I Belong To Me

I BELONG TO ME

Lyrics by: Micheal Kunze
Sung by: Suzan Erens as Sissi

I will not give up my own self
Just to be with you
I will not be glad just to do
What I'm told to do
I'm not meant to be your property
No, I belong I me

If I want to reach for the stars
You can't hold me back
I want to take chances
Far off from the beaten track
Don't force me to be what I can't be
I belong to me

If you try to tame me
I will not obey
I'd rather leave you alone
If you try to change me
I must break away
To be what I am on my own

I'm freezing, I'm burning
I live without compromise
I'm growing, I'm learning
I'm ready to pay the price
I know it's not easy to be free
But I belong to me

I hate to be burdened
With duties that I despise
You know I can't stand
To be watched by a thousand eyes
I flee from the crowd in agony
I just belong to me

If you want to keep me
Don't hold me so tight
I can't give my life for your love
If you want to break me
I'll not even fight
I'll just fly away like a dove

I'm here when you need me
I live and I die with you
I'll share all your troubles
I'll laugh and I'll cry with you
You can blame me and bless me
But you cannot possess me
'Cause I belong to me
To me!

Background of the song

            First of all I would like to explain about the background of this song. It is from the 1992 Austrian musical: ' Elizabeth". It was sung by Suzan Erens during the concerts in Vienna. The musical is based on the life of Elisabeth, Empress of Austria The world premiere, directed by Harry Kupfer, took place on 3 September 1992 at the Theater an der Wien, Vienna, where it ran until 25 April 1998. This production was revived on 3 October 2003, and commemorated by the Austrian post office with a special stamp.

Explanation about the figurative languages in the song

            There are some figurative languages which used in this song such as: Metaphor, paradox, Pars pro toto, and simile (The colors will be the indicator to find out what I mean in every lines of the song). Before I analyze about those literary elements, I would like to give some explanation and the meaning of figurative languages itself. Figurative language can be found in literature and poetry where the writing appeals to the senses. It can do this by giving a word with a specific meaning, by comparing two things in such a way that you find the comparison interesting or by using words that have unusual constructions or sounds. According to the Oxford dictionary, figurative language is language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation. When a writer uses literal language, he or she is simply stating the facts as they are. Figurative language, in comparison, uses exaggerations or alterations to make a particular linguistic point. Figurative language is very common in poetry, but is also used in prose and nonfiction writing as well.

There are many different types of figurative language. For example, it often includes the use of a specific type of word or word meaning:

• Simile: A simile is a comparison that often uses the words like or as. One example of a simile would be to say, “Jamie runs as fast as the wind.”
• Metaphor: A metaphor is a comparison made between things which are essentially not alike. It is similar to a simile, but does not use like or as. One example of a metaphor would be to say, “Nobody invites Edward to parties because he is a wet blanket.”
• Personification: When something that is not human is given human-like qualities, this is known as personification. An example of personification would be to say, “The leaves danced in the wind on the cold October afternoon.”
• Hyperbole: Exaggerating, often in a humorous way, to make a particular point is known as hyperbole. One of example of hyperbole would be to say, “My eyes widened at the sight of the mile-high ice cream cones we were having for dessert.”
• Pars pro toto, Latin for "a part (taken) for the whole", is a figure of speech where the name of a portion of an object, place or concept represents the entire object, place or concept.
• A paradox is a statement that apparently contradicts itself and yet might be true. Most logical paradoxes are known to be invalid arguments but are still valuable in promoting critical thinking

In addition to various types of words relating to the word's meaning, figurative language also includes unusual constructions or combinations of words that provide a new perspective on the word. For example:

• Onomatopoeia: When you name an action by imitating the sound associated with it, this is known as onomatopoeia. One example of onomatopoeia would be to say, “The bees buzz angrily when their hive is disturbed.”
• Idiom: An idiom is an expression used by a particular group of people with a meaning that is only known through common use. One example of an idiom would be to say, “I’m just waiting for him to kick the bucket.” Many idioms that are frequently used are also considered clichés.

Explication

Based on my opinion, this song describes about the independence, I BELONG TO ME, it has the metaphor meaning of I own myself and myself here can be as body or soul, so I can conclude that I BELONG TO ME here means that I am who I am and who I want to be, it is all depending to me, I am the captain of my own self or body. There are also some tones which we can find in this song such as: firm, positive, independent, confident and courageous.