Lagu Bahasa Inggris Salah Grammar? Kok Bisa? Karena Poetic License!
Dalam kajian linguistics, terdapat istilah poetic license yang membolehkan seseorang untuk menggunakan struktur yang tidak lazim atau bahkan salah secara tata bahasa atau grammar. Itu sebabnya, banyak lagu-lagu Bahasa Inggris yang tidak gramatikal. Hal tersebut tidak berarti penulis liriknya tidak paham penggunaan grammar, namun karena alasan estetika. Berikut ini beberapa judul dan lirik lagu yang menggunakan poetic license.
The Beatles - Ticket to Ride
I think I'm gonna be sad
I think it's today, yeah
The girl that's driving me mad is going away
She's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
But she don't care
She said that living with me
Is bringing her down, yeah
For she would never be free
When I was around
She's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
But she don't care
I don't know why she's riding so high
She ought to think twice
She ought to do right by me
Before she gets to saying goodbye
She ought to think twice
She ought to do right by me
I think I'm gonna be sad
I think it's today, yeah
The girl that's driving me mad
Is going away, yeah
Oh, she's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
But she don't care
I don't know why she's riding so high
She ought to think twice
She ought to do right by me
Before she gets to saying goodbye
She ought to think twice
She ought to do right by me
She said that living with me
Is bringing her down, yeah
For she would never be free
When I was around
Ah, she's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
But she don't care
My baby don't care, my baby don't care
My baby don't care, my baby don't care
My baby don't care, my baby don't care
System of A Down - Lonely Day
Such a lonely day, and it's mine
The most loneliest day of my life
Such a lonely day should be banned
It's a day that I can't stand
The most loneliest day of my life
The most loneliest day of my life
Such a lonely day shouldn't exist
It's a day that I'll never miss
Such a lonely day, and it's mine
The most loneliest day of my life
And if you go, I wanna go with you
And if you die, I wanna die with you
Take your hand and walk away
The most loneliest day of my life
The most loneliest day of my life
The most loneliest day of my life Life
Such a lonely day, and it's mine
It's a day that I'm glad I survived
Analisis Penggunaan Poetic License
Dalam kedua contoh lirik lagu populer diatas, poetic license sangat jelas digunakan karena alasan estetika. Band legendaris kenamaan The Beatles yang lahir di Liverpool, Inggris, memilih untuk menyandingkan "don't" dengan "she" yang mana dalam tata bahasa Inggris dijelaskan bahwa third person berjenis singular "she" seharusnya menggunakan "doesn't" untuk konteks waktu present. Disisi lain, System of A Down menggunakan diksi "most loneliest" untuk menekankan kesendirian yang dirasakan tokoh dalam lagu tersebut. Dalam tata bahasa Inggris, selain karena alasan redundancy atau pemborosan, pola kalimat tersebut salah secara gramatikal. Alih-alih menggunakan most lonely atau loneliest, penulis lirik menggunakan "most loneliest". Seperti yang telah kita ketahui bersama bahwa akhiran -est dalam Bahasa Inggris bermakna 'yang paling' atau 'yang ter-' (misalnya best untuk yang paling bagus atau yang terbaik, dll.). Pada intinya, poetic license hanya dapat digunakan dalam kasus-kasus atau situasi-situasi tertentu saja.
Selain dua lagu tersebut, masih ada banyak lagi lirik lagu populer yang menggunakan poetic license. Misalnya dalam potongan lirik lagu milik Katy Perry - "she drive a Jeep and live on the beach" yang seharusnya "she drives a Jeep and lives on the beach". Bagaimana dengan potongan lirik dari dua lagu berikut ini? Dapatkah Anda menganalisis keduanya?
Crazy in Love by Beyoncé
When I talk to my friends so quietly
Who he think he is? Look at what you did to me
Tennis shoes, don't even need to buy a new dress
If you ain't there, ain't nobody else to impress
It's the way that you know what I thought I knew
It's the beat that my heart skips when I'm with you
But I still don't understand
Just how your love can do what no one else can
Love yourself by Justin Bieber
My mama don't like you and she likes everyone
And I never like to admit that I was wrong
And I've been so caught up in my job, didn't see what's going on
But now I know, I'm better sleeping on my own
