Nihilism in the Selected Song Lyrics of Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

This study explores the linguistic construction in the clauses of the selected song lyrics entitled Papercut, Crawling, and By Myself written by Linkin Park in Hybrid Theory album. It aims to investigate the representation of nihilism in the texts. The analysis is based on transitivity system of Systemic Functional Linguistics, by Halliday and Matthiessen (2004). In addition, to criticize the text discussing a social issue that is affected by situational and cultural context, Critical Discourse Analysis by Fairclough (1989) is applied in this study. This thesis applies qualitative method. The documentary method is used to collect the data from internet. The data are texts or song lyrics; therefore, the data are in the form of clauses of the written texts. The result of the analysis shows that the representation of nihilism exists in the texts. Firstly, related to the lexicogrammatical system, particularly on the transitivity system, it yields that the two models of experience are constructed in the three song lyrics. It is realised by the existence of three major types of process, such as material, relational and mental process clauses. Hence, Linkin Park tends to construe their experience by doing and happening; becoming and identifying; and sensing. Moreover, the conscious and unconscious participants take important role in representing nihilism. The results also demonstrate how, where, and when Linkin Park depict the representation of nihilism by figuring out the circumstantial elements. Therefore, it can be seen that this experiential meaning makes the transparency of language obvious to reveal the nature of ideology. Secondly, based on the logico-semantic analysis, there is a domination of clause complex in the three texts. Clause complex is a characteristic of spoken language, although the texts are written forms. Hence, in the operational mode of ideology, spoken discourse corresponds to the shared situation for achieving clarification among the speakers or Linkin Park and the audiences, or the fans. In addition, reification as another process in construing an ideology is realised in the existences of nominalizations and passivizations in the texts. Thus, the results of the linguistics analysis become the indicators in considering nihilism as the ideological element in the texts. Further, Linkin Park, as a social agent, through the social product of song lyrics, proves nihilism as a social reality that is necessarily to notice, since it deals with social problems. The message of texts posits about apocalyptic sense referring to emotional suffering. Thus, it shows their misfiring social struggle alluding with their traumatic experiences, such as alcohol and drug abuse, sexual harassment, parental divorce and racism. To realize the effect of disseminating nihilism as the ideological view in the texts, Chester Bennington‟s suicidal case becomes a warning sign of risky behaviour that is perhaps followed in the future, by those who consider it as the final solution of the similar problematic life. It is assigned by operating persuasive strategies for audiences, through varying and unifying agents in the texts. Additionally, the triggering factor also emerges from the musical genres which are nu metal and rock rap. Therefore, the language in the song lyrics is not merely as the complementary element in music. In fact, they reveal social issues to arouse social awareness.