LITERA: Jurnal Bahasa dan Sastra Vol.
No.
March 2024, pp.
E-ISSN: 2548-7639
Representation of Environmental Awareness in the Song Plastic Tree: A Semiotic Study Based on Ferdinand de SaussureAos Theory Handy Ichsa Janand1.
Diana Santi2.
Rina Rahayu3 1 Science Education Study Program.
Faculty of Teacher Training and Education.
Tidar University.
Indonesia
Article Info
ABSTRACT
Keywords:
Environmental issues caused by plastic waste have become both an ecological and humanitarian crisis.
In response to this reality, this study aimed to explore how the song Plastic Tree by Endah N Rhesa serves as an agent of ecological critique through poetic symbolism.
Using Ferdinand de SaussureAos semiotic approach, the song lyrics were analysed as signs conveying hidden environmental meanings.
Symbols such as Auplastic tree,Ay Aurubber bee,Ay and Aupaper birdAy reflect the loss of natural ecosystems replaced by lifeless artificial objects.
The analysis revealed that the song successfully builds ecological awareness and rejects superficial solutions, thereby encouraging listeners to become more reflective and concerned about their surrounding environment.
Environmental Awareness.
Symbolism.
Semiotics.
Song.
Plastic Tree Corresponding Author:
Handy Ichsa Janand Tidar University This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-SA license.
handyichsa02@gmail.
INTRODUCTION
Nowadays, the phenomenon of environmental pollution caused by plastic waste has become a critical issue.
This problem is urgent and requires immediate resolution at both the regional and global levels.
Environmental pollution due to plastic waste also occurs in Indonesia.
This is consistent with the fact that Indonesia is known as one of the countries with a high level of plastic consumption (UNEP & IGES, 2.
Recent studies revealed that Indonesian society is capable of consuming a significant amount of microplastics through daily food and beverages, such as bottled water and cooking spices (Amir, 2.
The increasing volume of plastic waste on a large scale has detrimental effects on biodiversity levels and environmental quality (Koottatep et al.
, 2.
Therefore.
Indonesia faces a serious challenge in managing plastic waste and its associated impacts (KLHK, 2.
As the urgency of this issue continues to increase, various creative, innovative, and communicative efforts have been implemented to raise environmental awareness.
Among the various forms of expression used, communication media and the arts have shown significant potential in reaching the general public.
In this context, music serves as one of the most effective media due to its ability to convey messages symbolically and emotionally, thereby fostering awareness and encouraging behavioral change within society (Rabinowitch.
About the aforementioned context, one musician who has consistently voiced social and environmental issues through music is Endah N Rhesa.
This independent musical duo is known for their distinctive acoustic style accompanied by meaningful lyrics.
Since their debut in 2004, they have produced various works that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also reflective and educational (Kopernik, 2.
The lyrics in many of their songs are often narrative, humanistic, and grounded, enabling them to transform music into a medium that meaningfully and distinctively connects with social issues.
One of Endah N RhesaAos works that explicitly focuses on environmental issues is the song Plastic Tree.
This song was released as part of the Regenerate album in 2013.
Based on its lyrics, which use the metaphor of a Auplastic tree,Ay the song is presumed to reflect concerns about excessive plastic use and its impact on nature and human life.
Therefore.
Plastic Tree becomes an intriguing subject for semiotic analysis.
This analysis aims to explore the hidden messages conveyed in the song as representations of social and ideological realities related to the environmental crisis, expressed through its lyrics and symbols.
Although semiotic studies on song lyrics have been widely conducted, most previous research has focused on social, cultural, or personal themes.
For instance, the study by Antika et al .
analyzed the lyrics of Lathi from the perspective of cultural symbols and moral values using Roland BarthesAo approach.
Journal homepage: https://jurnal.
id/index.
php/litera Ae
E-ISSN: 2548-7639
Another study by Prasasti .
used a Saussurean approach to interpret the meaning of the song To the Bone, which centers on themes of emotion and love.
Meanwhile.
Nasaliya .
explored the theme of women's struggle in the song Kartini by Navicula.
The three aforementioned studies indicate that semiotics has been applied to examine various social and emotional messages in music.
However, no previous research has specifically analyzed the representation of environmental issues, particularly plastic pollution, in song lyrics using Saussurean semiotic theory.
Therefore, this study offers novelty in the form of a distinct thematic focus, namely, ecological issues that are highly relevant and urgent in the present time.
Moreover, the analysis of the song Plastic Tree holds significant value in providing new insights into how music can serve as a medium for ecological awareness.
It also highlights the role of art as a strategic communication tool in addressing the global environmental crisis.
Thus, this study is not only academically significant but also possesses practical value in supporting environmental awareness movements within society.
METHODS
This qualitative study used a descriptive-interpretative approach aimed at uncovering symbolic meanings and environmental messages in the song Plastic Tree by Endah N Rhesa.
This method was selected because it allows for an in-depth exploration of hidden meanings within the lyrics through contextual and critical interpretation (Sari, 2019.
Fauzan & Wibowo, 2.
To analyze these meanings.
Ferdinand de SaussureAos semiotic approach was used as the primary analytical framework.
Saussure views a sign as a unity between the signifier, which refers to the verbal or symbolic form, and the signified, which refers to the concept or meaning associated with the signifier (Saussure, 2011.
Putra & Ramadhani, 2.
The relationship between the two is neither fixed nor absolute, but is determined by shared understandings formed within society.
Therefore, it can be systematically analyzed in the context of meaning representation within a text.
The data analysis was conducted through several stages.
First, each segment of the lyrics was transcribed and thoroughly examined.
The identification process focused on linguistic elements that potentially function as semiotic signs, such as metaphors, natural symbols, or key terms related to environmental critique (Key & Noble, 2.
Following identification.
SaussureAos semiotic approach was applied to classify the signs into signifiers and signifieds.
Through this framework, both denotative and connotative meanings of the elements within the lyrics were analyzed to reveal the hidden representations of ecological meaning (Nurlaila.
The next stage was contextual interpretation.
This interpretation was carried out by linking the results of the semiotic analysis with contemporary socio-ecological realities, particularly plastic pollution and environmental degradation in Indonesia.
The purpose of this interpretation was to understand how the selected lyrics implicitly convey social critique, which may influence listenersAo ecological awareness.
To ensure the validity and depth of the interpretation, triangulation was conducted by comparing the findings with relevant literature in ecocriticism and environmental communication (Bans & Tiimut, 2.
Through this approach, the results were expected to systematically reveal the meanings of symbols and signs in the song Plastic Tree, as well as to illustrate how musical works serve as reflective media in constructing narratives of environmental RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The semiotic analysis of the lyrics in the song Plastic Tree revealed various signs that construct a critical narrative of environmental pollution, particularly caused by excessive plastic consumption.
Based on Ferdinand de SaussureAos approach, meaning is constructed through the relationship between the signifier and the signified.
This song uses metaphor and symbolism to convey its message implicitly and emotionally to the The following are selected lyrics from the first verse of Plastic Tree that contain signifiers and Lyric Segment Plastic trees are all I see Table 1.
Semiotic Analysis of the Song Plastic Tree in Verse 1 Signifier Signified Denotative Connotative Meaning Meaning Plastic trees Artificial trees Imitation trees that A are unnatural and environment that has lost made of plastic made from plastic its natural elements, replaced by artificial LITERA: Jurnal Bahasa dan Sastra.
Vol.
No.
March 2024, pp.
LITERA: Jurnal Bahasa dan Sastra
Standing tall in Standing tall
Remaining upright
amidst suffering Something that stands despite being in a state of misery Dark clouds color the ocean Dark clouds Dark and gloomy sky above the sea
A dark sky over the expanse of the ocean water
The ocean Ocean
The shrinking of ocean waters The reduction of sea area due to decreasing water
Lyric Segment
Yellow rubber
TheyAoll eat honey
Hanging on the plastic tree
Lyric Segment
No more singing from the birds No more roosters Birds and roosters made from paper
Lyric Segment
Paper made from Ae
E-ISSN: 2548-7639
technological or urban The irony of an artificial upright and strong, yet is lifeless and hollow.
A sign of impending caused by increasing A visible effect of the climate crisis, leading to Table 2.
Semiotic Analysis of the Song Plastic Tree in Verse 2 Signifier Signified Denotative Connotative Meaning Meaning Rubber Artificial bee made A bee imitation The extinction of a living of rubber made from rubber environmental damage, eventually replaced by its artificial version.
"Honey" A metaphor for the shift Honey Honey-flavored transformed into an from natural resources to artificial energy artificial substitutes.
Plastic tree Artificial tree made A man-made object An illustration of the used as a place to dominance of artificial of plastic objects, where living beings no longer depend on nature.
Table 3.
Semiotic Analysis of the Song Plastic Tree in Verse 3 Signifier Signified Denotative Connotative Meaning Meaning The disappearance The extinction of certain No more The absence of of natural sounds species due to ecosystem represented by destruction, leading to ecological silence.
The absence of A symbol of the fading Roosters Roosters no longer natural activity natural rhythm and from some species harmony caused by in the wild Made from Artificial animals Fragile, lifeless A critique of an artificial made of paper animal imitations that replaces made from paper natural life.
Table 4.
Semiotic Analysis of the Song Plastic Tree in Verse 4 Signifier Signified Denotative Meaning Paper Paper made from A man-made product derived Connotative Meaning The natural resources Representation of Environmental Awareness in the Song Plastic Tree: A Semiotic Study Based on Ferdinand de SaussureAos Theory (Handy Ichsa Janan.
E-ISSN: 2548-7639
No more trees in the neighborhood No more trees The absence of trees in residential So they made a plastic tree Plastic tree A plastic tree as a from natural The lack of natural vegetation in the local environment An artificial lacking ecological for the production of artificial goods.
A direct portrayal of deforestation, ecosystems and the quality of human artificial solutions that fail to address Table 5.
Semiotic Analysis of the Song Plastic Tree in the Chorus Signifier Signified Denotative Connotative Meaning Meaning Journey of reality.
Reality, end A journey toward The end of A narrative of end of history mass extinction humanityAos may lead to future We are our enemy Our enemy Humans as the We harm Eco-social primary cause of humanity creates ecological crises Humanity, memory The disappearance The story of Story of humanity, just a memory of human humanity reduced collapse resulting to mere history Oh mercy me Mercy A plea for A sense of forgiveness and introspection and ecological guilt moral reflection on impact on the Lyric Segment Table 6.
Semiotic Analysis of the Song Plastic Tree in the Bridge Signifier Signified Denotative Connotative Meaning Meaning Hey Mr.
Referee Mr.
Referee A referee blowing A figure who A symbolic plea blows your whistle the whistle signals and for an authoritative regulates the flow figure to take of a game Lyric Segment LITERA: Jurnal Bahasa dan Sastra.
Vol.
No.
March 2024, pp.
LITERA: Jurnal Bahasa dan Sastra
E-ISSN: 2548-7639
I wanna feel the air of life one more time Air of life The air of life A desire to experience fresh and natural air once again DonAot just hang your skeleton key Skeleton key A universal key A multifunctional key left unused Help me to make the world become a better place Make the world The effort to improve the world A call to transform the world into a better No more apple tree, no more lemon tree Table 7.
Semiotic Analysis of the Song Plastic Tree in Verse 5 Signifier Signified Denotative Meaning Apple tree, lemon Apple and lemon The decline in trees that have become rare Just a plastic tree Plastic tree Only a plastic tree An unnatural replacement tree ItAos the tree of Tree of fantasy A fantasy tree A symbol of something unreal or imaginary Lyric Segment Lyric Segment The earth, mother An expression of hope for restoring A critique of those in power who possess solutions but remain passive in the face of hopeful vision for recovery and the Connotative Meaning Represents the loss of biodiversity as a A portrayal of an A critique of a Table 8.
Semiotic Analysis of the Song Plastic Tree in the Bridge Signifier Signified Denotative Connotative Meaning Meaning Mother nature Nature as a mother Representation of A reminder of the nature as a living importance of entity like a mother figure ecological balance, just as a mother Representation of Environmental Awareness in the Song Plastic Tree: A Semiotic Study Based on Ferdinand de SaussureAos Theory (Handy Ichsa Janan.
E-ISSN: 2548-7639
The ocean and the Ocean, sea The oceans nurture and ecosystems that are now under threat.
The sky and the Sky, mountain The sky and the The air and the Air, water Air and water Basic elements that sustain life on Earth The island and the Island, tree Islands and trees Distinctive components of a balanced and ideal The future Future generation Future generations The descendants of humankind Essential components of the covering most of the Earth's surface Major elements in the natural Symbols natureAos grandeur Represents urgent need to protect air and Represents an ideal A moral warning about the longterm impact of destruction across Based on the findings from the semiotic analysis above, it was identified that the song Plastic Tree serves as a concrete example of how music can function as a medium for conveying social and environmental By using Ferdinand de SaussureAos semiotic approach, the song can be interpreted as a series of signs that communicate specific meanings through the relationship between the signifier, such as Auplastic tree,Ay Aubirds made from paper,Ay and Auhoney batteries,Ay and the signified, namely the underlying concepts of environmental degradation.
The various symbols in this song are not merely poetic imagination, but rather concrete representations of a worsening ecological reality.
This is also relevant to BaudrillardAos concept of simulacra, in which imitations or representations have replaced the original reality (Stibbe, 2.
Modern human life is often associated with environments that appear natural but are, in fact, entirely artificial.
The song also expresses a sense of concern that, as nature continues to deteriorate, humanity tends to create false versions that have lost their ecological value.
The symbolic meanings in the song Plastic Tree become increasingly relevant when placed within the context of real cases of environmental pollution.
Data from the Indonesia National Plastic Action Partnership in 2020 showed that the Indonesian population generated approximately 6.
8 million tons of plastic waste annually, with 620,000 tons polluting the oceans.
The Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry in 2021 also reported that 60 percent of river pollution in the country was caused by household waste, including single-use plastics (KLHK, 2.
In the current state of environmental emergency, both local governments and communities often engage in practices of AugreenwashingAy, promoting an environmentally friendly image without implementing concrete actions.
Various symbolic greening projects have emerged, displacing natural green spaces (WALHI.
As a result, more than 1,000 species in Indonesia are threatened with extinction due to the loss of their natural habitats (UNEP, 2.
In this context, the symbol Auplastic treeAy in the song reflects the failure of artificial solutions to address the root causes of environmental problems.
Additionally, the signifier Aubirds made from paperAy reinforces the message of biodiversity loss, suggesting that the once peaceful and living natural world has been replaced by fragile, lifeless symbols.
Other signifiers, such as Auno more singing from LITERA: Jurnal Bahasa dan Sastra.
Vol.
No.
March 2024, pp.
E-ISSN: 2548-7639
Ae LITERA: Jurnal Bahasa dan Sastra the birdsAy and Auno more trees in the neighborhoodAy, depict a form of Auecological griefAy, which refers to the sorrow experienced due to the extinction of species (Cunsolo & Ellis, 2.
Therefore, the song evokes a sense of mourning and moral awareness regarding the damage inflicted by humans upon nature.
CONCLUSION
Based on the analysis and discussion, it can be concluded that the song Plastic Tree is a musical work that symbolically voices a critique of the environmental crisis, particularly concerning pollution caused by plastic waste and ecosystem degradation.
Through Ferdinand de SaussureAos semiotic approach, the song presents linguistic symbols that imply profound meanings related to environmental degradation, greenwashing practices, and the decline of biodiversity.
This analysis indicates that music holds the power to serve as a reflective, innovative, and communicative medium for promoting ecological awareness.
The use of several symbols, such as Auplastic treeAy.
Aubirds made from paperAy, and Auno more treesAy, functions as a critical sign of present and future socio-ecological realities.
Therefore.
Plastic Tree is relevant not only as a work of art but also as an effective medium for environmental education and social transformation.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to all parties who provided support in the preparation of this scientific article.
Special thanks are extended to Ms.
Rina Rahayu, the academic supervisor, for her valuable guidance and input.
Appreciation is also given to Endah N Rhesa as the creator of the song that served as the main object of this study, as well as to previous researchers and scholars who have developed the literature on semiotics and environmental ecocriticism that formed the theoretical foundation of this Lastly, the authors deeply appreciate the moral support from their families and peers who continuously encouraged them throughout the completion of this work.
REFERENCES