Language, Song and Ideology: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Shehzad Roy’s Apney Ulloo

Abstract

Songs have been widely used to express social injustice, authoritarianism, religious and political prejudices, and other issues. Investigating how Shehzad Roy's song "Apney Ulloo" functions as an ideological critique in Pakistani society is the main objective of the current study. The research methodology employed in this study is critical discourse analysis (CDA) in which the lyrics are analyzed using Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis framework, examining three levels to investigate the intended meaning of this song. Fairclough (1992) argues that the critical discourse analysis of a text should proceed through three levels of analysis: description, interpretation, and explanation of the inter-relationship interaction and the social context.  Furthermore, the symbolic cues employed in the selected song are interpreted using a semiotic framework of Berger (1998) and Van Leeuwen’s semiotic approach (2005). Findings of the study reveal that the song discusses many deep-rooted problems in Pakistan’s political hypocrisy, systematic bribery and corruption, authoritarianism, and entrenched class-based discrimination.