THE PHILOSOPHY OF RATIONALISM IN PARAMORE’S SONGS LYRICS IN ALBUM BRAND NEW EYES
Demi Rianto1, Galang Kesatria Tama2 English Literature1
English Education2 [email protected]
Abstract
The objective of this study is to investigate the philosophy of rationalism as described in Paramore’s song lyrics in Brand New Eyes album. The writer particularly discusses the philosophy of rationalism as the main theme in this analysis. The writer applied philosophical approach to help him in analyzing and determining this analysis. Descriptive qualitative method was applied to elaborate the ideas and find the data that was needed to do the analysis. The writer limits the analysis into two sub title, reason, and logic to ease the writer investigating the philosophy of rationalism through considering the parameter in each and every sub title. The data are in the form of sentences in the song lyrics in album Brand New Eyes. It focuses on the philosophical values of rationalism that considered appear in the song lyrics. The analysis is done through investigating the philosophy of rationalism that considered appears in five songs by Paramore; Ignorance, Feeling Sorry, Brick by Boring Brick, Misguided Ghost, and Playing God. The result of this analysis revealed that how two basic principles of rationalism; reasoning, and logic portrayed by the character within the songs. It was reflected in the way how the character see the problem they faced, and consider about the decision that need to be taken to respond certain action that happened.
Key words: Philosophy, Rationalism, song
INTRODUCTION
Human are born with the ability to think (Mulyanto et al., 2019), (Adelina & Suprayogi, 2020). This ability is an important thing for anybody to live their life, to consider and recognize the truth or untruth according to their own standard of kindness that they have (Wahyudin & Sari, 2018), (Mandasari & Aminatun, 2020), (Mandasari & Aminatun, 2019).
As well, this ability is used by human to find the solution of their problem which they seek from the process of learning from every single value that exists around them (F. M. Sari et al., 2013), (Pranoto & Suprayogi, 2020), (SARI, 2013). The most they face the problem, the most they can take the values from each and every thought, in order they can be better person and be wise in facing life. As a study of the general and core basic problem, philosophy usually being connected with the problem of reality, values, reason, mind, and etc (A. Sari & Adrian, 2020), (Fernando et al., 2021), (Ahdan et al., 2020), (Borman, 2017).
The word of philosophy comes from the term of the Ancient Greek Philosophia. It formed from two words Philia: Love, and Sophia: Wisdom, which mean the “Love of Wisdom”.
Diverse from the other way of study that focuses on the experimental trial, philosophy is more concern to the very basic beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of an individual or group of people. Philosophy is divided into many sub-fields, such as Epistemology, and etc.
epistemology is concerned with the nature and scope of knowledge, usually it related to the relationship between truth, beliefs, and etc. there are four views that being part of epistemology, Rationalism, Agnosticism, Experimentalism, and Pragmatism. Rationalism is the philosophical view from the field of epistemology which emphasizes the reasoning toward every knowledge or justification (Rukmiati, 2017).
In the standpoints of ideology and its purpose, rationalism quite sometimes has resemblance with humanism or atheism, where they provide the idea of the philosophy outside of the religious belief or superstition. Though thus different in point of view where humanism focuses on the superiority of the human, however rationalist does not explain that human is more qualified than animal or other nature aspects. While atheism does not belief in the existence of God however Rationalism does not convey anything about the beliefs. Rationalism is the view that taught that the only source of true knowledge is mind.
rationalism is often used by the Rationalist to assume and to claim of justifying toward what consider being truth or what suppose to be being truth based on the logic. This reflection of the view has already been applied in life, even in popular literary works, such as movies, books, or songs (S. N. Sari & Aminatun, 2021), (Simamora & Oktaviani, 2020), (S. N. Sari & Aminatun, 2021). Song is different from other literary works that use lyrics to express the meaning of the literary works itself; most of the language used in the lyrics of the song are simpler and making it easier for the listener enjoy the songs (Yunara &
Kardiansyah, 2017), (Kuswoyo, 2013). However, sometimes singers use words that are rarely heard but have a very deep meaning. The song is one of entertainments for us. There are many singers, vocal group, or bands in the world. They make various kind of song based on their segment to entertain the music lovers. No exception like what have done so far by one band comes from Franklin, Tennessee, United States of America called Paramore.
The researcher expects that the youth should have more critical thinking in seeing everything beyond what being portrait from anything they have seen around. As a band which has huge sales of album over the world, Paramore has a lot of fans who’s mostly the teenager. By analyzing this topic, the writer tries to convince them that the value of rationalism is the thing that can be identified from the lyric of the songs. Therefore the youth can take values easier from the music they have listened, in order to make them to be wiser in facing the life.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Theory is the core basis principle in doing analysis; therefore the theory will guide us to discover the material systematically. In this analysis the researcher has afforded some theories related to the analysis. The theory is very important for the researcher to guide the researcher to provide the proper analysis, and to strengthen the argument which declared by the researcher. In other words, theory is an attempt to explain and predict behavior in particular contexts in analyzing and conducting the research.
Philosophical Approach
Philosophy is a study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with reality, existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language (Mulyanto et al., 2018), (Adrian et al., n.d.), (Fernando et al., 2016), (Wantoro et al., 2021). What makes philosophy different from other ways of responding such problem is by its critical thinking and its reliance on rational argument. This is the thought where the power of idea, how we think about the world around us can affect the thing we do. The history notes that the modern science is the result of combination of three different ways that the ancient people investigate the world around them. The first is through ideas, then as observation, and then as applications. Hence, modern science is the combination of science as idea, science as
2015), (Megawaty & Santia, 2019). Philosophy is the rational attempt to formulate, understand, and answer the fundamental questions. Many people think that philosophy is a body of doctrines and that philosopher are people who have answers to those difficult questions about the meaning of life.
Philosophy of Rationalism
As we live in the society, everybody will see a lot of things happened around them either the problem in personal or social. Consciously or not, those things happened have the same possibility to lead us to the condition of depression and stressful except we can use our logical thinking in maintaining our mind to be still focus in the proper path. Put reason on the top to justifying certain truths or knowledge, or usually called as rational thinking, or even in the general thought called rationalism.
Now as we shall see, there many ways in which the word “rationalism” may be understood by a lot of people, and part of the challenge is untangling all those different senses in which the word may be used. But there is one thing we can do immediately to clarify certain aspect of the issue. That aspect generally concludes that rationalism has been considered as the theory that appealing “reason” as the source of knowledge and justification for long time. This view setting out the ratio or reason to justify both knowledge of certain truth or even vies versa.
Reasoning
Being rational is important for people. It will lead some people to accept the particular event, while some other will do kind of refusal whenever there is a thing that is not acceptable by their mind (Sulistiani et al., 2020), (Sulistiani et al., 2020). This consideration eventually guide us to the understanding that rationalism as the thought that put reason to deduce the objective truth.
Logic
Rationalism involves ratio or reason as the principle engine in considering the way to split- up the problems of life around us. It is utilize as the way to guide human in observing, analyzing, and evaluating the self-belief or action (Wantoro, 2020), (Abidin, 2016). This method of thinking could be cleverly conceptualized as Logical thinking.
Poetic Devices
Poetry is part of literary work, where some aspects exist within, those such as imagery, figurative language, form, sounds and so forth (Kardiansyah, 2017). In general, the same virtues that makes a good poem effective imagery, compelling themes. Both poems and song lyrics rely on the potent use of language and engage their readers and listeners on an emotional level.
Imagery
Lots of people will easy to understand certain situation if they can feel it, and as well in the song (Darwis & Pamungkas, 2021), (Assuja & Suwardi, 2015), (Erya & Pustika, 2021).
Therefore it should be included for those who need to understand the words of song. Song
is actually serves the five senses where it can be used to describe in a song comprehensive (Pustika, 2015), (Septiyana & Aminatun, 2021), (Kuswoyo, 2013), .
Visual Imagery
Sight is the most crucial sense in human being, since it is the primary way of an impression. So that poet or singer expresses what they see to both in a poetry or song. In this image, the listener deals with the words that refer to the visualization such a see, look, sight, and so forth (Surahman et al., 2020), (Wantoro & Nurmansyah, 2020).
METHOD
In this research the researcher use the library research in finding the data. All the main and supporting data are gathered and taken from the written books and journals that have correlation with the topic that being discussed which is about the philosophy of rationalism described in Paramore’s song lyrics in album Brand New Eyes.
In this research the writer tends to collect the descriptive information by giving detail description and explanation of the phenomenon studied rather than providing and analyzing statistic (Ayu & Zuraida, 2020). In order, this thesis uses the descriptive qualitative method (Gazali & Yusmaita, 2018). Descriptive qualitative research accomplished by giving clear explanation about the issues in the analysis. Focus in describing the situation and condition either persona or community in well-ordered (Pratiwi & Ayu, 2020).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Rationalism in Ignorance
After doing the analysis toward the content of the song, the writer believes that there is the value of rationalism can be found in this song. It is taken from the interpretation both through collecting the data that supported directly by the song’s writer which clearly appears in the song and through figuring out the ideas that is not stated but appear as hints and clues that appear in the lyrics of the song “Ignorance”.
Reasoning
Being rational in life is such an ability processed by using acceptable reason to come up with a conclusion. The process involves considering ideas and important facts and arranging them in a chain like progression at arriving at a solution to a particular problems.
Don't wanna hear your sad songs I don't wanna feel your pain When you swear it's all my fault 'cause you know we're not the same We're not the same The friends who stuck together We wrote our names in blood But I guess you can't accept that the change is good It's good
(Paramore’s Ignorance 2005:12-19)
The data above explains that the girl in this song does not want to hear her couple’s reason for all of terrible treatment she got. The word “sad songs” here is considered as the phrase that referring the reason which used by that man in purposing his offence for doing those things, in order it is why in the 13th line the girl in this song strengthen her reason for not
trying to understand her couples feeling any longer. She does not want to feel anything that the man called as a pain because in fact, the one who get the pain in this problem is the girl herself. Then in line 14 and 15 the girl consider that all of the assessment she got as the reason for the boy to judge her as a bad person. they have no more sense of understanding each other therefore all thing done by the girl is something which seen as a mistake.
Though this couple has an old relationship, it does not mean that everything will be good time by time. The fact that happened is that even though they have faced many things together for long time, it does not make them closer and strengthen their sense of care and love.
It showed in the lines 17 to 19 that stated “the friend who stuck together”. As the couple who has together for long time, they have faced many things included happy and sad. Even they have ever been stuck, but they still together. “We wrote our name in blood”. This citation refers to the memory when this couple even dares to feel hurt together for expecting the long last relationship. But those troubles they faced means nothing for guarantying that their story will end up happily. There are always reasons for them to hate each other. Even from the smallest thing that happen, like shown in this citation “But I guess you can’t accept that the change is good”, “It’s good”.
Logic
In facing life many things will happen surround. Those particular things would lead the problem which needs to be solved as soon as possible. Those problems happen could be in many aspects of life. The best way to consider to find the solution from those problem actually can be taken easily by using logical way of thinking. The way of solving the problem through the process of thinking, analyzing, arguing, and communicating. Those things are done to recognize the idea which ends up with the solution as the result.
If I'm a bad person You don't like me Well I guess I'll make my own way (Paramore’s Ignorance, 2009:1-3)
In the lines of this first stanza it is obviously portrayed the way of being logical thinking.
Being logic in thinking refer to the process of using reasoning to come up with the conclusion. In the first line stated that “If I'm a bad person”. The character in this song assumes that she is considered as a bad person that deserved to be hate. The word “If”
there assume that in this situation she does not know the reason why she is hated. She only finds the fact that without no reason she knows that she is treated differently. That is why in the next data stated that “You don't like me”. It refers to her feelings that cannot understand the thing that happen but it must be her couple does not like her. She could not see directly but she can assume it.
Further in the third line in this first stanza there is the data that stated “Well I guess I'll make my own way”. It is clearly portrayed that decision that taken by the character in this song to responding certain actions she found. This data is considered as the result of certain reasons that she conveys in the previous line. She does not mind the things happened toward her. Though it hurts her and it is hard to know that she is in such a bad situation in her life, she still can consider it as the thing that cannot tear her down.
Rationalism in Feeling Sorry
The next song of Pramore that consider containing the philosophy of rationalism is
“Feeling Sorry”. The analysis of this song is taken from the interpretation the content of the song. Both through collecting the data that supported directly by the song’s writer which clearly appears in the song, and through figuring out the ideas that is not stated but appear as hints and clues that appear in the lyrics of the song of Feeling Sorry.
Reasoning
After doing the analysis by using the language of poetry which is denotation that described the correlation of literal meaning of the text with the idea beyond, the writer can found some lyrics in this song which contain the one of the core basic principle of rationalism which is reasoning. There are some lines in this song which depict an idea that portraying the value of reasoning. Those lyrics are:
We still live in the same town well don't we But I don't see you around anymore I go to all the same places Not even a trace of you Your days are numbered at 24 (Paramore’s Feeling Sorry, 2009:1-5)
The content of the lines in this first stanza is considered depicting the value of reasoning. It portrays the reason why the character in this song later finally decides a particular thing.
“We still live in the same town well don't we”, “But I don't see you around anymore”.
From this two lines it is explained the way how the character of a girl in this song start to feel disappointed. She has a reason why she feels that. That is because she cannot even find her boyfriend whereas they live in the close distance. It consider as one of her reason that make her starts to feel upset for such an action done by that man. There is the word “well don’t we” there, that refers to the girl’s question for ensuring whether or not they still live in the close distance. She has no idea where her boyfriend is actually take place. The fact that she find is that she found no result of her searching.
Logic
Various kinds of problem faced by people in their life require the rough thinking in the way of solving. In the stand point of rationalism the only way to find the solution for each and every problem is by think logically. Though the problem seems hard and twists our mind, but through thinking logically in seeing the problem, we can end up those problems with the proper solution that will attracts the betterment.
And I'm getting bored waiting around for you We're not getting any younger and I won't look back cause there's no use It's time to move forward
(Paramore’s Feeling Sorry, 2009: 6-8)
Those data above is considered appealing the logical thinking as the way of responding certain action, in this case the problem that faced by certain person within their life. Here in this data the problem faced by the character in this song cannot tears her down. Even though the problem seems too hard to faced, but the character here can steadily to think logically for solving the problem that trapped her. The girl in this song feels tired and bored to waiting and looking for his boyfriend for only ensuring the future of her destiny.
She thinks that the certainty is important for her, because she cannot wait for so long. The time is passing by and she cannot stay at the same path for continuing life. If she let the time waves her, she will left behind because she will getting older by the time.
CONCLUSION
There are many things that the writer can get from this analysis. Those valuable rationalism can add the writer’s knowledge how should he behaves as the human being.
Everybody must be faced many problems in their life, but the one who can use their ratio to think what is the basic of the problem, will have better future because they will know what is the best solution that can be taken. The writer knows that it must be difficult to think logically whenever the problem is twisting our mind, but difficult does not mean impossible, it is only signing that we have to work harder that what we usually did. By reading this analysis the writer believes that it will give good understanding about the philosophy of rationalism so that we can be a rational person in running our live.
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