Student Number: 190419190

MCH8067: Media Analysis

Media Analysis Exercise:

A Semiotics Analysis of “Lớn Rồi Còn Khóc Nhè” Music Video

Word count: 1325

I hereby certify that this submission is wholly my own work, and that all quotations
from primary or secondary sources have been acknowledged. I have read the
section on Plagiarism in the Programme Handbook and understand that plagiarism
and other unacknowledged debts will be penalised and may lead to failure in the
whole examination or degree.

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The objective of this essay is to analyse a Vietnamese music video named “Lớn Rồi

Còn Khóc Nhè” (Grown Up But Still Crying Like A Kid) by using semiotics, which is

an analytical model involving the way meaning is constructed and conveyed in our

society. The key theories and concepts in this field used to analyse the chosen

media text were introduced by representative scholars, including Ferdinand de

Saussure, Charles Peirce, and Roland Barthes, with additional references to some

reputable works from Umberto Eco, Daniel Chandler, and Stuart Hall. To be more

specific, the theory of signs from Saussure and the concept of denotation,

connotation, and mythologies from Barthes will be the main tools of this analysis

while I attempt to demonstrate the way meanings and emotions are conveyed

throughout an array of signs and myths within the chosen music video, which was

just published in April 2019 by Truc Nhan singer with the touching content about

motherhood.

The music video can be accessed through this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=pFSQh_5QE40 (an acceptable English subtitle is inserted within the clip, however,

there is also a modified version of lyrics translation and transcript in this

assignment’s annex).

It is obvious that in a musical production, the key message is initially disseminated

by the song, especially its lyrics. However, against our “attention” economy, the way

those meanings are constructed within the associated music video also plays an

increasingly important role to the success and popularity of that artistic production.

This is particularly true in the case of “Lớn Rồi Còn Khóc Nhè”, which is a narrative

music video with various meaningful scenes and details as being analysed below

here.

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First of all, the song title itself includes an opposition in meaning: while “Lớn Rồi”

(grown up) is related to adulthood, maturity, and calmness, “Khóc Nhè” (crying like a

kid) is clearly associated with childhood and uncontrollably emotional expression,

which might be considered as immaturity and, especially towards male character,

weakness. According to Saussure’s theory of signs, in which he illustrated a sign as

a combination of a signifier and a signified (1983), two word phrases in the song title

will be seen as signifiers and only communicate particular meanings when their

corresponding signified are placed in contrast to clearly show the differences.

Regarding the above-mentioned opposition in language, Branston and Stafford

(2010) said that its importance has been emphasised by Lévi-Strauss since the mid-

20th century before “Saussure applied this to the ways in which language produces

meanings, often through defining terms as being the opposite of other terms” (p. 20).

This is also the bedrock for further developments of semiotics, as this term no longer

involves only language but also “everything that can be taken as a sign”, according

to Umberto Eco (1976).

When it comes to the chosen music video, these contrasting signs include not only

linguistic but also visual ones; throughout that, the meanings of this media text are

constructed, simultaneously its emotions are conveyed to the audiences. In the

opening part (0:00 – 0:45), for example, there are two opposite attitude expressions

of the main character during two consecutive phone calls (being calm with his client

while impatient with his mother) that reveals his taken-for-grantedness towards his

mother’s care, especially when he has grown up and become very busy with his own

work. This scene also sets the context for the rest of the story, in which the main

character gradually realizes his heartlessness by an imaginary journey back into the

past.

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Another noticeable juxtaposition in this music video can be found at 2:39 with a

scene of the mother putting her son’s broken photo-frame (with his ex-girlfriend)

beside another intact photo-frame of their family. When the former signifies the

youth’s fragile love, the latter, on the contrary, strongly represents the family’s long-

lasting union, as well as the mother’s unchangeable care for her son. Comparing

with three types of sign identified by Peirce (Branston and Stafford, 2010), it can be

seen that almost signs used to construct meanings in this music video are symbolic

ones, which can connote abstract ideas, instead of icon or index.

It is worth noting that there are three different signs used to link the main character’s

interrupted memories during the reverse flow of time, including a guitar (1:31), a cup

of beer (2:08) and a snooker balls’ image (2:41). In order to analyse these signs, it is

essential to apply the concepts of denotation and connotation which were stressed in

various works of Barthes during the 1960s – 1970s (Chandler, 2017). Following

Barthes’ demonstration, all three above signs, on the denotative level, only show

some kinds of adolescent boys’ pastimes such as playing guitar, drinking beer, and

joining in snooker games. On the second higher level of connotation, nevertheless,

they mean the main character’s interest in social activities in preference to spending

time with family, which has contributed to the widening gap between him and his

mother. This conveys the same meaning with the key sentences in the song’s lyrics:

“My dream was to travel around the world

Such heartless I was

Forgetting to call my mom all the time

While her dream was to see me coming back home”

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At 3:23, the opposition is intensified the most by a quick scene-changing, in which

the main character leaves his adolescence’s memories and turns back to childhood’s

ones. The video’s vintage colour helps to create a sense of nostalgia when the main

character witnesses himself as a kid taking care of his mother, which is in contrast

with his naughty actions while growing up. All these things can be analysed by using

paradigm concept (Hollows, 2016). Especially, the special robotic dance at 1:44 –

1:51 is reused in this ending part with a contradictory meaning: while the former

steps of the main character are to go outside the society, the latter, taken when he

was just a kid, directed to his mother only. Thus, all these oppositions evoke his

regret and make him cry like a kid, meanwhile spread similar feelings and thoughts

to this music video’s audiences. That is the way an artistic production disseminates

its meanings and emotion to the publics and successfully establishes a call-to-action:

take your phone and call your mom right now instead of being shy about expressing

emotions.

Apart from Saussure’s theory of signs and more in-depth related concepts from other

scholars, it is also necessary to apply the concept of mythologies illustrated by

Barthes (1957) when analysing the context of this music video, as Hollows (2016)

argues that “Myths provide ways of understanding the world and our place within it”.

Particularly in Vietnamese society and culture, which has been influenced for a long

time by Confucianism, “man” or “boy” are supposed to be popular myths when these

terms are frequently engaged with physical strength and good emotion control rather

than “crying like a kid”. That is also the reason why the chosen music video can gain

the audience’s attention by creating so many opposite signs and challenging the

existing myth, throughout that highlighting motherhood and encouraging people to

express love and caring with their mother when this is still possible.

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In conclusion, this semiotic analysis has shown how the theory of signs is applied to

analyse opposite signs within an artistic music video and the way in which these

contrasts operate to construct the meaning of motherhood and convey the emotions

toward audiences. It can be clearly seen that there are various signs constructed

within this music video, including linguistic ones (song title and lyrics) and visual

ones (scenes, characters, setting and props), which – mainly are symbolic signs -

can be analysed by using the concept of juxtapositioning, denotation and

connotation, and paradigm. On the other hand, this piece of analysis has also dealt

with and demystified the myth “man”/ “boy” within an Asian social context, from that

explaining why the call-to-action at the end of this music video can work well in a

high context culture as Vietnam.

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Annex

Lyrics Translation:

A1

VERSE:

Ngày thơ bé có cánh đồng, trưa nắng Those were the childhood days, with

bên bờ sông paddy fields and sunny days on the

riverside

Ngày tôi chưa biết vâng lời, chỉ biết chơi When I didn’t listen to my parents, just

và cười wanna play and laugh

Lời mẹ nói không nghe cho rằng luôn Didn’t listen to my mom’s words, I

khắt khe thought they were always too harsh

Mẹ nói “Con trai đừng khóc nhè!" She said “A boy shouldn’t cry!"

VERSE+:

Ngu ngơ chạy theo đám bạn tôi đàn ca Foolishly I followed my friends to sing

and play guitar

Ấy thế mà khiếu văn nghệ nhất nhà I seemed to be the most art-gifted one in

my family, though

Bạn bè cố bao che câu nào cũng dễ My friends always tried to cover me with

nghe sweet words

Nó nói hay hơn lời của mẹ Their words were easier to follow than

my mom’s ones

CHORUS (x2):

Tôi ôm đàn và hát I stuck with my guitar and sang

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Đi xa cùng bè bạn Travelled with friends

Ước mơ con là vòng quanh thế gian My dream was to travel around the world

Tôi vô tình là thế Such heartless I was

Hay quên gọi về mẹ Forgetting to call my mom all the time

Ước mơ của mẹ là thấy con về While her dream was to see me coming

back home

A2

VERSE:

Rồi tôi xơ xác đi nhiều khi mới quen Then I got exhausted when being in a

người yêu relationship

Thời tôi mới biết đi làm, em cứ hay càm When I just had the first job, my girlfriend

ràm complained all the time

Người yêu nói tôi nghe tuy lời hơi khó Though her words were a little bit harsh, I

nghe still listened to her

Em nói hay hơn lời của mẹ Her words were easier to follow than my

mom’s ones

VERSE+:

Thấm thoát lại thấy tôi chẳng thiếu điều Time flies and sometimes I feel so

chi fulfilled

Lắm lúc lại thấy tôi chẳng có gì But some other times I feel having

nothing

Phải chăng lớn khôn hơn hay càng ngu Do I get wiser or more foolish when

ngốc hơn? growing up?

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 I want to hear my mom’s words more
Tôi muốn nghe thêm lời của mẹ

[CHORUS x2]

VERSE ENDING:
Now I miss the paddy fields and sunny
Giờ tôi nhớ những cánh đồng, trưa nắng
days on the riverside
bên bờ sông
Now I know how to listen to mom, and
Giờ tôi mới biết vâng lời, yêu lắm khi mẹ
how much I love her smile
cười
Now I want to listen more of her words,
Giờ tôi muốn lắng nghe, cho dù lời khắt
no matter how harsh they gonna be
khe
I don’t know how long she is still being
Không biết bao lâu còn có mẹ
with me

ENDING:
In those childhood days, any kids would
Ngày thơ bé ngu ngơ ai chẳng hay khóc
usually cry
nhè
But why do I cry as a kid when having
Nay lớn cớ sao lại khóc nhè?
grown up?

Transcript:

(MC: Main Character; C: Client; M: Mom)

Phone call with client:

MC: Em mới gửi lại, chị check mail MC: I just sent the design back, have you

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chưa? checked yet?

C: Bản số 5 là không có được em ơi! Lấy C: The fifth version is not ok my dear!

lại bản đầu tiên đi em. Chị thấy bản đó là Use the first version again. I think it’s the

đỡ nhất đó. À mà khoan, đổi màu xanh most acceptable one. Hold on, change

thành màu đỏ cho chị nhá! the colour from green to red please!

MC: Dạ MC: Yes

Phone call with mom:

MC: Con nghe MC: I’m here, mom

M: Chưa ngủ nữa hả? Ê! Chỉ mẹ tạo M: Haven’t you gone to bed yet? Hey!

Facebook đi con. Show me how to create a Facebook

account please.

MC: Con đang bận lắm, cúp nha! MC: I’m very busy, I’m hanging up!

Last phone call with mom: Last phone call with mom:

M: Mẹ nghe nè con! M: I’m here my dear!

Writing: Writing:

#CALLMOMCHALLENGE #CALLMOMCHALLENGE

Bước 1: Nhấc điện thoại lên Step 1: Take your phone

Bước 2: Gọi về cho mẹ Step 2: Call your mom

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Bibliography

Barthes, R. (1957) Mythologies. Paris: Éditions Du Seuil

Branston, G., and Stafford, R. (2010) The Media Student's Book. 5th edn. London:
Routledge.

Chandler, D. (2017) Semiotics: The Basics. 3rd edn. London & New York: Routledge.

Chandler, D. (2017) Semiotics for Beginners. Available at: http://visual-

memory.co.uk/daniel/Documents/S4B/sem06.html?LMCL=lkazjZ (Accessed: 21
November 2019)

Eco, U. (1976) A Theory of Semiotics. 6th edn. Bloomington: Indiana University

Press.

Hall, S. (2013) Representation. 2nd edn. United Kingdom: The Open University

Hollows, J. (2016) Media Studies: A complete introduction. London: John Murray

Learning.

Saussure, F. d. (1983) Course in General Linguistics. London: Duckworth.

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