ABSTRACT

Galih Purwanto, A Symbol Analysis on Two Punk song Lyrics “American Idiot” (Green Day), “God Save The Queen” (Sex Pistols), Thesis: English Letters Department, Letters and Humanities Faculty, State Islamic University “Syarif Hidayatullah”, Jakarta 2010.

The aim of this research is to find out the Symbol, their meaning, and also purposed the theme in two punk songs lyric. The writer analyzes lyrics entitled “American Idiot” (Green Day), and “God Save The Queen” (Sex Pistols).

The research discussed the lyric by Green Day and the lyric by Sex Pistols. The objectives of the research are to know about symbols that utilized in those lyrics, the meaning of them, and symbols contributions in building the themes of the lyrics. Here the writer studied two selected lyrics as the objects of the study; they were “American Idiot” by Green Day and “God Save The Queen” by Sex Pistols. Those lyrics were studied by using descriptive qualitative method and content analysis techniques. In this research, the writer focused in symbol analysis to those selected lyrics. By using symbol analysis, it makes an easier to conclude the theme that implicit in these two selected lyrics. The writer expects that this study will be useful to the readers who want to know further about symbol analysis and explication about the lyric, and their contribution in building the themes in those lyrics.

The writer finds out the themes of them. These two selected lyrics have

different themes. From the lyric “American Idiot” by Green Day, the writer has concluded that the suitable theme is about “A Criticism of Democracy” in the US Government. Then the writer makes a sentence for proposing the theme, and the sentence is “The Americans criticizes the application of their own Democracy”. And from the lyric “God Save the Queen” by Sex Pistols, the writer also has concluded that the suitable theme is about “Social Justice or Social Protest”. And the writer makes a sentence for proposing the theme, and the sentence is “The Super power of the Queen makes no future of the England”.

i

APPROVEMENT

A SYMBOL ANALYSIS ON PUNK SONG LYRICS AMERICAN IDIOT (GREEN DAY),

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN (SEX PISTOLS)

A Thesis Submitted to Letters and Humanities Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements for the Strata One Degree (S1) In English Letters Department

Galih Purwanto NIM. 105026000975

Approved by:

Drs. H. Abdul Hamid, M.Ed. NIP: 150 181 922

ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT ADAB AND HUMANITIES FACULTY

“SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH” STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY JAKARTA

2010

LEGALIZATION

ii

Name : Galih Purwanto NIM : 105026000975 Title : “A Symbol Analysis on Two Punk Song Lyrics, American

Idiot (Green Day), “God Save the Queen (sex Pistols)”.

The thesis has been defended before the Letters and Humanities Faculty’s Examination Committee on June, 14th 2010. It has already been accepted as a partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Strata One (S1).

Jakarta, June 14th, 2010

Examination Committee

Signature Date 1. Dr. H. Muhammad Farkhan, M.Pd (Chair Person)

19650919 200003 1 002

2. Drs. Asep Saefuddin, M.Pd (Secretary) 19640710 199303 1 006

3. Drs. H. Abdul Hamid, M. Ed (Advisor) 150 181 922

4. Dr. Frans Sayogie, M.Pd (Examiner I) 19700310 200003 1 002

5. Drs. Asep Saefuddin, M.Pd (Examiner II) 19640710 199303 1 006

DECLARATION

iii

I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that to the best of my

knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by

another person no material which to substantial extend has been accepted for the

award of any other degree or diploma of the university or other institute of higher

learning, except where due acknowledgement has been made in the text.

Jakarta, July 2010

Galih Purwanto

iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The writer would say thank to the lord of the universe and thereafter Allah

SWT, the real writer’s guide, who amazingly and mysteriously guides him in the

process of making this thesis and the salutation be upon the greatest prophet

Muhammad SAW (the Master of the Messenger), May peace and blessing be

upon him, his family, companions and adherents realizes that surely owes much

many people materially, morally, scientifically, and spiritually.

The thesis is submitted in partial accomplishment of the requirements for

the Strata I Degree to Faculty of Adab and Humanities, English Letters

Department State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta.

The writer would like to express his deeply grateful to Drs. H. Abdul

Hamid, M.Ed. as his advisor who has always given suggestions, corrections,

supports, and also criticism until the writer can finish this thesis, because without

his guidance, patience, and encouragements, this thesis is never be completed.

The writer also would like to express his deepest gratitude to the following

people:

1. Dr. H. Abdul Chair, M.A. a former Dean of Adab and Humanities Faculty.

2. Dr. H.M. Farhan, M.Pd. the Head of English Letters Department.

3. Drs. A. Saefuddin, M.Pd. the Secretary of English Letters Department.

4. The Lecturers, the staff academics, and the staff of library of English letter

department, the staff of many Libraries, University of Indonesia library,

v

5. My beloved Family: My Mother Paerah, Father Paruso who always give

support, morally, and spiritually until now. Thanks for you’re sacrificing

and fighting to reach my future. My Sister Renny Purwaningsih S.Pd, my

Brother in law Aditya Dharma AMd, my cousin amiey, iyud, Agus

Setiawan ST, Special thanks for my beloved girl (oktafiani) who always

gives me support spiritually and morally during the process of completed

this thesis. Thanks for her that always gives motivation and moral

encouragement in facing this life.

6. My best friends, all’size’s Family are Aav, Yudy, Tony, Dory, Oniel, and

Dyant. All of my friends at English Letter Department, especially my

classmates, Akbar Lintang, Mulya, Helmi Fahmi, Ardhie, Jurjani, Rohim,

Wahyu, Amar, bejo, iqbal, and those who cannot be mentioned one by

one. Thanks to all of you.

May Allah blesses, protects and guides them always. The writer hopes this

thesis is able to be a reference of some literary interpretation.

Jakarta, July 2010

The Writer

vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT ……………………………………………………………….. i

APPROVEMENT…………………………………………………………. ii

LEGALIZATION…………………………………………………………. iii

DECLARATION………………………………………………………….. iv

ACKOWLEDGEMENT………………………………………………….. v

TABLE OF CONTENTS ………………………………………………… vii

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study……………………………………... 1

B. Focus of study ……………………………………………… 4

C. Research Questions ………………………………………… 5

D. Significances of the Study …………………………………… 5

E. Research Methodology ……………………………………… 5

1. Objective of the Study ………………………………… 5 2. Method of the Research ……………………………….. 5 3. Unit of Analysis ……………………………………….. 6 4. Instrument of the Research ……………………………. 6 5. Technique of Data Analysis…………………………… 6

F. Place and Time……………………………………………….. 6

CHAPTER II. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

A. Definition of Music …………………………………………... 7

B. Types of Music ………………………………………………. 8 1. Jazz ……………………………………………………….. 8 2. Blues……………………………………………………… 8 3. Classical ………………………………………………… 9 4. Rock ……………………………………………………… 9 5. Pop ……………………………………………………….. 9 6. Reggae……………………………………………………. 10 7. Punk………………………………………………………. 10 8. Rap ……………………………………………………….. 11 9. Folk……………………………………………………….. 11

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viii

C. Lyric ………………………………………………………….. 11

D. Semiotics ……………………………………………………... 12 1. Semiotic elements ………………………………………. 13 2. Classes of sign …………………………………………... 14 3. Ten Classes of Sign ……………………………………... 18

E. The meaning of Symbol ……………………………………… 20 F. Explication …………………………………………………… 22

G. Theme………………………………………………………… 22

1. The Step of Theme Analysis ……………………………. 23 2. Kinds of Theme …………………………………………. 24

CHAPTER III. RESEARCH FINDING

A. Data Description 1. American Idiot (Green Day) …………………………….. 26 a. Background of Song ……………………………………. 26 b. Lyric…………………………………………………….. 26 2. God Save the Queen (Sex Pistols) ……….……………… 27 a. Background of Song…………………………………….. 27 b. Lyric…………………………………………………….. 29

B. Data Analysis 1. Explication …...………………………………………….. 30 a. American Idiot (Green Day) ……………………………. 30 b. God Save the Queen (Sex Pistols) ……………………. 32 2. Analysis of the Symbols …………………………….… 37 a. Symbol in “American Idiot’s” lyric (Green Day) …..… 37 b. Symbol in “God Save the Queen’s” lyric (Sex Pistols)… 42 3. Proposed Theme ………………………………………… 47

a. Theme in American Idiot lyric (Green Day) …………… 47 b. Theme in God Save the Queen lyric (Sex pistols)…….... 48

C. The table of utilized symbol and theme of both lyrics ……….. 48

CHAPTER IV. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

A. Conclusion…….……………………………………………….. 52

B. Suggestion……………………………………………………… 53

BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………..……………………………………… 54

APPENDICES……………………………………………………………… 56

1

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of study

Language is one of tools of communication. Language is formed by a

norm; rule and design that have to obey in order to avoid the wrong

communication and makes it come well. Norm, rule, and design which are formed

including sounds system, form system, and sentences system. In order to get a

good communication, the consignee and transmitter of language must be getting

of best of it. Language is a group of sounds distinguishable from one another and

arranged in a system by means of which thoughts and feeling (neural events) can

be communicated from one person to another. A single language however may be

defined as a system of sounds familiar and usable to a limited number of people

and unfamiliar to all others in the world.1 A language then is a sound system

known to and used by a limited number of people.2

The possession of language, more any other attribute, distinguishes man

from other animals. To understand man’s humanity one must understand the

language that makes him human. According to the philosophy expressed in the

myths and religions of many peoples, it is language which the source of human

life and power.3 Language is therefore a system by which sounds and meaning are

related.4

1 J. Burl Hogins and Robert E.Yarber, LANGUAGE: An Introductory Reader, (New

York, Harper and Row, Publisher), 1969, p. 70 2 Ibid, p. 71 3 Victoria Fromkin and Robert Rodman, an introduction to language, (USA, Holt,

Rinehart and Winston, Inc, 1974), p. 1 4 Ibid, p. 2

2

Rachmat Djoko Pradopo said that the literary work is the swan song that

utilized language as a medium. Material of the literary is the language that already

had a meaning. So the meaning of language increased become meaning of literary

or sense, though not rid of from the meaning of language.5

As we know that poetry, movie, drama, and music already become very

interesting to be learning in literary works, and all of those to be certain used

language as medium. Then as the most favorite literary work for everyone in the

world, music has also the element of language that written in lyrics.

Music is universal language that people also like very much. Everyone has

a favorite music which can make them feel happy, relax, dancing, and jumping.6

Music is a sound that received by different individual based on history, location,

culture, and human sense. The intent of composer, and the performer’s

contributions, the greater will be our intellectual, emotional, aesthetic rewards for

listening to any kind of music.7

Music is one of literary work which contains lyrics and a beautiful word

enjoyed and teaches the component from lyric. Lyric is a kind of poetry, generally

short, characterized by a musical use of language. Lyric poetry often involves the

expression of intense personal emotion. The elegy, the ode, and the sonnet are

forms of the lyric poem.8

In Nando Baskara’s book said that the reason why he wrote his book was

not becoming his book for information for society only, especially for the young

man, but also as a type of moral “movement” that wants to proclaim through

5 Rachmat Djoko Pradopo, “Beberapa Teori Bahasa, Metode Kritik, Dan

Penempatannya”,pustaka pelajar, Yogyakarta, 2003. p. 121. 6 http://id.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071107084909AAPskuR 7 Jean Ferris, America’s Musical Landscape, (United State: McGrawHill, 2002), P.xxi 8 http://www.answers.com/topic/lyrics. Accessed on 26th of October 2009

3

music the social obligation of society can be completed, and if there are some

critic and inputs can be received by a variety of concerned parties. It can be a

great energy in operating and reflecting a good government life. There are many

bands of punk that intractability yells out the truth, give critics, and the right of

trifling community that far away from act of caring for and trifling.9

Punk is a young man movable contradictory that based on from their

conviction “we can do it ourselves”. Punk have a unique ways from overcome

some problems, such as criticizing political systems, social, environment,

ideology, economy, and also religious problems through the lyrics of the song.10

Van Zoest said that the basic feelings in every lyric are including sorrow,

romantic love, love enchantment, loneliness, misunderstanding, etc. He said again,

“in pop music people try hard to yell out and weep over everything in efficiency

climate, organization and achievement.”11

Van Zoest said as a basic feeling field, we can see an examples from

sorrow signs through American pop song in about 1960, ”Crying In The Rain”, a

great hits Everly Brother that repeat again by Polydor company for Marly Kristian

(Sylado, 1977:30), and the way out of sorrow feeling replied with suggesting :

I’ll never let you see The way my broken heart it hurtin’ you I’ve got my pride And I know how to hide All my sorrow and pain I’ll do my crying in the rain 12 From the lyric above, in the sixth line “I’ll do my crying in the rain”, the

word “crying” refers to the sorrow sign. The composer wants to show about the

9 Nando Baskara, Rebel 35 Band Paling Berpengaruh, (Narasi. Yogyakarta, 2008) 10 http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punk. Accessed on 26th of October 2009 11 Alex Sobur, “Semiotika Komunikasi”,(Bandung; Remaja Rosdakarya, 2004) p. 146 12 Ibid.

4

sorrow that described in the lyric. The song tells about people who feel hurt so

much, feel broken heart and so pain.

We can also find in another punk song lyric, for example from one of band

from Chelsea, England. This band has ever getting successful in the end of 1970.

By punk rock ideology, Johny Rotten and friends yelling out of “anarchy”

contradict the capitalism and family of the United Kingdom domination. Let’s we

learn the lyric:

Right! Now ha, ha, I am an antichrist I am an anarchist Don’t know what I want But I know how to get it I wanna destroy the passerby 13 From the explanation above, the writer is interested in analyzing the two

selected Punk song lyric American Idiot (Green Day), God Save the Queen (Sex

Pistols). From these two punk song lyrics, and the writer will analyzing the

symbols which covered in the focus by using the theory of Charles Sanders

Pierce.

B. Focus of the study

The research is focused on the symbols that are used in two punk songs

they are American Idiot (Green Day), God Save the Queen (Sex Pistols). This

study will be focused on the utilized symbols and their meaning.

13 http://www.gaulislam.com/politik-dan-ideologi-lewat-lagu. Accessed on 26th of

October 2009

5

C. Research Question

1. What are the meaning of the two Punk Song Lyrics?

2. What kinds of symbols are utilized in the two punk songs lyric and what

do they mean?

3. What are the themes of the two songs?

D. Significance of the research

The significance of the study is to give the advantages for the readers and

the writer himself, to have deeper knowledge about kinds of symbol, and their

meaning. Lastly, the writer hopes that the study can give inspiration to other

students who want to develop the similar study in the future.

E. Research Methodology

1. Objective of the Study

The objectives of the study are:

a. To know the utilized symbols which existing in these two songs,

American Idiot (Green Day), God Save the Queen (Sex Pistols).

b. To describe the meaning of symbol in these two punk songs.

c. To describe the suitable themes of these two punk songs.

2. Method of the Research

The writer uses qualitative method in analyzing American Idiot (Green

Day), God Save the Queen (Sex Pistols) which contain some symbols.

Based on the qualitative method, the data of this research will be collected,

interpreted, and concluded.

6

3. Unit of Analysis

The analysis unit in this research is the two of punk song lyrics American

Idiot (Green Day), God Save the Queen (Sex Pistols) these songs were containing

symbols that should be analyzed by the researcher.

4. Instrument of the Research

The researcher himself as an instrument and the subject of this study, he

gets all information by reading some books and other references. Lastly, he will

analyze the selected data from any kind of resources.

5. Technique of Data Analysis

All the data that have been included in this research will he analyzed

through descriptive analysis technique. There are four ways that have been

implemented by the writer in analyzing the data (1) choosing the songs which

contain symbols; all the songs are punk – songs (2) reading the songs intensely,

and classifying the symbols from the songs (3) categorizing the symbols in the

table, so that they can be understood easily (4) interpreting the meaning of that

symbol and proposing a theme in each song.

F. Place and Time

The writer accomplishes this thesis in the beginning of semester 9, 2009 /

2010 in English Department, Adab and Humaniora Faculty, State Islamic

University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta.

7

CHAPTER II

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

A. Definition of Music

Music, an art of organized sounds, is virtually limitless in variety and in

the power to enchant and challenge our ears. However, because it never holds

still, and we can neither see nor touch it, understanding music can be an elusive

thing, and some of the world’s greater music may challenge the unprepared

listener’s ears. The intent of composer, and the performer’s contributions, the

greater will be our intellectual, emotional, aesthetic rewards for listening to any

kind of music.14

Music was associated with melody, words, and rhythm, including dancing;

instrumental accompaniment to song was by duplicating the melodic line and

adding occasional heterophony but without counterpoint to or chordal

accompaniment of the melody.15

Music is a form of art. Edgard Varese defined it as "organized sound".

Music expresses our feelings as well emotions in a melodious and pleasant way. Is

there anybody who doesn’t like this form of art? Read on to know the various

types of music.

Different types of music help in soothing one’s disturbed soul, in the

growth of concentration and also enliven us to live life to the fullest. There are

varied genres of music as people have different tastes. For e.g., classical music,

rock, jazz, metal, rap, folk etc. But the objective remains the same. The aim of all

14 Jean Ferris (2002), Op.cit. P.xxi 15 K. Marie Stolba, The Development of Western Music. (New York, McGrawHill,

(1998), p.10

8

music is to touch the core of the heart and thus music can be called an expression

of our heart’s saying.16

B. Types of Music

1. Jazz

Jazz is a musical form which originated at the beginning of the 20th

century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a

confluence of African and European music traditions.

This type of music is featured by strong and complex rhythms. The main

musical instruments used for jazz music are cornet, trumpet or violin, that helps

carry the melody. Fast tempos, syncopated rhythms, and dance band timbres

replaced the sedate ballrooms dances played by the string orchestras of an earlier

time. As dance rhythms became more complex, solo instrumental lines more

independent and instrumental timbres more varied.17

2. Blues

The foundations of jazz, primarily an instrumental music, lie in the blues, a

vocal form whose origins, although stubbornly obscure, derive from African

American traditions and date from some in the nineteenth century. Just when the

blues emerged is the subject of dispute, but certainly after the Civil War of what

we call the blues was heard from slaves and from newly emancipated black, who

often found their lives more rather than less difficult than before they received

their freedom.18

16 http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/5-14-2002-18440.asp accessed on 14th of January 2010

17 Jean Ferris (2002), op.cit. p. 151 18 Ibid

9

3. Classical

Classical music is a complex form of music as it requires high musical

skills, like learning the ragas and ability to coordinate with other musicians. One

has to maintain the complex relationship between its emotional flows. If you wish

to learn this music, then you have to go through proper training.

4. Rock

Rock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the

1960s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country

music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music.

The sound of rock often revolves around the guitar back beat laid down by

a rhythm section of electric bass guitar, drums, and keyboard instruments such as

organ, piano, or, since the 1970s, synthesizers. Along with the guitar or

keyboards, saxophone and blues-style harmonica are sometimes used as soloing

instruments. In its "purest form", it "has three chords, a strong, insistent back beat,

and a catchy melody." Certain rock groups also use piano, synthesizer, saxophone,

flute, mandolin and sitar for a deeper effect. This type of music has several sub

genres, such as hard rock, progressive rock and metal rock. All these types of rock

music are popular till date.19

5. Pop

Pop music is a music genre that developed from the mid-1950s as a softer

alternative to rock 'n' roll and later to rock music. It has a focus on commercial

recording, often oriented towards a youth market, usually through the medium of

relatively short and simple love songs. While these basic elements of the genre

19 http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/5-14-2002-18440.asp. accessed on 14th of January

2010

10

have remained fairly constant, pop music has absorbed influences from most other

forms of popular music, particularly borrowing from the development of rock

music, and utilizing key technological innovations to produce new variations on

existing themes.20

6. Reggae

Reggae fused elements of North American and African Jamaican music to

form a kind of “acculturated rock” popular in England in the 1960s and in the

united states a decade later. Bob Marley (1945 – 1981), a leading Jamaican reggae

performer, became very well known and highly revered in North American.

Reggae comes in several styles, all roughly related to rhythm and blues.

Although reggae’s African polyrhythms are more complex, the bass lines

stronger, and tempos more relaxed than those of r&b. reggae combos consist of

electric guitars, electric organ, electric bass guitar, and drums.21

7. Punk

Punk is rock styles continued to proliferate as America entered the 1980’s.

A number of new sounds erupted, and important stars altered or adapted their

music to suit quickly evolving tastes. Much like the social conditions of the early

sixties that spawned the Beatles, the mid-seventies had produces a crop of young

Britisher who were poor, unemployed, and highly resentful of social inequities,

political hypocrisy, and rich rock stars. By the end of that decade, most rock

musicians were admittedly performing more for the sake of money than for art,

blatantly adjusting their styles to meet popular demand. Again it essence of rock.

20 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popmusic. Accessed on 12th of January 2010 21 Jean Ferris (2002), op. cit. p. 207

11

To rescue rock from succumbing under the weight of its own success, the British

invented punk.22

8. Rap

Rap, which began as a means of black self-expression in the mid-seventies

and attracted wide attention throughout the next decade, has raised perennial

questions about the relationships art, politics, and public morality.23

9. Folk

Folk music is a kind of traditional music that is handed down from

generations in every culture. This type of music reflects the emotions of common

laity. Popular music and tribal music are the two sub genres of folk music. This

folk music shows the social upheaval that lies among various classes of people.

This also portrays their struggle for survival and their culture.24

Folk music is refers to songs and instrumental pieces that appear to have

been spontaneously created, or whose origin has been lost or forgotten. Music

written (composed) in the informal style of traditional folk music also resides in

the folk repertory.25

C. Lyrics

A lyric was a poem sung to the music of a lyre. The earlier meaning – a

poem made for singing – is still current today, when we used lyrics to mean the

words of a popular song. Lyric as it is written today: a short poem expressing the

thoughts and feelings of a single speaker. Often poet will write a lyric in the first

22 Jean Ferris (2002), op. cit. p. 237 23 Ibid 24 http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/5-14-2002-18440.asp accessed on 14th of January

2010 25 Jean Ferris (2002), op.cit. p. 18

12

person, but not always. Instead, a lyric might describe an object or recall an

experience without the speaker’s ever bringing himself or herself into it.26

A kind of poetry, generally short, characterized by a musical use of

language. Lyric poetry often involves the expression of intense personal emotion.

The elegy, the ode, and the sonnet are forms of the lyric poem.27

Lyric in music can also be called by song text. Song texts may be in a

native language, recently, in English. Some texts are simply a series of consonant

– vowel cluster or vocables – neutral syllables, such as hey, yeh, or neh, which

may in fact convey meaning in themselves. For example, as a part of the Navajo

Night Way curing ceremony. Teams of young men compete in the singing of

Yeibichai (Yeh-be-chy) songs while masked dancer, personifying the sacred spirits

of their grandfathers (Yei-bi-chai means “spirits-their-grandfathers”), bring

supernatural healing power to help the sick.28

D. Semiotics

Since Greek antiquity the term Semiotics has been used for “the theory of

sign.” Similarly, the majority of term in use today in semiotic discourse can be

traced back to Greek origins or Latin translation of Greek expression. The origins

of the theory of signs reach back as far as the sixth century before Christ. The

transition to Semiotics its modern shape took place in the course of the 19th

century, first of all through Bolzano’s Wissenschaftslehre of 1837 and then, Since

1867, primarily through the work of the American logician, mathematician,

scientist, and philosopher Charles Sanders Pierce. Today Pierce (1839-1914)

26 X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia, An Introduction to Poetry, (New York: Pearson Longman), 11th edition, p. 260

27 http://www.answers.com/topic/lyrics. Accessed on 26th of October 2009 28 Jean Ferris (2002), op.cit. p. 11

13

ranks as the chief founder of modern Semiotics. On the basis of the foundations of

Semiotics which he laid, the further development of Semiotics as the science of

signs has taken place. In the meantime it has become a basic science of central

importance, following the realization that behind logic and linguistics there is still

another foundation. This foundation is the sign qua sign, without which no

representation or communication in any form whatever is possible. 29

1. Semiotic elements

Peirce held that there are exactly three basic semiotic elements, the sign

(or representamen), object, and intepretant, as outlined above and fleshed out here

in a bit more detail:

a. The Sign (or Representamen): the form which the sign takes (not

necessarily material).30 Represents, in the broadest possible sense of

"represents". It is something interpretable as saying something about

something. It is not necessarily symbolic, linguistic, or artificial.

b. An Interpretant: not an interpreter but rather the sense made of the

sign. An interpretant (or interpretant sign) is the sign's more or less

clarified meaning or ramification, a kind of form or idea of the

difference which the sign's being true or undeceptive would make. The

interpretant is a sign (a) of the object and (b) of the interpretant's

"predecessor" (the interpreted sign) as being a sign of the same object.

The interpretant is an interpretation in the sense of a product of an

interpretive process or a content in which an interpretive relation

29 Die Welt Als Zeichen, Classics of Semotics, (New York: Plenum Press, 1987), p. 1 30 Daniel Chandler, Semiotic: the Basic, (New York: Routledge, 2002), p.32

14

culminates, though this product or content may itself be an act, a state

of agitation, a conduct, etc.

c. An object: to which the sign refers.31 An object (or semiotic object) is

a subject matter of a sign and an interpretant. It can be anything

discussable or thinkable, a thing, event, relationship, quality, law,

argument, etc., and can even be fictional, for instance Hamlet. All of

those are special or partial objects. The object most accurately is the

universe of discourse to which the partial or special object belongs. For

instance, a perturbation of Pluto's orbit is a sign about Pluto but

ultimately not only about Pluto.

Thus:

A sign … [in the form of a representamen] is something which stands to somebody for something in some respect or capacity,. It addresses somebody, that is, creates in the mind of that person an equivalent sign, or perhaps a more developed sign. That sign which it creates I call the interpretant of the first sign. The sign stands for something. Its object. It stands for that object, not in all respects, but in reference to sort of idea, which I have sometimes called the ground of the representamen. (Pierce 1931 – 58, 2.228).

Sign

Interpretant Object

2. Classes of Sign

The three aspects or elements of sign, (1) the sign itself, (2) the sign in

relation to its object, (3) the sign in relation to its interpretant stand in a special

relationship to one another that is logically a three-place triadic relation. The

31 Ibid

15

three aspects of the triad – the sign-aspect (Qualisign, Sinsign, Legising), the

object-aspect (Icon, Index, Symbol), the interpretant-aspect (Rheme, Dicisign,

Argument) can each be divided into three further elements.32

a. Qualisign, Sinsign, Legisign.

The sign-aspect divides into:

• The Qualisign: characterizes the sensory quality of a sign, its intrinsic

visible appearance (e.g. “green”). (Also called tone, potisign, and

mark) is a sign which consists in a quality of feeling, a possibility.

• The Sinsign: by contrast, its individual reality (e.g. a particular road

sign in a particular street). (Also called token and actisign) is a sign

which consists in a reaction/resistance, an actual singular thing, an

actual occurrence or fact.

• The legisign: the general type of a sign (e.g. the word “tree”). (Also

called type and famisign) is a sign which consists in a (general) idea, a

norm or law or habit, a representational relation.

b. Icon, Index, Symbol.

The object-aspect divides into:

• An Icon: a sign that share a resemblance with its real or fiction object

(e.g. a picture, a diagram).33 Another reference said that an Icon is a

sign which refers to the object that is denotes merely by virtue of

characters of its own, and which it possesses, just the same, whether

32 Die Welt Als Zeichen (1987), op.cit. p.5 33 Ibid

16

any such object actually exist or not.34 Icon / Iconic: a mode in which

the signifier is perceived as resembling or imitating the signified

(recognizably looking, sounding, feeling, tasting or smelling like it) –

being similar in possessing some of its qualities: e.g. a portrait, a

cartoon, a scale mode, onomatopoeia, metaphors, ‘realistic’ sounds in

‘programme music’, sound effects in radio drama, a dubbed film

soundtrack, imitative gestures.35

• An Index: is a sign which refers to the object that it denotes by virtue

of being really affected by that object. It cannot, therefore, be a

qualisign, because qualities are whatever they are independently of

anything else.36 Index / indexical is a mode in which the signifier is not

arbitrary but is directly connected in some way (physically or causally)

to the signified – this link can be observed or inferred : e.g. ‘natural

sign’ (smoke, thunder, footprints, echoes, non-synthetic odours and

flavours), medical symptoms (pain, a rash, pulse-rate), measuring

instruments (weathercock, thermometer, clock, spirit-level), ‘signals’

(a knock on a door, a phone ringing), pointers (a pointing ‘index’

finger, a directional signpost), recordings (a photograph, a film, video

or television shot, an audio-recorded voice), personal ‘trademarks’

(handwriting, catchphrase) and indexical words (‘that’, ‘this’, ‘here’,

‘there’).37 Another reference said that an Index is a sign that relates to

34 Robert E. Innis, Semiotics, An Introductory Anthology, (United States: Indiana

University Press, 1985), p. 8 35 Daniel Chandler (2002), op.cit. p. 37 36 Robert E. Innis (1985), loc.cit. 37 Daniel Chandler (2002), loc.cit.

17

its object not as a copy but in some real way, as a pointer or marker,

e.g. a signpost, a weathercock, an arrow or the symptom of a disease.38

• A symbol: is a sign which refers to the object that it denotes by virtue

of a law, usually an association of general ideas, which operates to

cause the Symbol to be interpreted as referring to that Object.39 Symbol

/ symbolic is a mode in which the signified but which is fundamentally

arbitrary or purely conventional – so that the relationship must be

learned: e.g. language in general (plus specific languages, alphabetical

letters, punctuation marks, words, phrases and sentences), numbers,

Morse code, traffic lights, national flags.40 Another reference said that

a Symbol is a sign that is determined by its object only in the sense that

it is interpreted as being such, and is thus totally independent of

similarity or physical connection to its object, e.g. a flag.41

c. Rheme, Dicisign, Argument

The interpretant-aspect divides into:

• Rheme: is a sign which, for its Interpretant, is a Sign of qualitative

Possibility, that is, is understood as representing such a kind of

possible onject.42 Another book said that a Rheme is any sign that is

neither true nor false, e.g. individual words.43

• Dicisign: is a sign, which, for its Interpretant, is a Sign of actual

existence. It cannot, therefore, be an Icon, which affords no ground for

38 Die Welt Als Zeichen (1987), op.cit. p.5 - 6 39 Robert E. Innis (1985), loc.cit. 40 Daniel Chandler (2002), op.cit. p. 36 - 37 41 Die Welt Als Zeichen (1987), op.cit. p. 6 42 Robert E. Innis (1985), op.cit. p. 9 43 Die Welt Als Zeichen (1987), loc.cit.

18

an interpretation of it as referring to actual existence. A discisign

necessarily involves, as a part of it, a Rheme, to describe the fact

which it is interpreted as indicating.44 A dicent is a sign that capable of

being translated into a proposition.45

• Argument: is a sign which, for its Interpretant, is a Sign of law. Or we

may say that a Rheme is a sign which is understood to represent its

object in its characters merely; that a decisign is a sign which is

understood to represent its object in respect to actual existence; and

that an Argument is a Sign which is understood to represent its Object

in its character as Sign.46 An argument is a sign whose rational

necessity must be acknowledged.47

3. Ten Classes of Signs

The three trichotomies of Signs result together in dividing Signs into ten

classes of signs, of which numerous subdivisions have to be considered. The ten

classes are as follows:48

• A Qualisign [e.g., a feeling of ‘red’] is any quality in so far as is a sign.

• An Iconic Sinsign [e.g., an individual diagram] is any object an

experience in so far as some quality of it makes it determine the idea of

an object.

44 Robert E. Innis (1985), loc.cit. 45 Die Welt Als Zeichen (1987), loc.cit. 46 Robert E. Innis (1985), loc.cit. 47 Die Welt Als Zeichen (1987), loc.cit. 48 Robert E. Innis (1985), op.cit. p. 19 - 21

19

• A Rhematic Indexical Sinsign [e.g., a spontaneous cry] is an object of

direct experience so far as it directs attention to an object which its

presence is caused.

• A Dicent Sinsign [e.g., weathercock] is any object of direct experience,

in so far as it is a sign, and, as such, affords information concerning its

object.

• An Iconic Legisign [e.g., a diagram, apart from its factual

individuality] is any general law type, in so far as it requires each

instance of it to embody a definite quality which renders it fit to call up

in the mind the idea of a like object.

• A Rhematic Indexical Legisign [e.g., demonstrative pronoun] is any

general type or law, however established, which requires each instance

of it to be really affected by its Object in such a manner as merely to

draw attention to that Object.

• A Dicent Indexical Legisign [e.g., a street cry] is any general type or

law, however established, which requires each instance of it to be

really affected by its Object in such a manner as to furnish definite

information concerning that Object.

• A Rhematic Symbol or Symbolic Rheme [e.g., a common noun] is a

sing connected with its Object by an association of general ideas in

such a way that its Replica calls up an image in the mind, which

image, owing to certain habits or dispositions of that mind, tends to

produce a general concept, and the Replica is interpreted as a sign of

an Object that is an instance of that concept.

20

• A Dicent Symbol, or ordinary proposition, is a sign connected with its

object by an association of general ideas, and acting like a Rhematic

Symbol, except that its intended interpretant represent the Dicent

Symbol as being, in respect to what it signifies, really affected by its

Object, so that the existence or law which it calls to mind must be

actually connected with the indicated Object.

• An Argument is a sign whose interpretant represents its object as being

an ulterior sign through a law, namely, the law that the passage from

all such premises to such conclusions tends to the truth.

E. The Meaning of Symbol

Pierce and Saussure used the term ‘symbol’ differently from each either.

While nowadays most theorists would refer to language as a symbolic sign-

system, Saussure avoided referring to linguistic signs as ‘symbols’, since the

ordinary everyday use of this term refers to examples such as a pair of scales

(signifying justice), and he insisted that such signs are ‘never wholly arbitrary.

They are not empty configurations.’ They ‘show at least a vestige of natural

connection’ between the signifier and the signified – a link which he later refers to

as ‘rational’.49

A symbol may be a thing, place, action, person, or concept. In a literary

work it has its own objective reality – if it did not have such validity. It would be

artificial and therefore weak – but it is used to carry greater meaning than its

49 Daniel Chandler (2002), op.cit. p. 38

21

simple presence might indicate. When a symbol is introduced, it is understood to

signify the very specific things intended by the writer.50

For pierce, a symbol is ‘a sign which refers to object that it denotes by

virtue of a law, usually an association of general ideas, which operates to cause

the symbol to be interpreted as referring to that ‘object’.’The symbol is connected

with its object by virtue of the idea of the symbol-using mind, without which no

such connection would exist’. A symbol is ‘conventional sign, or one depending

upon habit (acquired or inborn).

Symbol is a thing (could be an object, person situation or action), which

stands for something else more abstract. According to Perrine, a symbol may be

roughly defined as something that means more than what it is. 51 A symbol may

be private (its meaning known only to one person), original (it’s defined by its

context in a particular work), or traditional (its mean defined by our common

culture and heritage), and also symbol may be all of those definitions.52

According to Sylvan Barnet, page 119. An “experience,” of course, is not

a happening through which the author necessarily passed; rather, it is a thought, an

emotion, a vision that is meaningful and is embodied in the piece of fiction for all

to read. Inevitably the writer uses symbol.53

50 Edgar V. Roberts, Writing Theme About Literature, (United State: Prentice –Hall

Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1983), p. 100 51 Laurence Perrine and Thomas R. ARP, Sound and Sense: An Introduction to poetry,

(United States: Harcourt Brace College Publisher, Shoutern Metodist University, 1992), p. 80 52 James H Pickering and Jeffrey D. Hoeper, Concise Companion to Literature, (New

York, 1981). p. 150 53 Sylvan Barnet, a Short Guide to Writing about Literature. (London: Batsford

Academic and Educational, 1985), 5th ed., p. 119

22

F. Explication

An explication is a line by line or episode-by-episode commentary on what

is going on in a text. An explication does not deal with the writer’s life or times,

and it is not a paraphrase, a rewording – tough it may include paraphrase – but a

commentary revealing your sense of the meaning of work.54

Another references said that explication is the act of opening, unfolding, or

explaining; explanation; exposition; interpretation. The sense given by an

expositor. Theme is a method of literary criticism that analyzes details of a text in

order to reveal its structure and meaning.55

The idea and practice of explication is rooted in the verb to explicate,

which concerns the process of "unfolding" and of "making clear" the meaning of

things, so as to make the implicit explicit. The expression "explication" is used in

both analytic philosophy and literary theory.

According to Rudolf Carnap, explication can be regarded as a scientific

process which transforms and replaces "an inexact prescientific concept" (which

he calls the explicandum), with a "new exact concept" (which he calls the

explicatum). A thesis which describes and explains the new explicit knowledge is

usually called an "Explication".

G. Theme

Theme is the central idea of the literary work.56 According to Pickering,

Concise Companion to literature, page 163, and theme is also used sometimes to

refer to the basic issue, problem, or subject with which the work is concerned. So

54 Ibid. p.11 55 http://www.synonym.com/definition/explication%20de%20texte/. Accessed on 26th

of October 2009 56 Laurence Perrine (1992) op.cit. p.23

23

that theme is main idea of a poem (literary work). If the reader can’t get the theme

of some literary work, it means the reader can’t get what the author want to show

in his literary work. And the reader can’t participate to the writer minds through a

literary work.

In Herman J. Waluyo’s book, definition theme is:

“Thema merupakan gagasan pokok atau subject – matter yang dikemukakan oleh penyair. Pokok pikiran persoalan itu begitu kuat mendesak dalam jiwa penyair, sehingga menjadi landasan utama pengucapannya. Jika desakan yang kuat itu berupa hubungan antara penyair dengan tuhan, maka puisi atau karya sastranya berupa ketuhanan”.57

1. The Steps of Theme Analysis

The identification of a work of fiction is attempting to formulate in our

words the statement about life or human experience that is made by the total work.

And, the identification of theme is a way to validate our understanding, to focus

our response, and to make the work finally and fully our own. The following

suggestions and comments, however, may prove helpful to identify of theme:

a. The analysis begins with the subject or situation; once that is identified to

formulate a thematic statement about work.

b. The test of statement, if the statement of theme leaves certain elements or

detail unexplained, or if those elements and details fail to confirm our

statement, so the work is flawed and not successful in the identification.

c. The analysis of title. Frequently, the title of a work serves to identify and

confirm the work’s protagonist or essential character.

d. The exploration of author’s biography and autobiography. The researcher

can get it from letters, journals, notebooks, and critical writings, because it

57 Herman J. Waluyo (1987), op.cit. p. 106

24

is can tell us a great deal about the author, the times which he lived and

wrote, and relationship between the author and the work.58

2. Kinds of Theme

There are some kinds of theme in literature that are:

a. The Infinite Theme

The Infinite theme is a philosophic religion theme that asks people to do

the better thing or change their bad habits to good one that give can be

used in human activities.

b. Human Theme

Human theme described about event and tragedy in poem to give an

advice for readers about height of human being prestige.

c. Patriotism Theme

Patriotism theme has purposed invite the readers to have patriotism

character.

d. The Theme of Nationalism

The theme of nationalism described the form of sweetheart to land who

beloved country.

e. The Theme of love between man and woman

The theme described about the love atmosphere, like break and sorrowful

because love. Example, Romeo and Juliet.

f. Theme of Criticize or Democratize

The Theme of Criticize or Democratize described the people who have

power to determine governance or state.

58 James H Pickering and Hooper D Jeffrey (1981) Op.Cit. p.66

25

g. Theme of social justice (protest the social)

The Theme of Social Justice described a claiming justice for opposed the

clan. Example, the discriminate poem between white and black skin in

America, “looking at”.

h. Theme of Education and Ethic.

The Theme of Education of Ethic described the important of education or

ethic, this poem has meaning to advice the readers by words.59

In addition to showing characters in action a work may express a general

idea or theme which suggests the significance of the action. Often the theme is

implied, not stated explicitly.60 Many composers wrote original themes for their

sets of variations, such a theme was a short songlike piece, called aria, air, or

simply thema (theme). The theme was sated.61

In linguistics, the topic (or theme) is informally what is being talked about,

and the comment (rheme or focus) is what is being said about the topic. Although

this general nature of topic-comment dichotomy is generally accepted, anything

beyond that is a matter of great controversy.

The theme is the last step of analysis. The proposed of theme is very

important in analysis a literary works, like a poem, lyrics, novel, etc. because

theme is needed to know what is the author want to show, or what is the main

contain of literary work that he / she created. By reading intensely line by line or

word by word, we can understand about what is the author wants to show, and the

main contain to the reader.

59 Herman J. Waluyo (2003) Op.Cit. p. 15 60 James M. McCrimmon, Writing With a Purpose, (Boston: Houghton Mifflin

Company, 1976), p.265 61 K. Marie Stolba (1998), op.cit. p.280

26

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH FINDING

A. Data Description

1. American Idiot (Green Day)

a. Background of Song

"American Idiot" is a song by American punk rock band Green Day, and

is the first single from their seventh album, American Idiot. This song is

composed by Billy Joe Armstrong who contributes in this band as the vocalist.

Since American Idiot is a concept album, all songs are parts of the story

and American Idiot is not an exception. The song is basically a summary or a little

preview of the story in the album which is the story of Jesus of Suburbia, a young

man who, tired of his life in his hometown, decides to escape and heads for the

city. It talks about the "vegetable-like" state of mind of many Americans who

criticize the policy of the US Government, the Iraq War, the struggle for the rights

of the homosexuals, the propaganda on TV and the lack of individuality in

Americans as well, along with many other political and social subjects, all from

the point of view of the main character of the story.

b. Lyric

"American Idiot" (lyric by: Green Day) Don't want to be an American idiot. Don't want a nation under the new media And can you hear the sound of hysteria? The subliminal mind fuck America. Welcome to a new kind of tension. 5

All across the alien nation.

27

Where everything isn't meant to be okay. Television dreams of tomorrow. We're not the ones who're meant to follow. For that's enough to argue. 10

Well maybe I'm the faggot America. I'm not a part of a redneck agenda. Now everybody do the propaganda. And sing along to the age of paranoia.

Don't want to be an American idiot. 15

One nation controlled by the media. Information age of hysteria. It's calling out to idiot America.

2. God Save the Queen (Sex Pistols)

a. Background of Song

"God Save the Queen" was the second single released by the punk rock

band Sex Pistols. It was released during Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee in

1977. The record's lyrics, as well as the cover, were controversial at the time, and

both the BBC and the Independent Broadcasting Authority refused to play the

song. The single reached number one on the NME charts in the UK, but only made

it to #2 on the official UK Singles Chart as used by the BBC. This led to

accusations by some that the charts had been "fixed" to prevent the song from

reaching number one.

The single was released on 27 May 1977, and was regarded by much of

the general public to be an assault on Queen Elizabeth II and the monarchy. The

title is taken directly from "God Save the Queen", the British national anthem. At

the time it was highly controversial, firstly for its equation of the Queen with a

"fascist regime," and secondly for the apparent claim that England had "no

future".

28

Although many believe it was created because of the Jubilee, the band

denies it, Paul Cook saying that, "It wasn't written specifically for the Queen's

Jubilee. We weren't aware of it at the time. It wasn't a contrived effort to go out

and shock everyone." Johnny Rotten has explained the lyrics as follows: "You

don't write a song like 'God Save The Queen' because you hate the English race.

You write a song like that because you love them, and you're fed up of seeing

them mistreated." His intentions were apparently to evoke sympathy for the

English working class, and a general resentment for the monarchy.

The phrase "no future", the song's closing refrain, became emblematic of

the punk rock movement. The lyric provided the title of Jon Savage's award-

winning 1991 history of the Sex Pistols and punk rock, England's Dreaming.

This lyric has eight stanzas and thirty seven lines. This lyric is very

interesting and unique because the word “God Save the Queen” always repeated

in the fist line in almost stanza was starting. This proves that the composer of the

song really wants giving us information that the title is taken directly from "God

Save the Queen," the British national anthem it was highly controversial at the

time. Firstly, for the equation of the Queen with a "fascist regime," and secondly

for the apparent claim that England had "no future".

b. Lyric

“God Save the Queen” (lyric by: Sex pistols) God save the Queen the fascist regime, they made you a moron

29

a potential H-bomb. God save the Queen 5

she ain't no human being. There is no future in England's dreaming Don't be told what you want Don't be told what you need. 10

There's no future there's no future there's no future for you God save the Queen we mean it man 15

we love our queen God saves God save the Queen 'cos tourists are money and our figurehead 20

is not what she seems Oh God save history God save your mad parade Oh Lord God have mercy 25

all crimes are paid. When there's no future how can there be sin we're the flowers in the dustbin 30

we're the poison in your human machine we're the future you're future

No future 35

no future for you no future for me

B. Data Analysis

1. Explication

a. American Idiot (Green Day)

30

In the first stanza, tells us about Americans who doesn’t want to be an

American Idiot, they don’t want to be stupid or idiot Americans for the US

Government. US government treats them like an idiot doll which can be laid and

played anytime. In the second line tells about the uninterested Americans with the

propaganda on TV, they don’t want the nation under the new media, which always

give them false propaganda, just for the US government advantages only, not for

the entire citizen of America.

Americans always scream with sound of hysteria about the rotten of US

government. They feel so mad about the US Government until they said “fuck

America”. Although they do with the unconsciousness, because their anger and

mad can’t be controlled anymore.

In the second stanza was explained about a new situation or new kind of

tension of US Government, a situation that made Americans like a foolish people

because everything always was being controlled by government. They felt like in

another nation, they like a foreign people that everything must be okay according

to the nation (US Government). The composer also said in that lyric of song that

the television in America always dreams of tomorrow, always gives Americans a

big expectation about everything, but actually everything that the Government

said is just a bull shit. So the composer said that we were not the people that

always follow what was the Government said or commanded. Just being a quit

people only, and just enough to argue for the Government.

In the first line of the third stanza, the composer said that all of Americans

was just became a “fagot” of America. They had a wrong treatment from the

Government like something was not useful anymore, because the government

31

always doing everything with their powerful without think about what the

Americans wanted.

In the second line of the third stanza, the composer wrote “redneck” in

their lyric of song. “Redneck” was a man who lived in a country area of the US

had little education and had strong conservative political opinion. The composer

said that “I’m not a part of a redneck agenda”. From the lyric meant that

Americans were not part of the citizen of the US, moreover the Government was

not considered them as the Americans.

In the next line explained about the Americans that did the propaganda.

They made a demonstration for the wrong government in US with always sang

along to the age of paranoia. They represented with all of the Americans who

always wanted to have a good government, because nowadays they had lied by

the government.

In the last stanza, was explained about the anger of Americans with the US

government that made them don’t have a good respect. The composer clarified

again in the lyric of this song that the Americans didn’t want to be an American

Idiot. They didn’t want to be a doll of the US government only that always easy

being played by them. They didn’t want the nation under the media; always

screamed of hysteria because they didn’t want everything to be controlled by the

wrong government and always calling out “fuck America”. Actually they always

expected to be Americans that always got a good respect from the government.

b. God Save the Queen (sex pistols)

In the first stanza the composer said in this song “God Save the Queen”,

these sentences were always repeated in every first line of the stanza. It proved

32

that the composer of the song really want to give us the information that the title is

taken directly from "God Save the Queen," the British national anthem it was

highly controversial at the time. The word “Queen” is referred to Queen Elizabeth

II's Silver Jubilee who had held in the UK in 1977.

In the second line there was a phrase “the fascist regime”. The “fascist”

meant a person who supported fascism or the way of referring somebody that you

disapproved of because they had right-wing attitude. The word “fascism” meant

an extreme right-wing political system or attitude which was in favour of strong

central government and which did not allow any opposition. And the word

“regime” meant a method or system of government, especially one that had not

been elected in a fair way. The conclusion the word “fascist regime” was directly

referred to the Queen who had a full of power to control and had a big dominance.

This condition made this country didn’t have a democratic system, and the

government was controlled by the Queen only.

The word “they made you a moron, a potential H-bomb”, this word meant

the Queen of UK didn’t give a good treatment to the England people and didn’t

give any respect to the citizen of England, just considered like an H-bomb which

could be exploded anytime. The Queen only gave a treatment like a stupid people

who could be easily played anytime, because she had full of power to command

this country according what she wanted.

In the second stanza the composer wrote “God Save the Queen” again in

the first line. The composer of the song really wanted to give us the information

that the title was taken directly from "God Save the Queen," the British national

anthem it was highly controversial at the time. She had a full of authority who

33

always used her dominance to control citizen in order to get her honour. The

composer said in his lyric that the Queen who led this country was not like a

human being, because she did everything according what she wanted and needed

only. The government just gave a big expectation only without something real in

their daily life. The government didn’t give citizen a good respect and gave a bad

consideration to them, just made them like something was not important, like

something useless which could be laid easily.

Therefore, the composer said in the last second stanza that this country

wouldn’t get a good future for the government, this country would be a rotten

country in the future. This country wouldn’t become a prosperous country

according what citizens wanted, because this country had been controlled by the

wrong leader who always got their interest only without thinking about citizen

aspiration for good country.

In the third stanza the composer said that the government of UK didn’t

always just said for what they wanted and needed only, but also listened to the

citizen aspiration who always wanted this country being prosperous and had a

good government which had responsibility for their duties in this country. Citizen

really wanted to have a government that always doing their work better according

what the citizen wanted and needed.

In the next line the composer said that the government used this power just

for their interest only, and didn’t think about their citizen who wanted a good

country, and didn’t want to get a purposeful expectation. If this condition could

not be changed and the government could not bring this country to be better

34

responsibility about what the citizen dream, so the government would mean

nothing.

In the next stanza the composer put the phrase “God Save the Queen”

again. This phrase explained that the citizen really wanted to have Queen who had

the characteristics liked a man characters, such as had a big responsibility as a

leader of this country. We really wanted to have a Queen who did not have a

doubtful character in every problem that must be solved. We loved our Queen

who always controlled this government as well as we wanted. If our Queen did

her works well, so the God would give his mercy for our country and save this

country and especially for the citizen.

In the second line at the fifth stanza there was a phrase “'cos tourists are

money”, meant that the tourists were money for this country, especially for the

government (the Queen). The tourists came to this country just gave the advantage

for the government only, if the tourists said that the people in this country were

very kind and polite, so automatically the government also had a good name from

the tourists who were coming. Whereas the government never gave us (the

citizen) a good treatment and a good service.

In this stanza, the composer said in this lyric that God pleased to save this

country, save the history of country and citizen destination under government

rules. The composer prayed to the God for saving this world, and did not want the

god to give a disaster because of the wrong doing the government which didn’t

have a good responsibility, didn’t have a good contribution that they had to do for

this country. They never think about the prosperous for this country. The

composer also said that he didn’t want God to give his mad parade for this

35

country, because this country had been so rotten at that time. Crime could be paid

for the people who had much money, and the crime couldn’t be solved well. If

there were people who had much money, they could be freed without arresting

them, but if there were people who didn’t have much money and did a mistake,

and then the government would give them a punishment.

This country had been worse during the leadership of the Queen. So, the

composer was never bored to pray to the Lord God for saving and giving his

mercy to this country like what he wrote in that Lyric. The composer represented

the citizen aspiration for good government in the future, in order to get a good

future in England.

In the next stanza the composer said, when this state had no real or good

future like what the citizen wanted, this state certainly could be buried, and all of

the people also could be sin caused of this, because the wrong government that

couldn’t work well for this country and especially for the citizen. In the next line

explained that the citizen just as a flower in the dustbin. The flower which had a

good smell and good color and could give us fresh situation anytime, but just get

an unpleasant place like a dustbin, whereas actually the people of England get a

better place which the same as where the flower should live.

In the next line, the composer also said that the citizen of England was just

like a poison for the England, especially for the government. The poison which

was spread in human body and could destroy the human body organ until it

become not functioning. This proved that were the citizens of England just meant

nothing.

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In the last stanza the composer said that this country would never be a

good or prosperous country. If the country were still under the wrong command,

that country would become rotten and worse. But, if the country could be wise

and listen what the citizen wanted and needed, so it could get god mercy and his

blessing. So, between the Government and the citizen had to have a good

communication and good relationship in order to get better for this country and

get a good future for England too. The phrase "no future", the song's closing

refrain, became emblematic of the punk rock movement.

2. Analysis of the Symbols

a. Symbol in American Idiot’s lyric (Green Day)

There are eight symbols that the writer finds in this lyric “American Idiot”

(by: Green Day) that describe and have meaning. Let us study the eight symbols

that the writer explained.

Idiot

Sign

Interpretant Object A very stupid person, a person

with very low intelligence who cannot think and behave normally

Doll which can be laid and played anytime

The first symbol is in the first line. The word “Idiot” in “don’t want to be

an American Idiot”. The word “Idiot” is a Sign, and the sentences “Doll which

can be laid and played anytime” is an Interpretant, and the sentences “A very

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stupid person, a person with very low intelligence who cannot think and behave

normally” is an Object. Finally the writer concludes that the meaning of “Idiot”

tells about the Americans who do not want to be an American Idiot; they don’t

want to be an American stupid or an idiot for the US Government. From the

description, the US government has made them like a doll which can be laid and

played anytime.

Sounds

Sign

Interpretant Object

Something that you can hearThe voices or the Aspiration of Americans who don’t get a good

attitude from the US

The second symbol is the word “Sounds”. The word “Sounds” is a Sign,

and the sentences “The voices or the Aspiration of Americans who don’t get a

good attitude from the US” is an Interpretant, and the sentences “Something that

you can hear” is an Object. Finally the writer concludes that the meaning of

“Sounds” refers to the voices or the aspiration of the Americans who do not get a

good attitude from the US government. The word “sounds” can also refer to the

complained Americans for the wrong control of the US Government for the states

and entire citizen. Americans feel unsatisfied with all of government’s policy that

doing everything by themselves that never think about the Americans.

Sign

Tension

38

Interpretant Object

A situation in which people do not trust each other, or feel un friendly toward each other, and which may

cause them to attack each other

Country (Nation)

The next symbol is the word “Tension”. The word “Tension” is a Sign,

and the word “Country (Nation)” is an Interpretant, and the sentences “A

situation in which people do not trust each other, or feel un friendly toward each

other, and which may cause them to attack each other” is an Object. Finally the

writer concludes that the meaning of “Tension” refers to a condition, situation.

And the writer makes a conclusion about the word of “Tension” being a country,

nation or government. In the lyric said “welcome to a new kind of tension”, means

a new situation or new kind of Government or nation, a situation that makes

Americans like a foolish people because everything is always controlled by

government. They felt like in a new country, and felt like in another country

(nation), they like a foreign people that everything must be okay according to the

nation (US Government).

Faggot Sign

Interpretant Object

Homosexual man, people that cannot get a good treatment from the US Government.

Is mean a fagot, a ball of finely chopped meat mixed with bread,

baked or fried and eaten hot.

In the eleventh lines we can see the word “Faggot” or fagot. The word

“Faggot” is a Sign, and the sentences “Homosexual man, people that cannot get

39

a good treatment from the US Government” is an Interpretant, and the sentences

“Is mean a fagot, a ball of finely chopped meat mixed with bread, baked or fried

and eaten hot” is an Object. Finally the writer concludes that the meaning of

”Faggot” means like rubbish that likes everything useless or something didn’t get

a respect. From the meaning above we can know that American people is just a

fagot of all Americans that likes everything useless. They had a wrong treatment

from the Government like something was not useful anymore, because the

government always do everything with their powerful without think about what

the Americans wanted.

Sign

Alien nation

Interpretant Object

To make somebody feel that they do not belong in a particular

group.

Nation (US Government). Another situation or another

nation that are not the same like the previous government.

The next symbol is word “Alien nation” in the second line in the second

stanza. The word “Alien nation” is a Sign, and the sentences “Nation (US

Government). Another situation or another nation that are not the same like the

previous government” is an Interpretant, and the sentences “To make somebody

feel that they do not belong in a particular group” is an Object. Finally the writer

concludes that the meaning of “Alien nation” refers to another country. The word

“alien nation” means another situation, or another nation that are not the same like

40

the previous government. They felt like in another nation, they like a foreign

people that everything must be okay according to the nation (US Government).

Sign

Dream

Interpretant Object A wish to have or be something,

especially one that seems difficult to achieve.

Big expectation.

The word “Dream” in the eight lines in the second stanza. The word

“Dream” is a Sign, and the Phrase “Big expectation” is an Interpretant, and the

sentences “A wish to have or be something, especially one that seems difficult to

achieve” is an Object. Finally the writer concludes that the meaning of “Dream”

is the expectation of tomorrow. In the lyric said “television dreams of tomorrow”.

The television in America (media) always gives Americans a big expectation

about everything, but actually everything that the Government said is just a bull

shit.

Sing

Sign

Interpretant Object

The voices or the Aspiration of Americans who don’t get a good attitude from the US.

To make a musical sounds with your voice in the form of a song or

tune.

The next symbol is the word “Sing”. The word “Sing” is a Sign, and the

sentences “The voices or the Aspiration of Americans who don’t get a good

attitude from the US” is an Interpretant, and the sentences “To make a musical

41

sounds with your voice in the form of a song or tune” is an Object. Finally the

writer concludes that the meaning of “Sing” refers to singing, screaming and

shouting, and an argument. Americans have felt fed up for everything that

Governments have done something for them. From the explanation we can know

that Americans always perform a demonstration and sing along about the

condition of US government. They felt very angry about this government until the

majority of American people shouted “fuck up America” for expressing they

anger.

Sign

Hysteria

Interpretant Object

A state of extreme excitement, fear or anger in which a person, or a group of people, loses control of their emotions

and starts to cry, laugh, etc.

Anger expression of Americans.

The last symbol is the word “Hysteria”. The word “Hysteria” is a Sign,

and the Phrase “Anger expression of Americans” is an Interpretant, and the

sentences “A state of extreme excitement, fear or anger in which a person, or a

group of people, loses control of their emotions and starts to cry, laugh, etc” is an

Object. Finally the writer concludes that the meaning of “Hysteria” refers to the

voices of the Americans who do not get a good attitude from the US government.

The word “Hysteria” can also refer to the complained Americans for the wrong

controlled the US Government for this country and the citizen especially.

Americans feel unsatisfied with all of government’s policy that doing everything

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by themselves. They scream about the unpleasant to the government until they lost

control and shout “fuck up America”. They feel fed up with full of emotion from

this new situation and want to change this country being a good government.

b. Symbol in God Save the Queen’s lyric (Sex Pistols)

There are fifth symbols that the writer finds in this lyric “God Save the

Queen” (by: sex pistols) that describe in this lyric and have meaning. Let us we

learn the fifth symbols that are explained above.

Sign

Queen

Interpretant Object A woman, place or thing that thought

to be one of the best in a particular group or area.

Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee.

The first symbol is in the word “Queen”. The word “Queen” is a Sign,

and the Phrase “Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee” is an Interpretant, and the

sentences “A woman, place or thing that thought to be one of the best in a

particular group or area” is an Object. Finally the writer concludes that the

meaning of “Queen” is the Queen who led in England government; her name was

Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee. The word “Queen” was very full respected,

very revered by her from the people; she had a better place and had full of power

to control in the country. She had a full of authority who always used her

dominance to control citizen in order to get her reverence, to get what she wanted

and needed. The Queen Jubilee said that she loved the citizen, but actually she fed

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up of seeing them mistreated. She just wanted to get a sympathy from them in

order to she could sublimate her desire, without any annoyance to them.

H-Bomb

Sign

Interpretant Object A weapon designed to explode at a

particular time or when it is dropped or thrown.

Stupid people who can be easy played anytime.

The second symbol is still in the first stanza, the word “H-bomb”. The

word “H-Bomb” is a Sign, and the Sentences “Stupid people who can be easy

played anytime” is an Interpretant, and the sentences “A weapon designed to

explode at a particular time or when it is dropped or thrown” is an Object.

Finally the writer concludes that the meaning of “H-Bomb” is a bomb that can be

exploded anytime according who had it. In this Lyric the word “H-Bomb is the

citizen who doesn’t get a good treatment from the Queen, and she never gives a

respect to the citizen of England, just considered like an H-bomb which can be

exploded anytime. The Queen always gives a treatment like a stupid people who

can be easy played anytime and everything is always controlled by her, because

she has full of a power to command her people according what she wanted.

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Sign

Money

Interpretant Object What you earn by working

or selling things, and use to buy things.

The advantages.

The third Symbol is the word “Money”. The word “Money” is a Sign, and

the word “The advantages” is an Interpretant, and the sentences “What you earn

by working or selling things, and use to buy things” is an Object. Finally the

writer concludes that the meaning of “Money” is the good Effects or the

advantage that the Government got, but not for the entire of the England Citizen.

The tourists came to this country just gave the advantage for the government only,

if the tourists said that the people in this country were very kind and polite, so

automatically the government also had a good name from the tourists who were

coming. Whereas the government never gave us (the citizen) a good treatment and

a good service.

Flower

Sign

Interpretant Object England People A coloured part of a plant from which

the seed or fruit develop.

45

The fourth symbol is the word “Flower”. The word “Flower” is a Sign,

and the Phrase “England People” is an Interpretant, and the sentences “A

coloured part of a plant from which the seed or fruit develop” is an Object.

Finally the writer concludes that “Flower” has a good smell and good color and

can give us fresh situation every time, but in this case the flower just gets an

unpleasant place like a dustbin, whereas actually we (the citizen / England) should

get a better place as where the flower should live.

Sign

Poison

Interpretant Object A substance that causes death or harm

if it is swallowed or absorbed into the body.

Citizen (England People)

The last symbol is in the seventh stanza, the symbol is in the word

“Poison”. The word “Poison” is a Sign, and the word “Citizen (England

People)” is an Interpretant, and the sentences “A substance that causes death or

harm if it is swallowed or absorbed into the body” is an Object. Finally the writer

concludes that the citizen is just a poison for the England, especially for the

government. The average people are just like poisons that spread in the human

body and can easily destroy the human body become not functioning. This proves

that we (the citizen) are just like poison that can destroy this country to become

rotten and worse from their perspectives. Whereas we want to have the Queen

who can control this country according the citizen aspiration for the good

government.

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3. Proposed Theme

a. Theme in American Idiot lyric (Green Day)

From the explanation of the Lyric of “American Idiot” by Green Day, the

writer tries to propose the theme. The writer thinks that the suitable theme is about

“A Criticize of Democracy” in the US Government.

“The Americans who don’t want to be an American Idiot”. We can find in

the first line in the word “Don't want to be an American idiot”. It is proves that

American (the citizen) don’t want to be an American Idiot, they do not want to be

an American stupid or idiot for the US Government. From their perspective, US

government has made them like an idiot doll which can be laid and played

anytime. The writer also mentions in the word “Sounds” that become a Symbol in

this research. The word of “Sounds” refers to the complained Americans for the

wrong control of the US Government for the country and the citizen especially.

Many Americans feel unsatisfied with all of government’s policy that was applied

for them who never think about what the Americans wanted and needed. The

people feel that the government never gives them a good respect and good

treatment to them.

Then the writer makes a sentence for proposing the theme, and the

sentence is “The Americans criticizes the application of their own Democracy”.

This sentences criticizes the policy of the US Government, such as the Iraq War,

the struggle for the rights of the homosexuals, the propaganda on TV and the lack

of individuality in Americans. From the explanation above we can know that

47

Americans always do a demonstration and sing along about the condition of US

government. So, this theme covers Critics of Democracy.

b. Theme in God Save the Queen lyric (Sex pistols)

From the analysis of God Save the Queen, the writer thinks that the

suitable theme is about “Social Justice or Social Protest”. In this case the

positions of the people are only the Queen’s followers. So, the proposed sentence

on this theme is “The super power Queen makes no future of the England”.

C. The table of utilized symbol and theme of both lyrics “American Idiot”

(Green Day) and “God Save the Queen” (Sex pistols)

From the two analyzes above, the symbols, the meanings, and proposed –

themes can be described in the following table:

Table of symbols, meaning and proposed themes

NO Title Composer Utilized symbol and meaning

Corpus Proposed Theme

1. American idiot

Green Day • Idiot: stupid or idiot people like a doll which can be laid and played anytime.

• Sounds: voices of the American people or the American aspiration that didn’t get a good attitude from the US government.

• Tension: condition, situation. And the

“Don’t want to be an American Idiot” “And can you hear the sounds of the hysteria?” “Welcome to a new kind of

“The Americans criticize the application of their own Democracy”

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writer makes a conclusion about the word of “tension” is a country, nation or government

• Faggot: is mean fagot. This word is mean like rubbish that everything useless or something didn’t get a good respected. (Homosexual man).

• Alienation: This word is refers to another country. The word “alien nation” its mean another situation, or another nation that not the same like the previous government.

• Dream: is meant the expectation. Big expectation about everything, but actually everything is just a bull shit.

• Sing: This word is refers to singing, screaming and shouting, and an argument. Americans Aspiration that they have felt fed up for everything that government done for them.

tension.” “Well maybe I'm the faggot America.” “All across the alien nation” “Television dreams of tomorrow.” “And sing along to the age of paranoia”.

49

• Hysteria: The word “Hysteria” is refers to the voices of the American people who don’t get a good attitude from the US government. The Anger expression of Americans.

“Information age of hysteria.”

2. God Save the Queen

Sex pistol • Queen: This word is referring to the Queen who led in England’s government; her name is Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee.

• H-Bomb: this word is meant a bomb that can be exploded anytime according who had it.

• Money: The good Effects That the Government got. The advantage for the Government, but not for the entire of the England Citizen.

• Flower: Actually the flower which had a god smell and good color and can give us fresh situation every time, but in this case the flower is just getting an unpleasant place like a dustbin.

• Poison: Poison who spread in

“God save the Queen”

“they made you a moron a potential H-bomb”

”'cos tourists are money.”

“we're the flowers in the dustbin”

“we're the

“The super power of the Queen makes no future of the England”

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human body and can easy make destroy the human body organ until makes it become not function.

poison in your human machine”

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CHAPTER IV

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

A. Conclusion

From the analysis of symbols from two punk song lyrics American Idiot

(Green Day), and God Save the Queen (Sex Pistols) the writer gets the meaning

and the proposed themes that can be perceived by the readers. In this research, the

writer also explicates the two songs in detail in order to be understood

comprehensively and easily by the readers.

The first punk song lyric is “American Idiot” by Green Day. The

composer wrote this lyric was about the critics of the US Government’s policy,

the Iraq War, the struggle for the rights of the homosexuals, the propaganda on

TV and the lack of individuality in Americans as well. And then the composer

used several symbol in this lyric that describe the critics on the government’s

policy of The US. So, theme is about “A Criticize or Democratize”, and the theme

sentence is “The Americans criticize the application of their own democracy”.

And the second punk song lyric is “God Save the Queen” by Sex Pistol.

In this lyric, the composer used the title "God Save the Queen," because this title

was directly taken from the British national anthem it was highly controversial at

the time. Firstly, for the equation of the Queen with a "fascist regime," and

secondly for the apparent claim that England had "no future". From the several

symbol that the composer used in this lyric, it is proves that the theme is about

“Social Justice”. So the theme sentence is “The super power of the Queen makes

no future of the England”.

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B. Suggestion

From the conclusion above, the writer tries have the following

suggestions:

1. The readers who want to do a similar research, they can use of this

study as one of the alternative - references.

2. It is realized that the study of Symbols is still rare in this University.

For that reason, the writer suggests to the readers, especially the

students of English Letters Department to continue the research

about the Symbols and their meaning whether in the song lyrics; in

the poems or in other literary – works. This meant to confirm that the

symbols are still interesting – matters to be studied.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Barnet Sylvan, a Short Guide to Writing about Literature. London: Batsford

Academic and Educational, 1985, 5th edition Baskara Nando, Rebel 35 Band Paling Berpengaruh, Narasi. Yogyakarta, 2008. Chandler Daniel, Semiotic: the Basic, New York: Routledge, 2002 Cobley Paul, “Routledge Companion to Semiotics and Linguistics”. New York

Routledge, 2001 Die Welt Als Zeichen, Classics of Semotics, New York: Plenum Press, 1987 Ferris Jean, America’s Musical Landscape, United State: McGrawHill, 2002 Fromkin and rodman, an introduction to language, USA, Holt, Rinehart and

Winston, Inc, 1974 Innis Robert E, Semiotics, An Introductory Anthology, United States: Indiana

University Press, 1985 J. Burl Hogins and Robert E.Yarber, LANGUAGE: An Introductory Reader, New

York, Harper and Row, Publisher, 1969. M.McCrimmon James, Writing With a Purpose, Boston: Houghton Mifflin

Company, 1976 Perrine Laurence and Thomas R. ARP, Sound and Sense: An Introduction to

poetry, United States: Harcourt Brace College Publisher, Shoutern Metodist University, 1992

Pickering James H and Jeffrey D. Hoeper, Concise Companion to Literature, New

York, 1981 Pradopo Rachmat Djoko, “beberapa teori bahasa, metode kritik, dan

penempatannya”,pustaka pelajar, Yogyakarta, 2003. Robert Edgar V, Writing Theme About Literature, United State: Prentice –Hall

Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1983 Sobur Alex, “Semiotika Komunikasi”,Bandung; Remaja Rosdakarya, 2004. Stolba K. marie. The Development of Western Music. New York, McGrawHill.,

1998

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X. J. Kennedy, An Introduction to Poetry, New York: Pearson Longman, 11th edition

Waluyo Herman. J, Teori dan Apresiasi Puisi, PT. Gelora Aksara Pratama,

Erlangga. 1987 http://id.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071107084909AAPskuR.

Accessed on 26th of October 2009 http://www.answers.com/topic/lyrics. Accessed on 26th of October 2009 http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punk. Accessed on 26th of October 2009 http://www.gaulislam.com/politik-dan-ideologi-lewat-lagu. Accessed on 26th of October 2009 http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/5-14-2002-18440.asp Accessed on 14th of January 2010 http://www.synonym.com/definition/explication%20de%20texte/. Accessed on 26th of October 2009

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APPENDICES

Green Day Green Day is an American

rock trio formed in 1987. The band has consisted of Billie Joe Armstrong (vocals, guitar), Mike Dirnt (bass guitar, vocals), and Tré Cool (drums, percussion) for the majority of its existence.

Green Day was originally part of the punk rock scene at 924 Gilman Street in Berkeley, California. Its early releases for independent record label Lookout! Records earned them a grassroots fanbase, some of whom felt alienated when the band signed to a major label. Nevertheless, its major label debut Dookie (1994) became a breakout success and eventually sold over 10 million copies in the U.S. and 15 million worldwide. As a result, Green Day was widely credited, alongside fellow California punk bands The Offspring and Rancid, with reviving mainstream interest in and popularizing punk rock in the United States. Green Day's three follow-up albums, Insomniac, Nimrod and Warning did not achieve the massive success of Dookie, but they were still successful, reaching double platinum, double platinum, and gold status respectively. Green Day's 2004 rock opera American Idiot reignited the band's popularity with a younger generation, selling five million copies in the U.S. The band's eighth studio album, 21st Century Breakdown, was released on May 15, 2009.

Green Day has sold over 22 million records in the United States. They have won three Grammy Awards; Best Alternative Album for Dookie, Best Rock Album for American Idiot, and Record of the Year for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams".

American Idiot and renewed success: 2003–2006

In the summer of 2003 the band went into a studio to write and record new material for a new album, tentatively titled Cigarettes and Valentines. After completing 20 tracks, the master tapes were stolen from the studio. The band chose not to try to re-create the stolen album, but instead started over. By the end of 2003, Green Day collaborated with Iggy Pop on two tracks for his album Skull Ring. On February 1, 2004 a new song, a cover of "I Fought the Law" made its debut on a commercial for iTunes during NFL Super Bowl XXXVIII. The band underwent serious "band therapy," engaging in several long talks to work out the members' differences after accusations from Dirnt and Cool that Armstrong was

56

"the band's Nazi" and a show-off bent on taking the limelight from the other band members.

The resulting 2004 album, American Idiot, debuted at number one on the Billboard charts, the band's first ever album to top the chart, backed by the success of the album's first single, "American Idiot." The album was billed as a "punk rock opera" which follows the journey of the fictitious "Jesus of Suburbia". American Idiot won the 2005 Grammy for "Best Rock Album" and the band swept the 2005 MTV music awards, winning a total of seven of the eight awards they were nominated for, including the coveted Viewer's Choice Award.

Through 2005, the band toured in support of the album with about 150 dates — the longest tour in its career — visiting Japan, Australia, South America and the United Kingdom, where they drew a crowd of 130,000 people over a span of two days. While touring for American Idiot, they filmed and recorded the two concerts at the Milton Keynes National Bowl in England, which was voted 'The Best Show On Earth' in a Kerrang! Magazine Poll.

Band members Current members

• Billie Joe Armstrong – lead vocals, guitars (1987–present) • Mike Dirnt – bass, backing vocals (1987–present) • Tré Cool – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1990–present)

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Lyric

(American Idiot, by : Green Day)

Don't wanna be an American idiot. Don't want a nation under the new media And can you hear the sounds of the hysteria? The subliminal mind fuck America. Welcome to a new kind of tension. All across the alien nation Where everything isn't meant to be okay. Television dreams of tomorrow. We're not the ones who're meant to follow For that's enough to argue. Well maybe I'm the faggot America. I'm not a part of a redneck agenda. Now everybody do the propaganda. And sing along to the age of paranoia Welcome to a new kind of tension. All across the alien nation. Where everything isn't meant to be okay. Television dreams of tomorrow. We're not the ones who're meant to follow. For that's enough to argue. Don't wanna be an American idiot. One nation controlled by the media. Information age of hysteria. Calling out to Idiot America™. Welcome to a new kind of tension. All across the alienation. Where everything isn't meant to be okay. Television dreams of tomorrow. We're not the ones meant to follow. For that's enough to argue.

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Sex Pistols

The Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They are responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians. Although their initial career lasted just two-and-a-half years and produced only four singles and one studio album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, they are regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history of popular music.

The Sex Pistols originally comprised vocalist Johnny Rotten, guitarist Steve Jones, drummer Paul Cook and bassist Glen Matlock. Matlock was replaced by Sid Vicious in early 1977. Under the management of impresario Malcolm McLaren, the band created controversies which captivated Britain. Their concerts repeatedly faced difficulties with organisers and authorities, and public appearances often ended in mayhem. Their 1977 single "God Save the Queen", attacking Britons' social conformity and deference to the crown, precipitated the "last and greatest outbreak of pop-based moral pandemonium".

In January 1978, at the end of a turbulent US tour, Rotten left the band and announced its breakup. Over the next several months, the three other band members recorded songs for McLaren's film version of the Sex Pistols' story, The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle. Vicious died of a heroin overdose in February 1979. In 1996, Rotten, Jones, Cook and Matlock reunited for the Filthy Lucre Tour; since 2002, they have staged further reunion shows and tours. On 24 February 2006, the Sex Pistols—the four original members plus Vicious—were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but they refused to attend the ceremony, calling the museum "a piss stain".

“God Save the Queen”

On 10 March 1977, at a press ceremony held outside Buckingham Palace, the Sex Pistols publicly signed to A&M Records (the real signing had taken place the day before). Afterward, stoked on booze, they made their way to the A&M offices. Vicious smashed in a toilet bowl and cut his foot (there is some disagreement about which happened first). As Vicious trailed blood around the offices, Rotten verbally abused the staff and Jones got frisky in the ladies' room. A couple of days later, the Pistols got into a rumble with another band at a club; one of Rotten's pals threatened the life of a good friend of A&M's English director. On 16 March,

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A&M broke contract with the Pistols. Twenty-five thousand copies of the planned "God Save the Queen" single, produced by Chris Thomas, had already been pressed; virtually all were destroyed.

Jamie Reid's "God Save the Queen" sleeve; in 2001, it was named the greatest record cover of all time by Q magazine.

Vicious debuted with the band at London's Notre Dame Hall on 28 March. In May, the band signed with Virgin Records, their third new label in little more than half a year. Virgin was more than ready to release "God Save the Queen", but new obstacles arose. Workers at the pressing plant laid down their tools in protest at the song's content. Jamie Reid's now famous cover, showing Queen Elizabeth II with her features obscured by the song and band names in cutout letters, offended the sleeve's platemakers. After much talk, production resumed and the record was finally released on 27 May.

The scabrous lyrics—"God save the queen/She ain't no human being/And there's no future/In England's dreaming"—prompted widespread outcry. Several major chains refused to stock the single. It was banned not only by the BBC but also by every independent radio station, making it the "most heavily censored record in British history". Rotten boasted, "We're the only honest band that's hit this planet in about two thousand million years." Jones shrugged off everything the song stated and implied—or took nihilism to a logical endpoint: "I don't see how anyone could describe us as a political band. I don't even know the name of the Prime Minister." The song, and its public impact, are now recognized as "punk's crowning glory".

The Virgin release had been timed to coincide with the height of Queen Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee celebrations. By Jubilee weekend, a week and a half after the record's release, it had sold more than 150,000 copies—a massive success. On 7 June, McLaren and the record label arranged to charter a private boat and have the Sex Pistols perform while sailing down the River Thames, passing Westminster Pier and the Houses of Parliament. The event, a mockery of the Queen's river procession planned for two days later, ended in chaos. Police launches forced the boat to dock, and constabulary surrounded the gangplanks at

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the pier. While the band members and their equipment were hustled down a side stairwell, McLaren, Westwood, and many of the band's entourage were arrested.

With the official UK record chart for Jubilee week about to be released, the Daily Mirror predicted that "God Save the Queen" would be number one. As it turned out, the record placed second, behind a Rod Stewart single in its fourth week at the top. Many believed that the record had actually qualified for the top spot, but that the chart had been rigged to prevent a spectacle. McLaren later claimed that CBS Records, which was distributing both singles, told him that the Sex Pistols were actually outselling Stewart two to one. There is evidence that an exceptional directive was issued by the British Phonographic Institute, which oversaw the chart-compiling bureau, to exclude sales from record-company operated shops such as Virgin's for that week only.

Violent attacks on punk fans were on the rise. In mid-June Rotten himself was assaulted by a knife-wielding gang outside Islington's Pegasus pub, causing tendon damage to his left arm. Jamie Reid and Paul Cook were beaten up in other incidents; three days after the Pegasus assault, Rotten was attacked again. A tour of Scandinavia, planned to start at the end of the month, was consequently delayed until mid-July. During the tour, a Swedish interviewer observed to Jones that "a lot of people" regarded the band as McLaren's "creation". Jones replied, "He's our manager, that's all. He's got nothing to do with the music or the image...he's just a good manager." In another interview, Rotten professed bafflement at the furore surrounding the group: "I don't understand it. All we're trying to do is destroy everything." At the end of August came SPOTS—Sex Pistols On Tour Secretly, a surreptitious UK tour with the band playing under pseudonyms to avoid cancellation.

Members

• Johnny Rotten – lead vocals (1975–1978, 1996–present) • Steve Jones – guitar, bass (studio), backing vocals (1975–1978, 1996–

present) • Paul Cook – drums (1975–1978, 1996–present) • Glen Matlock – bass, backing vocals (1975–1977, 1996–present)

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Lyric

(God Save the Queen, By: Sex Pistols)

God save the Queen the fascist regime, they made you a moron a potential H-bomb. God save the Queen she ain't no human being. There is no future in England's dreaming Don't be told what you want Don't be told what you need. There's no future there's no future there's no future for you God save the Queen we mean it man we love our queen God saves God save the Queen 'cos tourists are money and our figurehead is not what she seems Oh God save history God save your mad parade Oh Lord God have mercy all crimes are paid. When there's no future how can there be sin we're the flowers in the dustbin we're the poison in your human machine we're the future you're future God save the Queen

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we mean it man we love our queen God saves God save the Queen we mean it man there is no future in England's dreaming No future no future for you no future for me