researchers
then use this term to refer to any translation practice which is influenced by the other
interrelated elements, such as music, images, sound effects, etc (Mayoral, Kelly, & Galardo,
1988). The meaning, form, style, as well as effect obviously become the consideration in
translating songs. Therefore, song translation is also categorized as constrained translation.
The aforementioned polysemiotic elements in song translation creates challenges for
the translators. In dubbing, for instance, translators have three translation strategies in
translating the songs: (1) complete adaptation, (2) no translation, (3) create new lyrics (Lozano,
2017). In complete adaptation, the translator translates the lyric and use the music of the
original version. As musical code is paramount in some movies or TV series, for example the
songs in Sofia the First are usually correlated with the narrative of the story, this strategies is
considered as the most appropriate way. Sometimes, the translator also decides not to translate
the song. It means that the songs are left untranslated that the viewers will only hear the song
in the original version, as found in Disney’s Muppet Babies and Puppy Dog Pals. The third
strategy means that the translator creates new lyric but uses the original music. This strategy is
considered difficult as it would probably change the narrative of the movies.
Another phenomenon is song translation which also influences the change of the visual
aspect. Aladin’s original soundtrack entitled A Whole New World is recently reproduced and
sung by Zayn Malik and Zhavia Ward. This song is translated into Indonesian under the title
of Dunia Baru and sung by Gamaliel and Isyana Sarasvati. As the consequence of the changing
of the language as well as the singers, there is a new music video (MV) for the Indonesian
version. This effort is also the business strategy conducted by Disney in promoting its new
movie for a specific target audiences. Indeed, Disney uses this strategy very often. The same
case also happens when Frozen movie was produced. Its popular original soundtrack, Let it
Go, is also translated into many languages as a mean of its promotional strategy. As a
consequence, the music videos of the translated version are also created.
The above examples show that the practice of song translation may also influence the
making of new music videos. The recreation of the music videos is also a sign that the producers
need new media to get close to the target viewers. Culture takes part as a paramount aspect in
this case. This is also a proven that in the case of song translation, culture also becomes one of
the constraints. Furthermore, there is also the phenomenon of creativity in song translation.

3
Researchers, such as Low (2005) and Cintrao (2009), state that there is a manipulation in
meaning in which the translators are allowed to adjust the semantic meaning of the original
songs with the polysemiotic elements in songs. If there is difference in meanings, whether it is
a little or a lot of differences, the new music videos which contain narrative would probably
change the unified meaning of the translated songs.
The recreation of music videos in the translated songs grows rapidly as the raise of the
popularity of youtube, a site which enables people to upload various videos. Indonesian content
creators, such as Ndruww Neverend and Gafarock, create the Javanese versions of some
English popular songs. Ndruww Neverend is known as a Javanese content creator who usually
changes the language of the song into Janavese and uses the original musical elements.
Meanwhile, Gafarock usually uses the original musical elements as the base but adds rock and
gamelan instruments in order to represent its identity as a Javanese rock group. Both of these
content creators compose their new music videos by adjusting the scenes with their translated
lyrics.
The prodigies of song translation as stated above rises questions on whether the practice
of song translation can still be called as “translation” instead of “localization”. Indeed, it is also
interesting to find out how the recreation of the music videos shapes the narrative of the
translated versions. This paper analyzes the cover of English popular songs created by
Gafarock and Ndruww Neverend. The analysis are focused on: (1) the meaning of the original
and translated versions, and (2) the narrative of the songs as reflected in the music videos.

The Creativity of Song Translators: Is it Allowed?

The basic theory of translation studies highlights the importance of meaning in
translation activity (Brislin, 1976; Newmark, 1988). On the contrary, song translation allows
the translator to alter the meaning of the original lyric. As stated by Haupt (quoted in Kaindl,
2005), in the case of song translation, there are two types of translation: (1) those which replace
the meanings of the whole lyrics of the original versions, and (2) others which try to reproduce
the original songs in the target language by doing minor changes necessitated by the musical
rhythm. Considering this issue, Marc (2015) uses the term travelling songs to refer to popular
songs which are translated into other languages.
They (travelling songs) each share the fact that there is an original song,
stemming from an original source context, which is received and appropriated
within a new “target” context. There is, thus, a process which implies
carrying, bringing, and leading a song, a text, and its materiality (lyrics,
melody, instruments, arrangements) across cultures, one in which the primary

4
 or source text is actualized, complexly reshaped by the “target” cultural
chronotope, a process which can thus be called translation. This translation,
in whichever form, inevitably alters and modifies the meaning of a song. As
in every translation, there is permanence and there is transformation,
continuity and change, gain and loss, a duality shaped in as many forms or
degrees as there are transfers.
Marc (2005) also explains that song translation may result in the reproduction of the
original lyric in the target language or it may also alter the meaning of the original version.
This happens due to the adjustment of the cultural aspect as the song is translated into other
languages. As loss and gain in song translation is a consequence due to the process of
translation, Marc (2005) still defines this process as ‘translation’ though it sometimes results
in the obvious difference of meanings between the original and the translated version. Indeed,
it does happen in every single practice of translation activity.
On the other hand, Low (2005) proposes five criteria to assess song translation,
including singability, sense, naturalness, rhythm, and rhyme. These five criteria are called as
the Pentathlon Principle. He believes that accuracy is a dilemma in song translation as
translator should negotiate with the constraints. In the discussion of sense, he mentions about
‘flexibility’. Flexibility enables song translator to negotiate the loss of the semantic meaning
with appropriate changes in order to gain a new unified product of translation. As a
consequence, it broadens the understanding of accuracy. A particular word can be translated
not only into its precise meaning but also into its near-synonymy, particular metaphor, etc.
Meanwhile, considering the socio-historical aspect, Kaindl (2005) uses the term ‘dialogics’ to
refer to ‘flexibility’. He states that “... translation in the field of popular music cannot be viewed
as an operation replacing material of the source text by (equivalent) target-text material, but
should be seen as ‘dialogics’...”. The term ‘dialogics’ in popular music is stated by Bakhtin (in
Kaindl, 2005) as the ability of meaning in song translation to have a dialogue with the cultural
and historical contexts. It means that meaning in popular music does not stand alone but it has
a strong correlation with the contexts of the socio-historical backgrounds. Translator needs to
adjust the socio-cultural backgrounds of the original song in the target language.
Low’s flexibility, and Kaindl’s dialogics are actually in accordance with creativity.
Translator’s creativity is needed in song translation although there would be manipulation in
the product of translation. In order to create distinct boundaries whether the product is
categorized as translation or adaptation, Low (2005) further explains that although
manipulation is allowed in translation, translator’s flexibility still needs to endure the sense

5
correspondence with the source text. Unless the product of song translation cannot be called as
“a translation” anymore, the sense of correspondence still needs to deserve as priority.

Music Video and Song Translation

The discussion of song translation and its correlation to audiovisual product may lead
to the analysis of music video. As stated above, songs which are translated into other languages
sometimes result in the establishment of new music videos. A number of examples can be
found easily on youtube sites either composed by professional music directors specialized in
music videos or youtube content creators.
Kaindl (2005) states that although the practice of music video recreation has been
performed by various artists, translation scholars rarely discuss this field of study.
Popular music is in a dialogic relationship with various types of verbal, musical, visual
as well as social and cultural elements. While it is true that translation studies, having
taken a ‘cultural turn’, is no longer focused on language as such, there is still a lack of
translation-relevant methods for the analysis of nonverbal elements.

Kaindl’s statements clearly shows that the discussion of song translation may lead to
polysemiotic aspects, including verbal, musical, visual, as well as socio-cultural elements.
However, most of translator scholars pay more attention on the translation of verbal elements
in song translation and ignore the aspect of sound and image.
Further discussion shows that music videos apparently represent the story of the song
lyrics. The establishment of music videos connects the aural and visual aspects of songs. People
can get the visualization of the lyric they hear by watching the images portrayed on screen.
Visualization may influence viewers’ understanding on the narrative of the songs. This process
also includes the translation of verbal elements into the visual elements. Thus, the term
proposed by Jackobson (1959) on intersemiotic translation can be used.
In accordance to Kaindl’s theory, Vernalis (2004) also states that music videos
represent lyric, image, and sound that work together to shape the narrative of a unified
audiovisual product. Therefore, there are always specific patterns in a particular music video
that compose the narrative. For example, the beginning of Attention music video by Charlie
Puth shows a girl who stands in the middle of the crowd in a pub while keeping herself away
from her boyfriend, but, at the same time, also stares at her boyfriend closely. This visual
presentation is in line with the narrative of the lyric, a story about a girl who wants to be treated
nicely by her boyfriend but rejects to love him. The sound of the music represents the use of
EDM music which is in line with the modern style as presented on the visualization. The pattern

6
of Charlie Puth’s Attention music video contains a sexy girl, a pitiful boyfriend, and a pub.
These elements create a pattern that lead to a narrative as reflected in the song. Vernalis (2004)
calls this pattern in music video as ‘visual microrhythm’.
The recreation of music videos may also involve cultural adjustment. In the case of the
Javanese content creators in youtube, the types of their popular song translations and music
videos re-creation can also be categorized according to the purpose of their products. The
purpose of Gafarock is to show their existence as Javanese rock music group by exploiting the
use of the original music, adding rock and Javanese traditional features in the music, and
creating different lyrics. Meanwhile, Ndrew Neverend wants to show his ability in producing
song lyrics in which the meanings are close to the original version. Although Ndrew Neverend’s
song translation videos manage to use the original sounds of the original songs, his music
videos often shows the setting of Yogyakarta, a city with rich Javanese cultural nuance, which
adds the local culture values on his audiovisual products.

Research Methodology
This paper analyzes the Javanese cover versions of Shape of You (originally sung by
Ed Sheeran) performed by Ndrew Neverend and Gafarock. The analysis focuses on: (1) the
meanings correspondences of the original song and the cover version, and (2) the music videos
of the original song and the cover versions.
The analysis of meaning is conducted by comparing the lyrics of the original and cover
songs. The lyrics are analyzed per line to find whether shifts in meanings exist in the cover
versions of Ndrew Neverend and Gafarock. The analysis of the music video is done by using
visual microrhythm theory. As music videos are strongly related to the narrative of the visual
and aural aspects, the researcher focuses on the parts of the music videos which show
narratives. The synchronization of lyrics, images, and sounds are analyzed in order to find
whether there are shifts in the narratives of the music videos.

Reasearch Findings
A. Meaning Shifts
This part discusses the findings of the analysis of meaning correspondences by
comparing the original song and the cover versions. The analysis of meaning cannot be
separated in every single discussion of translation studies. It happens due to the significance of
meaning correspondence in translation activity as an effort to convey the meaning between two
languages. However, in the discussion of song translation which aims to be sung, meaning

7
correspondence may not mean the transfer of precise meaning (Low in Kaindl, 2005). Loss and
gain may occur due to the adjustment of the rhythm or culture. These loss and gain may create
meaning shifts in the translated version.
1. Meaning Shifts in Ndrew Neverend’s Cover Version of Shape of You
Based on the analysis of meaning correspondence, Ndrew Neverend’s cover version
contains lines which are translated into: (1) precisely same meanings, and (2) shifts in
meanings. The lyric is divided into 37 lines with the assumption that those with the same
translations in the TT are not included. It is found out that 16 lines are translated with same
meanings and 21 lines contains shifts in meanings. The table below shows the results of
meaning correspondence analysis:
Table 1: Meaning Correspondence in
Ndrew Neverend’s Cover Version of Shape of You
Categories Number of lines
Same meanings 16
Shifts in meanings 21

The shifts in meaning are then classified into two: (1) those with similar meanings, in
which the meanings of the ST and TT does not reflect pecisely same meanings but still have
some correspondences, and (2) the others with no meaning correspondences. The shifts which
result in similar meaning are caused by several motives, including generalization, addition,
deletion, adaptation, and contradiction. Meanwhile, those with no meaning correspondence are
due to modification. The categories of shifts of meaning are shown on the following table:
Table 2: Categories of Meaning Shifts in
Ndrew Neverend’s Cover Version of Shape of You
Categories of Meaning Shifts Motives Number of lines
Similar meaning Generalization 17
Adaptation
Reduction
Deletion
Addition
Contradiction
No meaning correspondence Modification 4

Generalization and adaptation occur as the efforts of the translator to perform cultural
adjustment, as shown in the examples below:
ST: The club isn't the best place to find a lover
TT: Panggon iki kudu papan ngge gole pacar
(This place is not a place to find a lover)

ST: Take my hand, stop, put Van the Man on the jukebox

8
 TT: Lan cekel tanganku, setel lagu hpmu
(And take my hand, play the song from your handphone)

Instead of translating the word “club” into “kelab”, which has the same meanings and
number of syllables, the translator chooses “panggon” (place), the superordinate term for the
ST. This choice performs the effort of the translator to show the target listeners the more
familiar term which will not raise questions for those who are unfamiliar with the term “kelab”.
Similarly, “put Van the Man on the jukebox” contains cultural background which is unfamiliar
for target viewers. Van the Man is an American singer-song writer which is not quite popular
for Javanese. Meanwhile, jukebox is also an unusual device for Javanese and, thus, it is adapted
in the TT. The translations of “Van the Man” into “lagu” (song) and “jukebox” into “hp”
(hand phone) show the attempt of the translator to adjust the culture of the ST and TT.
Although literal translation is acceptable in the practice of translation, it is not always
applicable. Addition and deletion usually occur as the ST cannot be translated literally. In the
case of Ndrew Neverend’s cover sing of Shape of You, addition, reduction, and deletion also
occur as the translator wants to show clear expression which is also in accordance with the
music. For example:
ST: Drinking fast and then we talk slow
TT: Ngombe banter tekan isuk
(Drunk heavily till morning)

ST: And trust me I'll give it a chance now

TT: Percoyo o aku
(Trust me)
The line “Drinking fast and then we talk slow” means the singer and his girlfriend were
drunk until they cannot talk properly. The translator translates the line into “ngombe banter”
(heavily drunk) compresses the meaning of the ST. At the same time, in order to adjust the
music, “tekan isuk” (until morning) is added. The other line as stated above shows that the
translator deletes the meaning of “I’ll give it a chance now”. Surprisingly, although the number
of syllables in the ST are longer than in the TT, the musical correspondence can still be
achieved in this line.
Contradiction occur as there are some terms within a line which are translated using
their opposite meanings. However, there are still correspondence between the ST and the TT
as shown below:
ST: You and me are thrifty, so go all you can eat
Fill up your bag and I fill up a plate
TT: Ora duwe duit dewe mudu ngirit

9
 Jajan yo sak anane
(We do not have money, need to be thrifty
Buy things as we could)

The ST in example tells that the man is thrifty but he wants his girl to buy everything
she wants while he will only buy few things. On the other hand, the TT still talks about the
thriftiness but the man wants both he and his girlfriend to just buy things as they can. This
translation shows contradiction but, at the same time, both the ST and TT still have similarity
in meaning.
Meanwhile, lines with no correspondence in meanings reflect the modification
conducted by the translator, as found in the following examples:
ST: We push and pull like a magnet do*
TT: Najan lemu kowe ayu
(Although you are fat, you are still beautiful)

ST: Then kiss in the backseat

TT: Banjur kebanan
(Then we got flat tire)

Although modification reflects no one-to-one correspondence between the ST and TT,

there are still attempts from the translator to adjust the translation with the previous lines. For
example, “najan lemu kowe ayu” (although you are fat, you are still beautiful) still corresponds
with the previous line “aku tresno ro bentukanmu” (I’m in love with the shape of you). The
word “lemu” (fat) refers to “bentukanmu” the literal translation of “shape of you”. In the ST,
it indicates the sexiness of the girl. The shift occurs in the translation as “sexy girl” is
transformed into “fat girl” in the following line. However, in the Javanese concept, “fat girls”
are sometimes considered sexy. Therefore, cultural adjustment is also involved in the
modification. This consideration forces the translator to alter the line “We push and pull like a
magnet do” into its totally different meaning. Similarly, the concept of “kiss in the backseat (of
the taxi- referring to the previous line)” is not acceptable in Javanese culture. It is then modified
into “bajur kebanan” (Then we got a flat tire) a concept which corresponds to the previous
line “muleh numpak taksi” (leave and get in the taxi).

2. Meaning Shifts in Gafarock’s Cover Version of Shape of You

The cover version of Shape of You by Gafarock shows definitely no correspondence in
meanings with the original version. Below are some lines in Gafarock’s cover version of Shape
of You:
Table 3: Parts of Gafarock’s Cover Version of Shape of You

10
 English Version
VERSE 1
The club isn't the best place to find a
lover
So the bar is where I go
Me and my friends at the table doing
shots
Drinking fast and then we talk slow
Come over and start up a conversation
with just me
And trust me I'll give it a chance now
Take my hand, stop, put Van the Man
on the jukebox
And then we start to dance, and now
I'm singing like
Javanese Version
Teko kadohan kok wes ketok ayu
Raimu nggawe aku mlongo
Bengi ning ndalan ket mau tak
delok
kok ora ana sing ngeterno
Ape tak sopo nawarno boncengan
Sopo ngerti gelem dijak jalan-
jalan
Top, ancene top markotop
mbok ayo tak jak kencan, ayo
melok aku
Back Translation
You look beautiful from far
Your face amazed me
Last night I saw you
no one accompanied you
I wanted to ask you for a ride
Who knows you want to go
with me
Great
Let’s have a date, Let’s follow
with me

VERSE 2
Girl, you know I want your love
Your love was handmade for
somebody like me
Come on now, follow my lead
I may be crazy, don't mind me
Say, boy, let's not talk too much
Grab on my waist and put that body
on me
Come on now, follow my lead
Come, come on now, follow my lead
Kok ana sing teko
Teko nyerempet tumpakane
Mercy
Ngongkon aku ngalih,
Tak enteni, mudhun wani
Wes bar, kok kethok tuo,
Pikirku iku pakdhe mu sing teko,
Tapi kok romantis,
Kok tapi ketok romantis,
Someone came
Crashed me by riding Mercy
He asked me to go
I waited for him get off of his
car, he looked old
I thought he is your uncle
But he was so romantic
Both of you looked romantic

A closer look on the comparison between the ST and TT at the first verse actually
reflects the same core story. It is about a man who falls in love with a woman. However, the
details of this core story are represented in different ways in the second verse. The second verse
in the ST tells that the love story between the man and the woman runs smoothly. On the other
hand, the man faces problems with his love story in the cover version. There is a tendency of
Gafarock to use “Sugar Daddy” phenomenon in Indonesian society --young girls who prefer to
have a relationship with old rich gentlemen. The singer is reflected as a handsome young guy
who has a perfect athletic body. This good-looking guy falls in love with a young woman.
Unfortunately, the woman already has a romantic relationship with a Sugar Daddy, a term
which refers to an old rich man. Same patterns on the shifts in meaning are continued in the
other verses.
The use of this strategy also deliberates Gafarock’s attempt to present a parody on its
cover version. The distress experienced by the man is reflected in a comical way by Gafarock.
The choice of words in the cover version, such as “Teko nyerempet tumpakane Mercy”
(Crashed me by riding Mercy), and “Pikirku iku pakdhe mu sing teko, Tapi kok romantis” (I
thought he is your uncle, But he was so romantic), may invite the listeners’ laughter as the

11
singer is reflected as a very unlucky guy. The listeners would probably laugh also because they
unconsciously compare the original with the cover version while listening to the cover version.
Gafarock also explores the use of East Java dialect as shown in the words “melok” in
“mbok ayo tak jak kencan, ayo melok aku” (Let’s have a date, Let’s follow with me) and
“nggawe” in “Tapi ora perlu nggawe pelet” (but I do not need to use magic). East Java dialect
is shown to portray Gafarock’s identity as a local band originated form Lamongan, East Java.

B. Music Video Shifts

The discussion of song translation which involves the recreation of new music video
must also include the analysis of the audiovisual aspects, the music videos. According to
Vernalis’ (2005) visual microrhythm concept, the analysis of music video must cover the
aspects of lyric, image, and sound. Logically, there must be a synchronization among those
three aspects in order to create a clear narrative during the presentation of the music video. It
can be said that music video is the visualization of the listeners’ imagination when they hear
the song played. However, it is also possible for the music video directors to present a different
visualization from those imagined by the listeners.
In his music video of Shape of You, Ed Sheeran actually presents no perfect
synchronization between the lyric, image, and sound. If we hear the lyric of the first verse, our
imagination is probably driven to a crowd modern bar where a couple of men and women starts
their love story. Dance pop genre embodies during the song also contributes to our imagination
of the narrative of the song. This music genre represents a modern lifestyle which is actually
in line with the story of ‘club’ and ‘bar’ as stated in the first verse (see Table 3). However, the
music video presents a boxing exercise center instead of a club or bar. The couple meets at the
boxing center and their love story begins. The choice of a boxing center as the setting in the
music video is the representation of the modern lifestyle which is also related to the modern
genre of the song, dance pop. Their story continues as told in the lyric, such as having their
first date in a simple restaurant and riding a taxi after the date. The shifts occur in the last part
of the MV when the man is challenged to have a fight with a sumo athlete. This part is not
stated in the lyric. Probably, this visualization is an entertainment point of the MV where the
director wants to show jokes to the viewers.

12
 Figure 1: Ed Sheeran’s Music Video of Shape of You

1. Music Video Shifts in Ndrew Neverend’s Cover Version of Shape of You

Ndrew Neverend imitates the original music video (MV) of Shape of You. As found in
the original version, the first and second verse of Ndrew Neverend’s cover version also tells
about the story of a man and a woman who start to fall in love in a bar. The man is also told as
having an informal talk with his friends. However, the image shows the scene of a man and a
woman who meet on a street when they jog around the city. The theme about sport is quite
similar with the original version. Ndrew Neverend adjusts the boxing activity with jogging
which is more familiar for Indonesian. The woman is not portrayed as a sexy athletic girl but a
chubby lady who falls in love with the man. The alteration of the image of the woman is an
effort to synchronize the lyric with the image as in the third verse, there is a lyric stating about
the chubby woman “najan lemu kowe ayu” (although you are fat, you are still beautiful). This
part is also related with the cultural background in Javanese which usually consider chubby
girl as a beautiful girl. Furthermore, this is also a comical part provided by Ndrew Neverend to
rise the viewers’ laughter.

Figure 2: Ndrew Neverend’s Music Video of Shape of You

13
 The the lyric of the third verse tells about the feeling of the man towards the woman.
The image shows that there is another man, the woman’s boyfriend who told the man not to
get close to the woman. Another shift occurs in this case. There is no synchrony between the
lyric and the image. The same phenomenon occurs on the next part where the lyric tells about
kebanan or ‘a flat tire accident’ but it does not occur in the MV.
Ndrew Neverend’s tendency in imitating Ed Sheeran’s MV is also reflected in the last
part of the song which shows about the man who exercises hard to prepare a boxing match with
the woman’s boyfriend. In this part, ‘boxing’ occurs reflecting the gentle characteristic of the
man who wanted to show his effort in winning the woman’s heart. This characteristic is also
found in the original version. Boxing is a sport which contains masculinity and it is chosen to
reflect the characteristic of the man in Ndrew Neverend’s version.
Meanwhile, the whole song of Ndrew Neverend’s cover version uses the original music
of Shape of You. Ndrew Neverend makes no changes in the music but only emphasize his cover
in the shift of the lyric and image.
The MV as the audiovisual product obviously contains a narrative. In this case, if we
draw line on the lyric, image, and sound then make a conclusion on the narrative composed by
these three elements during the MV, it is clearly seen that there are parts of the image that do
not represent the lyric. Thus, viewers’ expectation on the image of the song would probably be
different with the MV. For example, the lyric do not tell about the woman’s boyfriend but there
is a character of the woman’s boyfriend in the MV. This part would raise the viewer’s question
on how the unknown character in the lyric occurs in the MV. However, if we take a look at the
characteristics of Ndrew Neverend’s cover songs, this content creator often make uses of jokes
and parody on his cover songs. Thus, this is also his effort in retaining his identity in every
single cover sing he produced. Indeed, the original MV also contains shifts on its lyric, image,
and sound elements. It shows that in the case of music video, the synchrony between lyric,
image, and sound is not an obligatory. MV is a free interpretation room where director may
present his interpretation according to the purpose of the MV, for example: just to provide
visualization of the lyric, or to show improvisations to raise the viewers’ attention, including
laughter or fear.

2. Music Video Shifts in Gafarock’s Cover Version of Shape of You

Gafarock also has a tendency in imitating the original MV of Shape of You. The setting
is also started in a boxing center where the man and woman meet for the first time. The story

14
continues as stated in the lyric. Although the ‘big idea’ of the MV comes from the original
version, if I compare the original MV and Gafarock’s MV, synchronization among the lyric,
image, and sound are clearly seen in Gaforock’s MV.

Figure 3: Gafarock’s Music Video of Shape of You

As stated above, the original MV shows shifts on the lyric, the image, as well as sound.
There are some parts which do not show synchronization among those three aspects. Gafarock
minimizes the shifts on these three aspect by synchronizing the lyric with the image and making
use of rock and gamelan music. Thus, we can see a music video with a smooth flowing
narrative as there is harmony between the lyric, image, and sound. The touch of rock and
gamelan sounds represent the identity of the band as a Javanese rock band. The band plays
rock music but wears blankon (Javanese hat) while singing the song. Furthermore, the sound
of gamelan from the beginning until the end of the song emphasizes the identity of this group.
The shift occurs if we compare the original version with Gafarock’s version. Shift in image is
clearly seen as there is an adjustment of the lyric with the image. Shift in sound is also obvious
as the original music is modified with rock and gamelan music.
The findings in the Gafarock’s MV of Shape of You shows that the director attempts to
show the narrative of the song which is in harmony with the lyric and the image. Unlike the
MV of the original version and Ndrew Neverend’s version, Gafarock provides an audiovisual
product with a synchronization on the three aspects: lyric, image, and sound. The image
represents the cover lyric while the sound emphasizes the identity of the band. Probably,
viewers who are not familiar with Ed Sheeran’s song would not recognize Gafarock’s version
as a cover version.

15
Discussion
The analysis of meaning correspondences in both Ndreww Neverend and Gafarock
versions shows two categories, those which are translated with: 1) completely different
meanings, and 2) meanings shifts in some parts of the lyrics. The first category is found in
Gafarock’s version while the second category is reflected in Ndrew Neverend’s versions. In
Ndrew Neverend’s version among 21 data which are categorized as having shifts in meanings,
only 4 data which are considered as having no correspondence in meaning with the original
lyric. The other 17 data has similar meanings with the original lyric. It means that the translator
in Ndrew Neverend’s cover actually attempts to produce meanings as close as possible to the
original version.
Gafarock’s version clearly produces different meaning on its cover version. This rock
band only uses the original music of Shape of You and, at the same time, creatively add rock
and gamelan music to the cover version. Its cover version probably emphasizes more on a new
narrative which tells the story of a one-sided love.
The analysis of meaning correspondences is in line with Haupt’s (quoted in Kaindl,
2005) theory of song translation stating that there are two types of translation: (1) those which
replace the meanings of the whole lyrics of the original versions, and (2) others which try to
reproduce the original songs in the target language by doing minor changes necessitated by the
musical rhythm. Gafarock’s cover version of Shape of You is an example of the first category
while Ndrew Neverend’s cover version is an example of the second type. By correlating the
findings and the analysis of meaning correspondences, it can also be concluded that Ndrew
Neverend’s similar meaning category occurs due to the adjustment of the lyric with the musical
rhythm.
Meanwhile, considering the debate among scholars whether meaning shifts in song
translation may lead to the other terms, such as localization, we could refer to the theory
proposed by Low (2005) about flexibility. Flexibility allows song translator to negotiate the
loss of the semantic meanings in translating the songs. From this point of view, we probably
can still consider Gafarock’s cover version as a product of translation. However, Low adds that
the negotiation of meaning must refer to those which have correspondences with the source
text. Therefore, it is not only precise meaning which can be used but also synonym, super-
ordinate terms, more specific terms, etc. The key point in his flexibility theory is that both the
original and translated lyrics must have correspondences. Here, we cannot call Gafarock’s
version as the translation product of the original song anymore.

16
 By taking into account of the lyric, image, and sound elements, there is a bottom line
on the discussion of this case. Gafarock explores the use of rock and gamelan music on its
cover version. The use of these two music emphasize their identity as a rock band from Java.
Moreover, within the lyric element, Gafarock also gives an embellishment of East Java dialect.
As discussed before, the choice of the theme, the Sugar Daddy phenomenon, which is famous
in Indonesia can also be considered as Gafarock’s attempt to produce a lyric which is close to
target listeners’ culture. Its music video only shows minor similarity with the original version.
As a product of an audiovisual work, the combination of these elements create a different
audiovisual product which contains different narratives. The shifts of the semantic meaning
and the narratives, the touch of local culture as well as the band’s identity, finally lead their
cover version as a product of ‘localization’.
Unlike ‘translation’ which emphasizes on the preciseness of meaning conveyed from
the source text into the target text (Newmark, 1988), localization focuses on customizing a
product for a target market so that when the targets hear, watch, or listen to the customized
version, they would think that the product is actually made by the native of their country (Lingo
& ATA, 2002). The significant modification made by Gafarock in the lyric, image, as well as
sound elements results in a localization product. People who knows Ed Sheeran version of
Shape of You would probably familiar with the musical rhythm when they listen to Gafarock’s
cover version. However, those who do not so familiar with the original song would probably
do not recognize that it is a modification of Ed Sheeran’s song.
On the other hand, Ndrew Neverend performs quite different phenomena. Although
there is meaning shifts, his lyric element is closer to the original version rather than Gafarock’s
version. From the sound aspect, Ndrew Neverend copies the original music without making
any significant changes. Furthermore, the image aspect represented by the music video also
shows similar scenes. Thus, the narrative of the original and Ndrew Neverend’s versions are
still close. There are some shifts but the core narratives are still close. This shows Ndrew
Neverend’s endeavor in producing a cover version which is still similar with the original one.
He deems that the listeners of his cover voice have been customary with Ed Sheeran’s popular
song, Shape of You. Hence, he works hard to find the most ideal correspondence between his
cover and the original versions. Taking into account of flexibility theory (Low in Kaindl, 2005),
Ndrew Neverend’s cover version is considered as a product of ‘translation’.
As a work of cultural products, song translation is also known as ‘dialogics’ (Kaindl,
2005). Song translators may bargain the semantic meaning of the lyric with the target language
culture. The cultural consideration conducted by the translators, both in Ndrew Neverend’s as

17
well as Gafarock’s versions, indicates the ‘dialogics’ element in song translation. To be able to
create an eary-catching songs which can be memorized and, probably, amazed their target
listeners, the translators make use of cultural elements. This attempts are clearly seen in the use
of the regional language, regional dialects, culture-bond dictions, and even familiar theme for
target listeners.

Conclusion
Song translation is considered as a flexible activity. The flexibility is seen from the
transfer of meanings which is sometimes negotiated with the cultural aspect and the musical
rhythm. These negotiation may lead to the shifts in song translation. In this research, the
researcher finds that there are two categories of shifts: 1) shifts in meanings, and 2) shifts in
the music videos. Both categories may lead to the shifts in the narratives as found in Gafarock’s
cover version of Shape of You. The shifts found in Gafarock’s cover version are considered
major that lead to a significant difference. Thus, considering various theories of song
translation, it cannot be considered as product of translation. Hence, this lead to a product of
localization.
Meanwhile, the researcher also analyzes the cover version of Ndrew Neverend. The
analysis shows that there are shifts in the lyric and image. Meanwhile, he still uses the original
music of the song and, thus, there is no shift in the sound elements. The shift in Ndrew
Neverend is still considered minor as it does not alter the narratives of the song. Therefore,
Ndrew Neverend’s cover version of Shape of You still can be grouped as a product of
translation.
The analysis of MV shows that in the case of music video, the synchrony between lyric,
image, and sound is not an obligatory. MV is a free interpretation room where director may
present his interpretation according to the purpose of the MV.
Song translation is a translation activity which allows the creativity of the translation.
Creativity is a paramount aspect which is needed to create a beautiful singable lyrics. It is also
a necessity to explore the translator’s creativity in adjusting the cultural elements of the original
and the translated products. In this case, the decision of how far the creativity is used during
the translation process depends on the purpose of the translation itself: to be read, to be sung,
to be used as a dubbing or a subtitling, etc.

18
References

Brislin, R.W. (1976). Translation: Application and research. New York: Gardner Press Inc.
Cintrão, Heloísa Pezza. (2009). Translating “Under the sign of invention”: Gilberto Gil’s song
lyric translation. Meta. 54(4): 813-832.
Garcia, Martha. (2013). Subtitling and dubbing songs in musical films. Enero-Junio. 4(1): 107-
125.
Georgakopoulou, Panayota. (2009). Subtitling for the DVD industry. Page 21-35. In Cintas &
Anderman (edit). Audiovisual translation language transfer on screen. Hampshire:
Palgrave Macmillan.
Jakobson, Roman. (1959). On linguistic aspects of translation. In: Reuben A. Brower, ed. On
translation. New York: Oxford University Press, 232-239.
Kaindl, Klaus (2005). The plurisemiotics of pop song translation: Words, music, voice and
image. In: Dinda L. Gorlée, ed. Song and significance: Virtues and vices of vocal
translation. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 235-262.
Lingo & ATA. (2002). The guide to translation and localization: Prepring products for the
global marketplace. Lingo Systems: Oregon.
Low, Peter. (2005). The pentathlon approach to translating songs. In: Dinda L. Gorlée, ed.
Song and significance: Virtues and vices of vocal translation. Amsterdam: Rodopi,
185-212.
Lozano, Julio de los Reyes. (2017). Bringing all the senses into play: The dubbing of animated
films for children. Palimpsestes [Online], 30 | 2017. URL:
http://journals.openedition.org/palimpsestes/2447.
Marc, Isabelle. (2015). Travelling songs: On popular music transfer and translation. IASPM
Journal of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music. 5(2): 3-21.
Mayoral, Roberto; Kelly, Dorothy and Gallardo, Natividad (1988): Concept of constrained
translation: Non-linguistic perspectives of translation. Meta. 33(3): 356-367.
Newmark, Peter. (1988). A textbook of translation. Oxford: Pergamon Press.
Pratama, Ikke Dewi. (2017). Meaning and form in nursery rhymes translation. Humanus.
15(2): 142-153.
Vernalis, Carol. (2004). Experiencing Music video: Aesthetic and cultural context. Columbia
University Press: New York.

Discographies
Sheeran, Ed. (2017). Shape of you (official video). Youtube channel: Ed Sheeran.
Neverend, Ndrew. (2017). Shape of you – ed sheeran (versi jawa). Youtube channel: Ndruw
Gafarock. (2017). Shape of you versi metal jawa feat LNDS. Youtube channel: Gafarock.P5Pro.

19