GRAMMATICAL DEVIATIONS IN POPULAR ENGLISH SONG LYRICS: A LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF PINK FLOYD’S "ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL, PART 2"

Abstrak

This study investigates the occurrence and function of grammatical deviations in popular music, focusing specifically on the iconic song "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2" by Pink Floyd. While standard English language teaching (ELT) emphasizes prescriptive grammar, song lyrics often utilize non-standard structures for artistic and communicative purposes. The objective of this research is to identify and analyze the occurrence of negative concord and other grammatical deviations present in the lyrics, compare them with Standard British English (SBE), and analyze their stylistic functions. Using a qualitative descriptive method and content analysis approach, the researcher collected and categorized data from the song’s textual lyrics. The findings reveal a prominent use of negative concord (double negation), such as the line "We don’t need no education." Discussion of the results suggests that these deviations are not unintentional errors but are examples of poetic license used to signal rebellion, emphasize defiance against authority, and maintain musical rhythm. The study concludes that authentic materials containing non-standard grammar can be valuable pedagogical tools in ELT to help students distinguish between formal and informal registers.