TRANSFORMATION OF THE SONG LYRICS «DIE GEDANKEN SIND FREI» FROM THE BEGINNING OF ITS CREATION TILL NOWADAYS

Abstract

This article provides the analysis of the lyrics transformation of the song “Die Gedanken sind frei” from the beginning of its creation till nowadays. Transformation of the song lyrics is one of the topical issues in literary studies. Determining changes in socio-political life, the need to highlight new concepts and phenomena and to strengthen the expressive functions of language stimulated the individual-authorial reinterpretation of the song lyrics. The relevance of the study lies in the analysis and comprehensive research of the lyrics transformation. The purpose of research in the field of literary studies consists in the clarifying of the song’s creation history, studying of the syntactical, semantical and morphological changes in comparison, contrast and by means of analyzing the different versions of the song, discovering their place and time of printing; searching and collection the author’s and collaborative editions in which the song was published; in the translation of certain elements that explain the transformation of the lyrics in various publications and also in the causal research of the use of the song in certain social spheres and historical times. The analysis of the text transformation imaged the changes that occurred with the song during the forty-two years (rom around 1800 until 1842), as well as all other verbal unrecorded changes that the lyrics of the song underwent. From our research it follows that the song has undergone such changes as omission of the first and fifth strophes of the original version, transposition of strophes, addition of new strophes, their assignment to certain characters and voices (for example, the lyrics of 1806 by Arnim and Brentano); in publication of 1842 appeared the epigraph in Middle High German and the lyrics underwent phonetical, morphological, semantical, lexical, grammatical and punctuative changes. Finally, it can be said, that despite all the mentioned changes, the song has always been symbolic in times of political problems: it expressed the desire for freedom and independence, acted as a protest, instilled confidence and lifted people’s spirits.