Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Findings N Discussion
Findings N Discussion
According to Levinson (1983), there are five types of deixis: person deixis,
place deixis, time deixis, social deixis and discourse deixis. Each types of deixis have
the function that can be found in the songs by Queen. In this study, the researcher found
that the number of frequency of deixis which is taken from seven songs are person
deixis, place deixis, time deixis, social deixis and discourse deixis appears in five songs
but social deixis does not appear in one song and discourse deixis does not include in
one song. In the songs of Queen, the use of person deixis is 264 times, the use of place
deixis is 80 times, the use of time deixis is 45 times, the use of social deixis is 62 times
and the use of discourse deixis is 52 times. Thus, the most dominant types of deixis that
appears in seven songs of Queen are person deixis; the least dominant types are time
deixis.
The researcher found that the types of deixis used in the songs of Queen are
various and have one main message in each song which the singer want to give to the
participants. The detail explanation will be presented in the following.
a. Person Deixis
Person deixis designates the basic roles in a speech event, the speaker (first
person), addressee or the person spoken to (second person) and the person or persons
who are neither speaker nor addressee (third person) (Cruse 2000). In the songs of
Queen, personal deixis is found and followed by three types of personal deixis. It can
be seen in this table.
1
Table 1. Finding of person deixis in The Song Lyrics
2
From the table above, it can be seen that personal deixis and three types of
personal deixis occur in ten songs of Queen. The first song is “We will rock you”, the
researcher found person deictic words that include 8words as first person deixis, 26
words as second person deixis and it is not found any word as third person deixis. The
use of first person deixis in this song that is represented deictic words “We”, next the
second person deixis is indicated as “You, Your” by deictic expression.
Third song is “We are the champions”. The researcher found 44 deictic words
that include personal deixis followed by 30 words as first person deixis, 2 words as
second person deixis and 3 word as third person deixis. The use of first person deixis
in this song is represented by deictic words “I, Me, My, We”, the next word which
indicate second person deixis are showed by deictic expressions “You”. The last type
is third person deixis that is represented by diectic word “It”.
Fourth song is “Radio Ga Ga”. The researcher found 39 deictic words that
include personal deixis followed by 19 words as first person deixis, 19 words as second
person deixis and 1 word as third person deixis. The use of first person deixis in this
song is represented by deictic words “I, My, We, Us, Our”, the next words which
indicate second person deixis are showed by deictic expressions “You, Your”. The last
type is third person deixis that is represented by diectic word “Them”.
Fifth song is “A Kind of Magic”. The researcher found 16 deictic words that
include personal deixis followed by 3 words as first person deixis, no word as second
person deixis and 13 words as third person deixis. The use of first person deixis in this
song is represented by deictic words “I”, the next words which indicate second person
deixis are showed by deictic expressions “Your”. The last type is third person deixis
that is represented by diectic word “It”.
3
Sixth song is “Seven Seas of Rhye”. The researcher found 38 deictic words that
include personal deixis followed by 21 words as first person deixis, 16 words as second
person deixis and 1 word as third person deixis. The use of first person deixis in this
song is represented by deictic words “I, Me, My, Mine”, the next words which indicate
second person deixis are showed by deictic expressions “You, Your,”. The last type is
third person deixis that is represented by diectic word “His”.
The last song is “Hammer to Fall”. The researcher found 36 deictic words that
include personal deixis followed by 8 words as first person deixis, 19 words as second
person deixis and 9 words as third person deixis. The use of first person deixis in this
song is represented by deictic words “We, Us, Our” the next words which indicate
second person deixis are showed by deictic expressions “You, Your”. The last type is
third person deixis that is represented by diectic word “They, Their, It”.
b. Place deixis
The researcher found and classified the ten songs by Queen which show spatial
or place deixis occur. The table is used to make it easier and clearer.
4
5. A Kind of Magic This, That, Inside your mind, inside of me
Here There
From the table above, it can be seen that the place deixis and three terms of
spatial deixis occur in ten songs. First song is “We will rock you”. In this song, 9 spatial
deictic words are included in spatial deixis but only the project term that could be found
in this song, those words are “in the street, on your face, over the place, on the world,
back, in your place”.
The second song is “Bohemian Rhapsody”. 29 spatial deictic words are included
in spatial deixis. They are 2 words as distal term and 27 words as project term. The use
of distal term in this song is represented by deictic words “this, here”. The next words
that indicate proximal term represented by deictic expressions. The last project term is
represented by deictic words “in a landslide, the skies, come, go, away, down, behind,
aside and in my eye”.
The third song is “We are the champions”. In this song, 5 spatial deictic words
are included in spatial deixis but only the project term that could be found in this song,
those words are “in my face, of the world, brought, bed of roses”.
The fourth song is “Radio Ga Ga”. 16 spatial deictic words are included in
spatial deixis. They are 1 word as distal term and 15 words as project term. The use of
distal term in this song is represented by deictic words “there”. The next words that
5
indicate proximal term represented by deictic expressions. The last project term is
represented by deictic words “on my radio, Mars, on videos, through”.
The fifth song is “A Kind of Magic”. 13 spatial deictic words are included in
spatial deixis. They are three words as distal term and three words as project term. The
use of distal term in this song is represented by deictic words “there, that”. The use of
proximal term in this song is represented by deictic words “this, here” The last project
term is represented by deictic words “inside your mind, inside of me”.
The sixth song is “Seven Seas of Rhye”. In this song, 4 spatial deictic words are
included in spatial deixis but only the project term that could be found in this song,
those words are “ earth from the skies, brings, through, gone”.
The last song is “Hammer to Fall”. Four spatial deictic words are included in
spatial deixis. They are one word as proximal term and 3 words as project term. The
use of proximal term in this song is represented by deictic words “here”. The last project
term is represented by deictic words “comes, through, in the shadow”.
c. Time Deixis
Temporal deictic word indicates the moment of utterance in the speech event
(Cruse, 2006). The researcher found and classified the ten songs of Queen which show
the temporal deixis or time deixis occur. The table is used to make it easier and clearer.
6
3. We are the Time after time, till the end,
Champions before the whole human race
From the table above, temporal deictic word is classified into two types of
deictic words which are pure deictic or specific deictic word and also verb tense. Then,
it can be seen in the ten songs of Queen. The first song is “We will rock you”. In this
song, one temporal deixis is showed by word “someday”.
The second song is “Bohemian Rhapsody”. In this song, eight temporal deixis
is showed by words “now, this time, tomorrow, too late, my time, all the time,
sometimes, never”.
The third song is “We are the champions”. In this song, eight temporal deixis is
showed by words “time after time, till the end, before”.
7
The fourth song is “Radio Ga Ga”. In this song, seven temporal deixis is showed
by words “your time, your finest hour, for hours and hours, yet, your finest hour, still,
never, teenage nights, through the years”.
The fifth song is “A Kind of Magic”. In this song, five temporal deixis is showed
by words “the day, this day, the doors of time, lasts a thousand years, soon, dawn,
eternity”.
The sixth song is “Seven Seas of Rhye”. In this song, six temporal deixis is
showed by words “before, forever, then”.
The last is “Hammer to Fall”. In this song, two temporal deixis is showed by
words “Tonight, till, now”.
Based on the explanation above, temporal deixis occurs in ten songs of Queen.
The function of temporal deixis is to indicate the use of timing in the song lyrics.
d. Social deixis
1. We Will Rock You Buddy, a boy, a big man, old man, poor man
8
5. A Kind of Magic -
From the table above, it can be seen that from ten songs of Queen, only one
song does not use social deixis in the song lyric which is “A Kind of Magic”. Then, in
the song “We will rock you”, in this song social deixis is showed by words “a boy, a
big man, old man, poor man, Buddy”. The other song which use social deictic words is
“Bohemian Rhapsody” those are “ A poor boy, Mama, baby, a man, a devil”. Then, in
the song “We are the Champions”, the social deixis is showed by words “champions,
losers, my friends”. Furthermore, in the song “Radio Ga Ga”, social deixis words are
“my only friend, girls, boys, old friends”. The other song which use social deictic words
is “Seven Seas of Rhye” those are “Lords, Lady preacher, unbelievers, peers,
counsellors, sister, Mister, the Master marathon, senators, troubadours”. Then, in the
song “Hammer to Fall”, social deictic words are “Lady mercy, baby, your prayers”.
Based on the explanation above, social deixis is (mostly ) used in the songs of
Queen. The use of social deixis indicates social status or intimacy relative to the
participants in the speech event.
e. Discourse Deixis
9
Table 5. Finding of discourse deixis in The Song Lyrics
-
1. We Will Rock You
From the table above, it can be seen that from ten songs of Queen, only one
song does not use discourse deixis in the song lyric which is “We will Rock You”. The
use of discourse deixis can be seen in the song “Bohemian Rhapsody” in this song
discourse deixis is showed by words “because, but, if, so, and”. The other song which
use discourse deictic words is “We are the Champions” those are “but, and”. Then, in
the song “Radio Ga Ga”, the discourse deixis is showed by words “so, and, when”.
Furthermore, in the song “A Kind of Magic”, discourse deixis words are “that”. The
other song which use discourse deictic words is “Seven Seas of Rhye” those are “And,
that”. Then, in the song “Hammer to Fall”, discourse deictic words are “or, but, and,
while”.
10
In this research, the researcher found that the most dominant types of deixis that
appears in seven songs of Queen are person deixis; the least dominant types are time
deixis. Person deixis is able to be recognized easily in such lyrics of every song because
it indicates the participants. The singer uses person deixis to identify exactly about
himself as the subject, object or possessive in the songs. In addition, place deixis is also
used as the dominant type of deixis in the song of Queen because the singers want to
show the location of an event relative to the speaker in every song.
Therefore, the singers try to show about their own experience through the songs
by using some types of deixis such as person deixis and place deixis dominantly.
Moreover, Freddie Mercury as the singer mostly conveys based on his own life,
experiences, feelings and emotions inside human being into the song lyrics. Most of his
songs are motivation, inspiration and highly- energetic songs. Besides, he composes
many magnificent songs and highlights the way of life not only for him but also for the
world. Through the songs, he tells about life is valuable and full of mysterious. When
people face unpleasant experiences, they need to endure and adjust these bad situations.
Hence, five types of deixis which are person deixis, place deixis, time deixis, social
deixis and discourse deixis always occur in every song of Queen.
11
12