A SEMANTIC ANALYSIS OF LEXICAL AND CONTEXTUAL MEANING IN FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD! BY FINNEAS O'CONNELL

Abstract

This study examines lexical and contextual meaning in Finneas O'Connell's song "For Cryin' Out Loud!" The research is motivated by the increasingly context-driven nature of meaning in contemporary song lyrics, where speakers often rely on ambiguity, metaphor, and emotional inference rather than literal wording. Using a descriptive qualitative method, the lyrics were read, listened to, selected, coded, and interpreted through the distinction between dictionary-based lexical meaning and meaning shaped by situational context. The analysis shows that the song is built around lexical choices associated with motion, exhaustion, emotional distance, and bodily sensation. These expressions do not merely describe actions in a literal sense; instead, they construct a narrative of unstable intimacy, repeated misunderstanding, and persistent attachment. The findings indicate that the song presents a relationship marked by tension, dependency, and emotional fatigue, while the repeated refrain functions as a discourse marker of frustration and plea. Read through a semantic lens, the lyrics reveal how lexical items gain fuller meaning only when interpreted within the emotional and relational context of the song.