Methods and Procedures of Data Analysis in Song Lyrics

The study employed textual analysis to interpret song lyrics, focusing on temporal, historical, and political contexts. The researcher identified the speaker's emotions and analyzed language, emotionally charged expressions, repetitions, and literary devices like metaphor and symbolism to understand the lyrics' overall meaning and broader implications.

The researcher delimited the number and themes of Afan Oromo and Amharic song lyrics based on expertise. Lyrics addressing national issues were collected from YouTube, music shops, flash drives, and CDs. These collected lyrics were then sorted by thematic concerns, and irrelevant lines were removed. Finally, the selected lyrics were translated into English for analysis.

The selection of songs and artists was guided by research questions and thematic concerns, ensuring equivalent attention to both languages to control bias. Emphasis was placed on selecting famous and 'authentic' singers whose works consistently reflect lyrical thematic and ideological voices, are widely recognized, and whose lyrics represent lived experiences and contextual realities. This approach, using purposive sampling, prioritizes depth and relevance over statistical generalization.

The lyrics chosen engage with themes such as nationalism, unity, political consciousness, struggle, and justice, spanning different historical periods and socio-political contexts in Ethiopia. Examples include Ali Bira and Tewodros Kassahun (resistance, identity, unity), Hachalu Hundessa (marginalized narratives, youth politics), and Tilahun Gessesse (empirical and early revolutionary periods, nationalism, patriotism). Songs composed since the Haile Selassie regime were considered to ensure a shared political and socio-cultural context, enhancing the analysis's depth and validity.

While a large number of artists were considered, the analysis focused only on lyrics relevant to the study's thematic concerns. Artists like Hachalu Hundessa, Ali Birra, and Tewodros Kassahun were selected. The study emphasizes that its findings are not generalizable to all Afan Oromo and Amharic song lyrics but offer interpretive insight into selected national issues. The analytical approach relies on McKee's (2001) textual analysis framework, which acknowledges multiple interpretations and stresses the importance of context (text itself, genre, and wider public context).

The study aimed to analyze how lyrics represent and narrate national issues in Ethiopia, focusing on language aspects, literary devices, and figurative speech. Socio-political contexts, stylistic elements like connotations and imagery, and poetic elements were considered. The analysis centered on discourses and counter-discourses within the lyrics regarding national issues, including representations of heroes, historical memories, the nation's capital, identity, and the conceptualization of the country as motherland versus fatherland. Lyrics were transcribed, sorted thematically, and translated into English. A text-by-text comparative analysis was employed to provide a deeper understanding and comprehensive comparison of national issue representations.