The lyrics in this study are analyzed according to the stratification notion of functional approach. According to Halliday,К»language is organized into four strata вЂ“ semantics, lexicogrammar, phonology, and phoneticsКј, and К»these four strata are grouped into two stratal planes, the content plane and the expression plane.Кј (ibid.: 26).ДЄs mentioned, the notion of function is central in Functional Linguistics, and in this theory of language the elements of language at different linguistic levels are studied in terms of the functions they serve in each of the levels. К»StratificationКјor the layered structure of language is an important notion in functional linguistics which is built on the general idea that К»a language is a complex semiotic system, having various levels, or strataКј (Halliday and Matthiessen, 2014: 24). So,in spite of its emphasis on the function of language, the functional linguistics accounts for the syntactic structure of language. David Crystal defines function as К»the relationship between a linguistic form and other parts of the linguistic pattern or system in which it is usedКј (Crystal, 2002: 191), and К»the terms functional analysis and functional linguistics have been used to characterize theories which treat the notion of function as centralКј (ibid.). The present study is mainly based on the Hallidayan Systemic-Functional Linguistics theory in which the language function is considered to be the main role of language. The aim is to explore the different stylistic devices used in the lyrics at different linguistic levels, in order to see how all these stylistic features interact to make the lyrics come to mean what they mean. The present study is a stylistic analysis of the lyrics of BeatlesКјs hit К»Let It BeКј. Stylistics has developed in several ways, and what has come to be known as modern stylistics today, is largely built on two interrelated movements in linguistics, that of Russian Formalism and Prague School Structuralism (Simpson, 2004: 50), with the work of key figures such as Mukarovsky and Jakobson making powerful contributions to literary theory (Childs and Fowler, 2006: 127).

Accordingly, it can be said that, song lyrics, along with other more conventional forms of literature such as short stories, poetry, and novels, can make good objects of study in stylistic analyses, since they usually employ many of the same stylistic devices used elsewhere in other forms of literature. As Simpson states, К»many forms of discourse (advertising, journalism, popular music вЂ“ even casual conversation) often display a high degree of stylistic dexterity, such that it would be wrong to view dexterity in language use as exclusive to canonical literatureКј (2004: 3). However, this traditional connection between stylistics and literature does not mean that creativity and innovation in language use is exclusive to literary writing. Generally speaking, literature is considered the preferred object of study in stylistics. There is usually a confusion about the realm of stylistics and according to Simpson К»confusion about the compass of stylistics is a result of confusion about the compass of languageКј (Simpson, 2004: 3).

К»The reason why language is so important to stylisticians is because the various forms, patterns and levels that constitute linguistic structure are an important index of the function of the textКј (Simpson, 2004: 2). Stylistics is the branch of linguistics which has to do with the study of style in literary texts that is,вЂa method of textual interpretation in which primacy of place is assigned to languageвЂ™(Simpson, 2004: 2).Putting it in Leech and Short's words, stylistics is К»the study of language as used in literary texts, with the aim of relating it to its artistic functionsКј (2007: 13).Widdowson defines stylistics as К»the study of literary discourse from a linguistic orientationКј (1975: 3). вЂThe general meaning of style is вЂmanner or modeвЂ™ but the literary meaning of style refers how a writerвЂ™s thoughts take the shape of wordsвЂ™(Batool, 2008).Style has had various meanings throughout the history in and outside the literary text.

Let it be the beatles lyrics meaning