Critical Analysis #2 - Media

Evaluating myself, a song is the most powerful form of media in my point of view because we tend to memorize the things that we hear. I think it is powerful because people has the capacity to remember the things that we hear frequently. Sometimes, though we do not want to sing the song but when it register to our mind, we cannot resist from singing it. For me, there are kinds of song that do not really mean anything while others have a significant role to play in the society. In my world, all the songs that I want to hear are the songs that has meaning not just literally but has something to deal with the reality and has the reason behind it.

OPM songs are the songs that I usually want to here. I do think that OPM music has the real essence of what the reality is. As you can see in every lyrics, there are meanings not just they want to complete the lyrics of the song or just want to have a rhyme but there are relatedness and association.

I chose the song “Sirena” by Gloc9 because I usually hear it in the radio. I think that they play the song because of its real essence which is to be strong no matter what happens and there is a real message behind the song.

Ako'y isang sirena

Kahit anong sabihin nila ako ay ubod ng ganda

Ako'y isang sirena

Kahit anong gawin nila bandera ko'y di tutumba

Drum na may tubig ang sinisisid

Naglalakihang mga braso, saki'y dumidikdik

Drum na may tubig ang sinisisid

Sa patagalan ng paghinga, sa'kin kayo ay bibilib

In the first lines, the song’s message is that there are plenty of things in our life that can or will happen but despite of it we should face the truth and be ourselves as a person. It also showcase that it will always within you who can bring out yourself. (maitataas ang sarili). In our society there are trials and challenges that may question ourselves and our identity. Sometimes the idea that you believe may not be universal, meaning it is not really accepted by everybody.

Simula pa nang bata pa ako,

Halata mo na kapag naglalaro

Kaya parang lahat ay nalilito,

Magaling sa chinese garter at piko

Mga labi ko'y pulang pula,

Sa bubble gum na sinapa

Palakad-lakad sa harapan ng salamin,

Sinasabi sa sarili "ano'ng panama nila?"

Habang kumekembot ang bewang,

Mga hikaw na gumegewang

Gamit ang pulbos na binili kay Aling Bebang

Upang matakpan ang mga pasa sa mukha

Na galing sa aking ama

Na tila di natutuwa sa tuwing ako'y nasisilayan

Laging nalalatayan,

Sa paglipas ng panahon ay di ko namamalayan

Na imbes na tumigas ay tila lalong lumambot

Ang puso kong mapagmahal

Parang pilikmatang kulot.

As we grow up, we are mold by our environment and society. It culture, society and our environments shapes a person identity by putting ideas on our mind. We may not be able to figure it out but our society played a huge role in making our identity because it is the society who consider an idea tolerable or not. There are things that we might relate or accept but for other cannot and in this song, it is the gender preference which became the main argument or topic. In our country, it is one of the problem though there is already a progress on accepting all the gender preferences. Those who are not accepted by the society is suffering from various punishments such as criticisms and maltreatment.

Hanggang sa naging binata na ako

Teka muna mali, dalaga na pala 'to

Pero bakit parang lahat ay nalilito pa rin

Ano bang mga problema nyo?

Dahil ba ang mga kilos ko'y iba,

Sa dapat makita ng inyong mata

Sa tuwing nanonood ng liga laging natutulala

Kahit di pumasok ang bola ako'y tuwang-tuwa

Kahit kinalyo na sa tapang, kasi ganun na lamang

Akong paluin ng tubo kahit kinakalawang

Tama na naman itay, di na po ako pasaway

Di ko na po isusuot ang lumang saya ni inay

Kapag ako'y naiiyak ay sumusugod sa ambon

Iniisip ko na lamang na baka ako'y ampon

Kasi araw-araw na lamang ay walang humpay na banat

Ang inaabot ng ganda kong pang-ilalim ng dagat

It is funny how people criticize you even if they are not being affected by how you act. Sometimes we tend to hide in our closet because we are afraid of criticisms. We are afraid that the society we live in might not accept us. We are afraid of those eyes chasing our movements without considering that not all people cannot accept you for who you are. Seniority and patriarchy still do exist in our society. There is still this thinking that women are inferior and men are superior.

Lumipas ang mga taon, nangagsipag-asawa

Aking mga kapatid, lahat sila'y sumama

Nagpakalayo-layo ni hindi makabisita

Kakain na po itay, nakahanda na'ng lamesita

Akay-akay sa paglakad paisa isang hakbang

Ngayo'y buto't balat ang dati matipunong katawan

Kaya sa iyong kaarawan, Susubukan kong palitan

Ang lungkot na nadarama, wag na po nating balikan

Kahit medyo naiinis hindi dahil sa nagka-cancer

Kasi dahil ang tagapag-alaga mo'y naka-duster

Isang gabi, ako'y iyong tinawag, lumapit

Ako sa'yong tabi ika'y tumangan, kumapit

Ka sa aking kamay kahit hirap magsalita

Anak, patawad sana sa lahat ng aking nagawa

Di sinusukat ang tapang at ang bigote sa mukha

Dahil kung minsan mas lalaki pa sa lalaki ang bakla

It is a human nature of people to judge a person without knowing them. We may not do it frequently but we have to admit that once in our life we did judge a person without knowing him or her personally because we do think that our instinct and the impression that we are generating is true. There is a saying “ Don’t judge the book by its cover”. In real life application, some of the people are criticizing the capabilities of the lower class people that they do not know anything because they did not study but sometimes there are the one who knows all because they accept opinions and ideas of others. In the case of genders, people think that the LGBT community is just confused of their real identity and they think that it is just a piece of trash. Some people think that people who are under the 3^rd class of gender is useless. They think that they do not belong in a society where people lives in.  

To summarize all, “Sirena” by Gloc9 is a resistive song which can represent or express the thoughts of those people who are hiding under their closet. It is a song that fits in that society wherein LGBT community is no accepted so they may know how people involved feels. So people may be aware of their actions.