Semiotics

Music videos are a form of communication to the mass media and popular culture; consisting of visual and aural elements, and stretching across a short duration period.  By analysing these features as a collection of symbols that have been encoded, meaning can be extracted by the objective audience.

Applying the semiotic theory allows the interpretation of various facets, as well as the exploration of how the audience decodes these concepts.

Saussure and Barthes defined a ‘sign’ as being the construct of a signifier- the physical, whether it is a sound, image or object- and the signified- the internal perception. The relationship between the two aspects of a sign, signification, forms the associated meaning. This analytical theory suggests cultural diversity can affect the audience’s mental observation: such as religious symbols.

This theory can be expanded to further orders of signification. In the music video for the song ‘Zombie’ by The Cranberries the use of a large cross denotes simply a ‘cross’. However, by interpreting the image with the second order this can connote power of religion. This is done by positioning the cross looming over the woman and children; as well, the use of red lighting negatively associates danger and death to faith, which is drawn from the religious connotations of a cross. The sign has now become a cultural representation, as in Western societies a cross could be associated with Christianity whereas outside Europe it may not, as Christianity is not the predominant belief, and has thus now become a ‘myth’. By incorporating young boys sword fighting with planks of wood throughout the music video this portrays the metonymic symbol of not just youth violence but the destruction of man- further enforced by the presence of soldiers with guns.

The third order is thus the constantly morphing cultural and objective interpretation, this is known as the ideologies. By relating the lyrics to ‘The Troubles’, a current religious issue at the time of the song’s release, the public’s interpretation may support the concept portrayed through the song of war being destruction and negative. However as the objective opinion may have altered since then the song may be disregarded as the public may feel war as necessary for protecting the country due to current political situations.