NEO-LIBERALISM ISSUES IN MUSE’S SONGS

“TIME IS RUNNING OUT”, “TAKE A BOW” AND

“SOLDIER POEM”: A SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS

THESIS

BY

SRI MAHARDIKA

NIM 105110100111040

STUDY PROGRAM OF ENGLISH

DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE

FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES

UNIVERSITAS BRAWIJAYA

2017

i

NEOLIBERALISM ISSUES IN MUSES’S SONGS “TIME IS RUNNING

OUT”, TAKE A BOW” AND “SOLDIER POEM”: A SEMIOTIC

ANALYSIS

UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

BY :

SRI MAHARDIKA

NIM 105110100111040

Presented to

Universitas Brawijaya

in partial fulfillment of the requirements

for the degree of Sarjana Sastra

ENGLISH STUDY PROGRAM

DEPARTMENT OFLANGUAGES AND LITERATURE

FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES

UNIVERSITAS BRAWIJAYA

2017

v

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The writer would like to express his gratitude to Allah SWT for the

blessing given to him to finish this thesis as the requirement to complete his study

in English Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Studies, Universitas Brawijaya.

The writer also would like to give a special appreciation and gratitude to the

supervisor, Fariska Pujiyanti, M.Hum., and co-supervisor, Melania Shinta

Harendika M.A. for giving advice, guidance, encouragement, and correction

patiently during the writing process. He also thanks to the examiner, Arcci Tusita

M.A. who had evaluated and given suggestions for the improvement to this thesis.

In addition, he expresses his thanks to his beloved parents who always

take care and pray for him all day long, and his brother and sisters who have given

him spiritual supports. Besides, there are many people having supported the writer

in completing this thesis. He would like to say thanks to Hasby, Dian, Doni, Arya,

and all of his friends who always encourage him. He also thanks to all

administrative and library staff of Faculty of Cultural Studies Universitas

Brawijaya, for the help, facility, and all the things related to the completion of this

thesis.

Malang, 18 August 2016

The Writer

vi

ABSTRACT

Mahardika, Sri. 2016. Neoliberalism Issues in Muse’s Songs: “Time is Running

Out”, Take a Bow”, and “Soldier Poem”: A Semiotic Analysis. Study Program

of English Literature, Universitas Brawijaya. Supervisor: Fariska Pujiyanti

M.Hum; Co-Supervisor: Melania Shinta Harendika M.A。.

Keywords: Semiotics, Songs Lyric, Signs of the lyrics.

Semiotics is used to find out the signs in an object. People use the signs to

know by sight about something around them. In this study, the writer investigated

lyrics of songs of popular band, Muse. By using semiotic to find main signifier in

three Muse’s songs and it make easy to find out Neoliberalism issues in the lyrics.

Besides that this investigation was to answer about How Neoliberalism issue

reflected in Muse’s songs “Time is Running Out”, “Take a Bow” and “Soldier

Poem”.

This study used a qualitative approach. In collecting the data, the writer used

dictionary and other resource to find meaning of the signs containing in the three

songs above. In data analysis, the writer found that main signifier can be easy to

understand about the meaning of lyrics in the Muse’s songs. Then, the writer

analyzed the aspects of Neoliberalism issues by using Boas (2005) and Saussure’s

(2003) theories.

The result of this study revealed that the main signifier “freedom” is easy to

understand about three Muse’s songs to analyze about how Capitalists use

Neoliberalism issues to control a nation. Capitalists have a big power to make the

citizen obedient to them. From one example in lyric of “Time is Running out” I

think I am drowning, by Saussure, the word of “drowning” is signifier and

signified is the people feel that they will feel died slowly. It is caused of the

people feeling that they are always in under control by Capitalist and it makes

them do nothing in their life. It makes the people there feel that their life lost and

their life as in jail or cage because they do not have freedom to do anything in

their country. This lyric describes that Neoliberalism which is brought by

Capitalists have a negative effect for the citizen in a nation. Then, the writer found

that in the three Muse’s songs have same troubles, those are how the people there

feel tormented and they will find their freedom, and the phenomena explain that

how neoliberalism exists in a nation with low economic and Capitalists use it to

get advantages for themselves.

vii

ABSTRAK

Mahardika, Sri. 2016. Isu Neoliberalis di lagu Muse: “Time is Running Out”, Take a

Bow dan Soldier Poem”: sebuah analisis semiotika. Program StudiSastraInggris,

UniversitasBrawijaya.Pembimbing I: Fariska Pujiyanti M.Hum; Pembimbing II:

Melania Shinta Harendika M.A.

Kata Kunci: Semiotika, lirik dan tanda

Semiotika adalah ilmu untuk menemukan tanda di sebuah benda. Orang-orang

menggunakan tanda untuk mengetahui tentang sesuatu disekitar mereka. Pada

penelitian ini, penulis menginvestigasi lirik yang menggunakan tanda untuk

menemukan fenomena Neoliberalis di lirik lagu band terkenal, yaitu Muse. Dengan

menggunakan semiotik untuk mencari signifier utama di ketiga lagu itu dan itu

mempermudah untuk menemukan isu Neoliberalism di lirik tersebut. Selain itu

investigasi ini untuk menjawab pertanyaan bagaimana isu-isu Neoliberalis

ditunjukkan di lagu Muse: “Time is Running Out,” Soldier Poem dan “Take a Bow”.

Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif. Dalam pengumpulan data,

penulis menggunakan kamus dan data lain untuk menemukan arti dari ketiga lagu

tersebut. Dari hasil analisis data, signifier utama dapat mempermudah penulis untuk

mengerti tentang arti dari lagu lagu tersebut..Untuk menganalisa aspek isu

Neoliberalis, penulis menggunakan teori Boas dkk. (2005) dan dari Saussure (2003).

Hasil dari penelitian ini mengungkapkan bahwa signifier utama kata “freedom”

mempermudah untuk mengerti tentang ketiga lagu Muse itu dan untuk menganalisa

bagaimana Kapitalis menggunakan fenomena neoliberal untuk mengambil alih

sebuah negara. Itu disebabkan bahwa kapitalis memiliki kekuatan yang besar untuk

membuat masyarakat dari suatu negara tunduk kepada mereka. Dari satu contoh di

lirik “Time is Running Out”: I think I am drowning, dengan menggunakan teori

Saussure, lirik tersebut menggambarkan sebuah bahwa kata “drowning” merupakan

signifier dan signifiednya adalah orang orang berfikir bahwa mereka merasa akan

mati secara perlahan lahan. Perasaan mereka disebabkan bahwa Kapitalis selalu

mengatur dan mengawasi mereka jadi mereka tidak bisa melakukan apa apa didalam

kehidupan mereka dan mereka juga tidak bisa melakukan apapun karena mereka

berada di bawah tekanan. Mereka juga merasakan bahwa kehidupan mereka telah

diambil dan mereka merasakan bahwa mereka hidup seperti dipenjara dan kandang.

Lirik ini menggamarkan bahwa Neoliberal yang dibawa oleh Kapitalis memiliki efek

negatif bagi masyarakat di sebuah negara. Dengan demikian, penulis menemukan

ada kesamaan masalah di dalam ketiga lagu tersebut yaitu bagaimana orang orang

disana merasakan menderita dan mereka ingin mencari kebebasan mereka dan itu

menjelaskan tentang bagaimana neoliberalis berada di sebuah negara dengan

ekonomi yang lemah dan kapitalis menggunakan kesempatan itu untuk mendapatkan

keuntungan untuk diri mereka sendiri.

viii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE ............................................................................................................................................. i

DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP ................................................................................................ ii

SUPERVISORS’ APPROVAL ............................................................................................................ iii

BOARD OF EXAMINERS’ CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL .................................................. iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................... v

ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................................. vi

ABSTRAK ................................................................................................................................................. vii

TABLE OF CONTENT ....................................................................................................................... viii

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study ........................................................................................................ 1

1.2 Problems of the Study ............................................................................................................ 4

1.3 Objectives of the Study ......................................................................................................... 5

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Semiotic ................................................................................................................................... 8

2.2 Types of Neoliberalism Phenomena .................................................................................. 10

2.3 Previous Studies ................................................................................................................... 12

2.4 Previous Studies ................................................................................................................... 13

CHAPTER III FINDING AND DISCUSSION

3.1 Freedom as The main Signifier of Three Muse’s Songs ................................................. 17

3.2 The Freedom as Main Signifier Reflects Neoliberalism Issues ..................................... 27

CHAPTER IV CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION 4.1 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 33

5.2 Suggestion ............................................................................................................................. 34

REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................................... 36

APPENDICES ........................................................................................................................................ 38