Women’s Representation in Sheila on 7 Song Lyrics: A Social Semiotic Analysis

<p>This research aims at revealing the terms depicting women and how they are represented in Sheila on 7’s song lyrics. The data in this qualitative study were in the form of song lyrics by Sheila on 7 associated with women, collected using document study, and analyzed using the descriptive interpretative method and semiotic approach by referring to three aspects of meaning by Roland Barthes: denotation meaning, connotation meaning, and myth. The findings show that the terms used to depict women’s representation contain positive and negative connotations, and some term references play a crucial role in portraying the terms used to depict women’s representation. Besides, women are represented differently in the song lyrics; however, in general, they tend to be depicted as a creature bringing the values of beauty, affection, obedience, tenderness, power, wisdom, importance, and comfort, but also passive and weak. Women’s representation in Sheila on 7 song lyrics is in line with the patriarchal society in Indonesia, where women are respected as a creature worthy of esteem who still need protection from men. Since patriarchal gender stereotype has become a part of the cultural and social environment, the language choice used in the song lyrics proves that the environment influences language.</p>