THE STUDY OF THE CHAO KRUNG (THE PEOPLE OF BANGKOK) THROUGH LINGUISTIC ANALYSES OF THE LYRICS OF LUK KRUNG MUSIC DURING THE YEARS 1964 – 1983.

Abstract

          This article is a part of the doctoral dissertation on the body of knowledge and value of the phleng luk krung (contemporary pop songs) genre to Thai society between 1964 and 1982. The objective was to examine the representation of the chao krung (the people of Bangkok) through linguistic analyses of the lyrics of luk krung music by analyzing the lyrics of songs that were awarded the Royal Golden Gramophone Award and the Royal Gold Antenna between 1964 and 1983. This qualitative study used a multi-method approach to explore the characteristics of 'chao krung' language in song lyrics. The methods included documentary research, in-depth interviews, analysis of lyrics' prosody, and interpretation of their meaning. This investigation aimed to reveal how these elements contribute to the construction of 'chao krung' images. The research findings showed that every song employed the prosody style of Thai poetry as a framework to construct the lyrics into a form of poetry. There were numerous words at the conventional level of language. The strategies for composing the lyrics included repetition, word variety, using an extensive vocabulary, enhancing vocabulary, and communicating messages through rhetoric and imagery. The lyrics of Luk Krung compositions contained various linguistic characteristics. The elegance of the language was reminiscent of a poet's artistry. The songs also demonstrated the form of construction of the image of people of Bangkok, consistent with the emergence of a discourse that formerly referred to luk krung songs as phleng phu dee (high-class songs).