Deiksis: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra Indonesia Volume 13.
Nomor 1, 2026 pp.
P-ISSN: 2355-6633 E-ISSN : 2548-5490
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php/Deiksis/index A Pragmatic Analysis of Hyperbole in the Song Lyrics: A Comparative Study of AuI Wanna Be YoursAy by Arctic Monkeys and AuAnnabel LeeAy by Stevie Nicks as an Adaptation of Poem 1Putri Pujiyawati, 2Siti Nopita, 3Tatu Siti Rohbiah 1,2,3Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin Banten Corresponding authorAos email: tatu.
rohbiah@uinbanten.
ARTIKEL INFO
Article history:
Received : 9 November 2025 Accepted: 2 Desember 2025 Published: 28 Januari 2026 Keywords:
adaptation, hyperbole, pragmatic analysis, song lyrics DOI:
33603/deiksis.
A B S T R ACT
This study investigates the use of hyperbole in song lyrics from a pragmatic perspective through a comparative analysis of AuI Wanna Be YoursAy by Arctic Monkeys and AuAnnabel LeeAy by Stevie Nicks, both adapted from earlier poetic works.
The research aims to examine how hyperbolic expressions function pragmatically and how adaptation influences their communicative strategies.
Employing a qualitative descriptive method, the data were collected through documentation and close reading of the lyrics, followed by systematic identification, coding, categorization, and pragmatic interpretation of hyperbolic expressions.
The analysis reveals that both songs employ hyperbole as a pragmatic strategy to intensify emotional meaning and generate implicature through contextual However, they differ significantly in communicative AuI Wanna Be YoursAy predominantly uses concrete and everyday imagery to construct intimacy and relational closeness, while AuAnnabel LeeAy utilizes abstract and mythological exaggeration to elevate love into a timeless and transcendental These findings demonstrate that hyperbole in song adaptation functions not merely as stylistic ornamentation but as a context-dependent communicative tool shaped by genre, cultural framing, and artistic transformation.
This study contributes to pragmatic studies of figurative language by highlighting how hyperbole operates across poetic and musical adaptation to shape audience interpretation and emotional engagement.
INTRODUCTION
Language in artistic expressions such as poetry and song lyrics often conveys meaning beyond literal interpretation.
Within the field of pragmatics, meaning is understood as context-dependent, shaped by speaker intention, shared knowledge, and situational factors.
Pragmatics examines how implied meaning, implicature, and contextual interpretation contribute to communication (Putu et al.
, 2.
In literary and musical texts, this contextual Putri Pujiyawati1.
Siti Nopita2 .
Tatu Siti Rohbiah3 .
Deiksis: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra Indonesia.
Vol.
dimension becomes particularly important because emotional and aesthetic effects frequently rely on figurative language.
One of the most prominent forms of figurative language in poetry and song lyrics is hyperbole.
Hyperbole involves deliberate exaggeration to intensify emotion, create vivid imagery, or emphasize particular ideas.
(Nur et al.
, 2.
Its interpretation depends on pragmatic competence: audiences must recognize the exaggeration as intentional and interpret its meaning within cultural and contextual frameworks.
In artistic discourse, hyperbole functions not merely as stylistic ornamentation but as a communicative strategy that strengthens emotional engagement and expressive depth.
Previous studies on hyperbole have largely focused on identifying types, functions, or stylistic patterns in isolated poems or song lyrics.
However, limited attention has been given to the pragmatic comparison of hyperbole in adapted song lyrics derived from poetic texts.
This study addresses that gap by examining how hyperbole operates pragmatically in two musical adaptations: AuI Wanna Be YoursAy by Arctic Monkeys, inspired by John Cooper ClarkeAos poem, and AuAnnabel LeeAy by Stevie Nicks, adapted from Edgar Allan PoeAos poem.
comparing these adaptations, this research highlights how hyperbolic expressions are transformed across genres and how contextual reinterpretation influences their implied The novelty of this research lies in its comparative pragmatic approach to hyperbole in adapted works, rather than analyzing hyperbole as a purely stylistic device within a single (Zainal, 2.
This study not only investigates the forms of hyperbole but also explores how exaggeration functions communicatively in different adaptation contextsAiconsidering authorial intention, audience reception, and cultural framing.
The objective of this study is to analyze the pragmatic functions of hyperbole in the selected song adaptations and to compare how exaggerated expressions contribute to meaning construction in each work.
Through this analysis, the research aims to deepen scholarly understanding of hyperbole as a context-driven communicative strategy and to contribute to broader discussions on the relationship between poetry and music in contemporary artistic (Niki & Nicole, 2.
Academically, this study contributes to pragmatic and literary studies by integrating figurative language analysis with adaptation theory, demonstrating how implied meaning evolves when poetic texts are transformed into musical This perspective enriches the study of hyperbole not only as a rhetorical device but also as a dynamic interpretative process shaped by genre, medium, and audience.
p-ISSN : 2355-6633, e-ISSN : 2548-5490 Putri Pujiyawati1.
Siti Nopita2 .
Tatu Siti Rohbiah3 .
Deiksis: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra Indonesia.
Vol.
METHODS
This study employs a qualitative descriptive method with a comparative pragmatic The qualitative design is selected because the purpose of this research is to interpret the implicit meanings and communicative functions of hyperbole in artistic language rather than to quantify its frequency.
The focus of the study is on how hyperbolic expressions operate pragmatically within adapted song lyrics.
The data consist of the official lyrics of AuI Wanna Be YoursAy by Arctic Monkeys and AuAnnabel LeeAy by Stevie Nicks, which are musical adaptations of poems by John Cooper Clarke and Edgar Allan Poe.
The units of analysis are words, phrases, and sentences identified as containing hyperbolic expressions.
The data were collected using documentation techniques.
The official lyrics were retrieved from reliable and authorized sources to ensure textual authenticity, then compiled into a unified textual corpus(Arif Hidayat.
Sahril Mujani, 2.
The researcher conducted repeated close readings to gain a comprehensive understanding of the thematic context, emotional tone, and narrative perspective of each song.
During this process, potential hyperbolic expressions were identified and marked based on theoretical criteria of exaggeration, particularly expressions that exceed literal truth, involve gradable intensity, and require contextual knowledge for interpretation (Abdulwahid & Afkar, 2.
Each identified expression was coded systematically to facilitate organized analysis.
The data analysis was conducted through several interconnected stages.
First, all identified hyperbolic expressions were coded and classified.
Second, each expression was examined using a pragmatic analytical framework grounded in implicature theory and contextual interpretation(Diana Rizki Putri.
Zuindra, 2.
The analysis aimed to determine the relationship between literal meaning and implied meaning, to uncover the speakerAos communicative intention, and to examine how contextual elements such as adaptation, genre transformation, and audience expectations influence interpretation.
Rather than merely categorizing stylistic forms, the analysis focused on identifying the pragmatic functions of hyperbole, such as emotional intensification, expression of devotion or longing, dramatic emphasis, and aesthetic imagery construction.
Finally, a comparative analysis was conducted to identify similarities and differences in the pragmatic functions of hyperbole between the two adapted songs.
This comparison highlights how exaggerated language is reinterpreted when poetic texts are transformed into musical compositions.
The findings are presented narratively, supported by textual evidence Putri Pujiyawati1.
Siti Nopita2 .
Tatu Siti Rohbiah3 .
Deiksis: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra Indonesia.
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and interpretative explanation, in order to ensure systematic and academically rigorous presentation of results(Malikussaleh & Edisti, 2.
By integrating hyperbole theory with pragmatic analysis, this methodological approach enables a deeper understanding of hyperbole not only as a stylistic device but also as a context-dependent communicative strategy in artistic adaptation.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
This section elaborates on the results of the analysis in the study.
The following picture is a poem of these songs AuI Wanna Be YoursAy and AuAnnabel LeeAy.
And the Table presents the results of the hyperbolic analysis found in the lyrics of "I Wanna Be Yours" and AuAnnabel LeeAy.
The analysis includes lyric quotes, identification of hyperbolic expressions, and their pragmatic meanings.
Picture.
1 AuI Wanna Be YoursAy Poem by John Cooper Clarke Source : store.
p-ISSN : 2355-6633, e-ISSN : 2548-5490 Putri Pujiyawati1.
Siti Nopita2 .
Tatu Siti Rohbiah3 .
Deiksis: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra Indonesia.
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Table.
1 Hyperbolic Analysis of "I Wanna Be Yours" Song Lyrics Lyric Quotes Hyperbolic Analysis Pragmatic Analysis "I wanna be your Describes the desire to always Expressing the desire to always be vacuum cleaner, be close, even in small and there, accepting all the breathing in your dust" trivial things.
shortcomings and advantages of their partner.
"I wanna be your Ford Comparing like a car that Implies a desire to be a loyal and Cortina.
I will never never rusts.
ever-present couple.
"Let me be your Wanting to be a tool that Describes the desire to always portable heater, that always gives warmth.
provide comfort, warmth, and will warm you" "I wanna be your Being protective in all Desire to protect and be there raincoat, for those when your partner is facing frequent rainy days" problems or sadness.
"I wanna be your Be a dream ship ready to take Implies readiness to accompany dreamboat, when you your partner anywhere.
your partner wherever you go, in want to sail away" good times and sorrows.
"Let me be your teddy Being a teddy bear that is Conveying the desire to always be bear, take me with you always carried everywhere.
close and a source of comfort for the couple.
"I wanna be your Being a never-ending source Describing a love that always electric meter.
I will not of energy.
flows and never goes out.
run out" "I wanna be the electric Being a very important heater.
Describe the desire to be the main heater, you'll get cold need of the partner.
"I wanna be your Become a devoted hair care Describe loyalty and full devotion setting lotion, hold your product.
to the spouse.
hair in deep devotion" "Deep as the deep Describes the magnitude of Describes the magnitude of love Atlantic ocean, that's love and devotion, likened to and very deep loyalty to the how deep is my the depths of the Atlantic Picture.
1 AuAnnabel LeeAy by Edgar Allan Poe Putri Pujiyawati1.
Siti Nopita2 .
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Source : English Literature on Facebook Table.
2 Hyperbolic Analysis of "Annabel Lee" Song Lyrics Lyric Quotes Hyperbolic Analysis Pragmatic Analysis "But we loved with a love that Their love is portrayed as Emphasizing how deep and was more than love" more than love itself, extraordinary their love is, so greatly exaggerated.
that their love feels timeless and incomparable.
"The angels, not half so happy The angels in Heaven are Describing their love so in Heaven, went envying her envious of their love, deeply that even heavenly and me" although angels are beings felt amazed and described as holy beings admired the peculiarity of without envy.
their relationship.
"Neither the angels in Heaven No creature in heaven or Conveying the power of love above, nor the demons down hell can separate their that is eternal and unshaken under the sea, can ever by anything, even dissever my soul from the supernatural powers.
soul of the beautiful Annabel Lee" "For the moon never beams.
Every moonlight always Showing that Annabel Lee's without bringing me dreams brings a dream about memories and love are always of the beautiful Annabel Lee" Annabel Lee.
present in every moment, "And the stars never rise, but I Every star appearing is Signifying Annabel Lee's feel the bright eyes of the accompanied by feeling enduring presence in his beautiful Annabel Lee" Annabel LeeAos gaze.
heart, as if her gaze watches him from another realm.
The analysis identified ten hyperbolic expressions in AuI Wanna Be YoursAy and five in AuAnnabel Lee.
Ay Rather than merely listing them, this section discusses how hyperbole functions pragmatically in each song and how adaptation influences its communicative strategy.
p-ISSN : 2355-6633, e-ISSN : 2548-5490 Putri Pujiyawati1.
Siti Nopita2 .
Tatu Siti Rohbiah3 .
Deiksis: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra Indonesia.
Vol.
In AuI Wanna Be Yours,Ay hyperbole predominantly takes the form of concrete, everyday objects .
, vacuum cleaner.
Ford Cortina, portable heater, raincoat, teddy bear, electric These exaggerated comparisons do not aim to be interpreted literally.
instead, they generate implicature through contextual contrast (Michael McCarthy, 1.
When the speaker states.
AuI wanna be your vacuum cleaner, breathing in your dust,Ay the literal impossibility triggers recognition of exaggeration.
Pragmatically, this produces an implicature of total devotion and unconditional acceptance.
The exaggeration works through domesticated imagery, positioning love as service, presence, and functional usefulness.
This pattern reflects what (Claridge, 2.
describes as gradable exaggeration grounded in shared knowledge.
The audience recognizes the absurdity of becoming an object, yet interprets the utterance as a metaphorical intensification of commitment.
The communicative function of hyperbole here is relational and interpersonal: it reduces emotional distance and frames love as tangible and accessible.
The pragmatic force lies in its intimacy.
Hyperbole becomes a strategy to express loyalty, constancy, and everyday devotion in a way that is humorous yet sincere.
In contrast.
AuAnnabel LeeAy employs hyperbole that is abstract, cosmic, and Expressions such as Auwe loved with a love that was more than loveAy or references to angels and demons who cannot separate the lovers move beyond domestic imagery toward metaphysical amplification.
Here, hyperbole does not merely intensify emotion but elevates it to a transcendental level.
The exaggeration generates implicature of eternal and undefeatable love, surpassing human limitation.
From a pragmatic perspective, these hyperboles operate through what (Thomas, 1.
identifies as context-dependent interpretation.
The references to supernatural beings rely on shared cultural knowledge about heaven, angels, and eternal souls.
The audience interprets the impossibility not as absurdity but as symbolic reinforcement of timeless devotion.
Unlike the personal and service-oriented hyperbole in AuI Wanna Be Yours,Ay the hyperbole in AuAnnabel LeeAy constructs grandeur, tragedy, and permanence.
The communicative intention is not to domesticate love but to immortalize it.
The comparison reveals a significant functional distinction.
In AuI Wanna Be Yours,Ay hyperbole functions as concrete-personal exaggeration, grounded in everyday objects and interpersonal proximity(C.
Levinson, 1.
Its pragmatic strategy is intimacy through service Putri Pujiyawati1.
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and presence.
In AuAnnabel Lee,Ay hyperbole functions as abstract-mythological exaggeration, elevating love into a cosmic and eternal dimension.
Its pragmatic strategy is transcendence and timelessness.
This distinction supports previous findings that hyperbole adapts to genre and discourse context (Claridge, 2.
, yet this study extends those findings by showing how adaptation from poetry to music reshapes pragmatic emphasis.
While prior studies on hyperbole in song lyrics often categorize types or frequencies, they rarely examine how adaptation transforms the communicative force of exaggeration.
In the present analysis, hyperbole in AuI Wanna Be YoursAy becomes domesticated and performative within indie rock culture, whereas in AuAnnabel Lee,Ay it retains the tragic-romantic intensity of PoeAos poetic tradition, reinforced through musical reinterpretation The pragmatic consequences of these different hyperbolic strategies are reflected in emotional impact.
In AuI Wanna Be Yours,Ay exaggeration produces warmth, familiarity, and The listener perceives love as achievable and embodied in daily life.
In contrast.
AuAnnabel LeeAy evokes admiration and solemnity.
hyperbole amplifies loss and eternal attachment, positioning love beyond mortality.
From a communicative standpoint, the first song uses hyperbole as a strategy of relational closeness, while the second employs it as a strategy of narrative elevation.
Thus, hyperbole is not merely stylistic ornamentation but a pragmatic tool shaped by genre, adaptation, and cultural framing.
CONCLUSION
Based on the pragmatic analysis of hyperbole in the song lyrics AuI Wanna Be YoursAy by Arctic Monkeys and AuAnnabel LeeAy by Stevie Nicks, it can be concluded that both works utilize hyperbole as a powerful communicative tool to express deep emotions and intensify the meaning of love conveyed in the lyrics.
In AuI Wanna Be Yours,Ay hyperbolic expressions are grounded in everyday objects and scenarios, creating a sense of warmth, intimacy, and devotion that is relatable to listeners.
The hyperboles serve to highlight the speakerAos willingness to serve, protect, and be ever-present for their partner in all aspects of life.
AuAnnabel LeeAy employs hyperbole in a more abstract and grandiose manner, drawing on mythological and supernatural imagery to elevate the love story to a legendary and eternal scale.
Here, hyperbole functions to dramatize the depth and tragedy of love, p-ISSN : 2355-6633, e-ISSN : 2548-5490 Putri Pujiyawati1.
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suggesting that it transcends even the boundaries of life and death.
Pragmatically, the use of hyperbole in both songs not only enhances the aesthetic and emotional impact of the lyrics but also invites listeners to interpret and connect with the underlying sentiments in a meaningful Thus, the analysis demonstrates that hyperbole, when used effectively and contextually, enriches the communicative power of artistic language in both poetry and song lyrics.
For future research, it is suggested that similar pragmatic analyses be conducted on a wider range of song lyrics and poetic adaptations from various genres and cultural backgrounds to further explore the universality and diversity of hyperbolic expression in artistic language.
Additionally, educators and curriculum developers may consider incorporating pragmatic and stylistic analysis of song lyrics into language and literature courses, as this approach can foster critical thinking, cultural awareness, and a deeper appreciation for figurative language among students.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This article was prepared by Putri Pujiyawati, and Siti Nopita from English Education Departement The authors would like to express sincere gratitude to all Friends who provided support, guidance, and assistance throughout the research and writing process.
And also to express deepest gratitude to my supervisor.
Dr.
Tatu Siti Rohbiah.
Hum.
For invaluable guidance and encouragement.
REFERENCES