rhythm-and-poetry

(mostly) kpop lyrics that make me mad i didn’t write them first 🙃

[doodletae]

intro :)

hello fellow human beans! some basic info about this page:

-> you can call me "doodle"!

-> i'll be posting lyrics of korean songs (mostly kpop) that i find especially interesting/beautiful, or from a song i'm just obsessed with at the moment

-> i'm really into poetry and songwriting so this blog mostly serves as a collection of art & inspiration for me and fellow lyricists, poets, and kpop enthusiasts of course ;)

-> feel free to submit one of your own favorite lyrics!

-> kpop-related tidbits about me: i became a kpoppie in late December 2020 when i listened to some bts songs a friend recommended and i've been hooked ever since. after bts, i also fell in love with ateez, txt, enhypen, stray kids, the rose, xdinary heroes, seventeen, oneus, aimers, xikers, shinee, boynextdoor, and treasure (yes i am that boy group stan). not gonna lie, bts reawakened my passion for lyricism and i've just been collecting lyrics from kpop ever since then :)

[doodletae]

I widened my shoulders so you could lean on me, but now They just make it hard to move through the metro

-"but sometimes" by boynextdoor

i just really appreciate this clever wordplay; the narrator "grew" his shoulders so that they could be a place of comfort for his lover, but now that he's broken up with her, they're only just a burden and an annoyance to him in his daily life

[doodletae]

Staying up late at night Imagining all kinds of settings Dreaming 'bout my life Everything seemed so possible then Now I don't even dream Sick of feeling low again ... Even if the world pollutes you Don't let yourself be robbed Of the pure innocence of childhood

-"childhood" by the rose

listen i don't make the rules, this one's for all the burnt-out gifted kids who are now adults and wondering if they even experienced a childhood at all and now feeling like they missed an entire part of their lives and have no idea where their life is going anymore

(it's me)

[doodletae]

Love changes 'cause people don't change What is love in the first place anyway? Only God knows whether it's a reward or a punishment 'Cause it's beautiful and cruel

-"nineteen" by b.i

you know when b.i starts talking about love, things are about to get good.

no but not only is the rhythm so addictive in this part of the song, i love how he portrays love as this ambiguous force that is both so amazing yet so terrifying at the same time that we don't know if we want it or if we fear it

[doodletae]

I had a premonition of the destruction you would bring Yes, I made a choice knowingly I drank to the depths of my heart that night After filing the chalice with the poison that is you ... Just save my love, or kill this heart I hope you take my breath away Just save my heart, or end it all Only you can end this pain, oh please Therefore, heal me softly, or kill me softly (No) Rather kill this love, leave me alone If you can't save me I hope that even The remaining hope be broken with your hands, baby Please kill me softly

-"save me, kill me" by cix

sometimes you just stumble upon a song that immediately hooks you with a catchy, beautiful melody and intriguing performance and then you look up the lyrics and OH MY GOSH IT HAS FANTASY STORY DOOMED RELATIONSHIP VIBES BRO WHAT IM OBSESSED

these lyrics could literally be the basis for some fantasy romance novel. or a shakespeare tragedy. i love the storytelling in this and it's so personal too, i feel like this could even be used in a musical? it's just so pretty and heart-wrenching; you can see the narrator on his knees pleading with his lover in their final hour. the narrator knew this relationship didn't have a happy ending. but he took a chance anyway. and now he can only hope that his heart may be broken quickly and swiftly to lessen the pain.

[doodletae]

If we break, I'll be Like dust blowing in space It flutters and disappears, you know that well Than the roar of explosions that planets collide with The feelings we shared a lot Less than half in one day I hate the feeling of being left behind

-"collision" by stray kids

have i ever told you how i feel about space imagery in lyrics? (i go absolutely feral over it, it's my fave thing ever)

anyways. needless to say, skz producing an album with the concept of "stars" has left me collapsing, especially this song where they compare a romantic breakup with a collision of galactic proportions. see, when two things in space collide, it's not just something you brush off. in space, there are no "breakups"; there are explosions. suddenly, all your emotions and feelings explode, and you only end up hurting each other in this confrontation; you destroy any chance of returning to the way things were. your worlds collided, quite literally. you're left as dust, space debris, floating through the dark void, lonely and abandoned. and just like that, it's all over.

[doodletae]

You who sleep for your dreams, it's okay to rest For today, don't even dream When you silently give me a light smile Only then, I feel a little relieved

-"snooze (feat. ryuichi sakamoto & kim woosung)" by agust d

i love the fact that yoongi wrote this song with his music-industry juniors in mind; all these idols and trainees in kpop have such grand dreams, just as any of us do, but yoongi reminds us that you don't always have to dream big. sometimes, dreams can only bring added pressure and chasing those dreams will leave you exhausted and hopeless some days. dreams can easily turn into nightmares.

so take a day off. hit the snooze button and rest a little longer, not dreaming, but simply lying there in silence and in peace.

[doodletae]

No looking at stars for answers, nothing could shine as bright as you

-"you're beautiful" by the rose

your daily dose of heart-melting, insides-warming, sugary soft lyrics brought to you by the rose (of course)

[doodletae]

Mixin' this and all that, dish be lookin' like fusion Take a photo, it's bussin' even in lowest resolution Scrolling through your feed, you see me cookin' up your timeline I eat up everybody's like and share, hottest trend, ha Ayy, no pay, just free samples, heyday, ayy Product sold out, we the best in sellin', ayy Order so much, trail of receipts blowin', bang, bang Can't resist it, you'll finish every plate of leftovers, ha

-"super bowl" by stray kids

3racha did not come to play with the lyrics for this song and i am EATING IT UP (pun absolutely intended). i'm rly impressed with how many food and cooking related lyrics they came up with all just to describe stray kids' music and their success. it's so unique and it not only creates a vivid image but also a distinct taste that remains in the listeners' mouths long after the song is over.

[doodletae]

I love you, baby, baby, baby I've been screaming the whole neighborhood knows (I love you) My neighbors go, yah, yah, yah Let's get some sleep, yoo-ooh, oh-oh I swear you'll like it Oh-eh, oh-eh, oh-eh, oh First serenade, and last serenade I ain't got a car, no license But I promise you one thing, oh I'll get along with your dad, for you

-"serenade" by boynextdoor

besides this song being an actual bop and already securing a place in my heart, i love the sincerity and joy infused into these lyrics. throughout the whole song, the narrator brings up all his shortcomings and struggles, his shy voice when he's talking to his crush, the way his whole body gets nervous, he can't stop thinking about her, he wants to text her at 3:30 in the morning, he's young, he can't drive, he's afraid that he'll mess up his confession but despite ALL THAT, he's ready to shout his love from the rooftops. so much shouting in fact, that the whole neighborhood is sick of it, but he doesn't care, he's not ashamed of his crush or his feelings. if there is one thing he's confident in, it's that he knows that he's in love with someone and he desperately wants to tell her.

[doodletae]

We’ve got nothin’ only fifteen minutes I miss you, everything about you Sun comes up but we can’t sleep Even if I’m awake, it’s like a dream The feeling of flying above the clouds

-"echo" by oneus

this song gives off such "lazy sunday morning" vibes but with a generous amount of ✨spice✨ (bro some of the other lyrics had me hand-over-mouth raising eyebrows, like okay mr. leedo i see you). you can feel the sun rays streaming through the window, the blankets strewn around you, that trance-like state when you first wake up wondering if what happened yesterday was a dream, whispering "just a few more minutes" and letting yourself stay in bed for just a little longer

[doodletae]

Yeah, could it be more? Could’ve been everything could've been with you and I wanna be more But I'm holding on nobody I'm waitin’, I'm faded I feel so sedated I'm bouncing with you from a party ... I could be your daydream Open the door so everyone could see I'll hold you so many times, baby Oh, would you let me love you more, baby? And all the stars could be shining through Shining through

-"fireworks (eng ver.)" by aimers

ok maybe i need to do more korean vs. english version comparisons bc the way whoever wrote the english version of this song took the same concept, some of the exact same words from the original, and wrote lyrics with an entirely different mood and theme is so INGENIOUS??? 'cause in the original version, the song is about the beauty of fireworks and finding light in the darkness, but in the english version, they focus on the finite and fleeting nature of fireworks, how they twinkle for a few moments before they die away. fireworks don't last forever and the narrator of this song laments "what could have been", if only you could have been with me, if only you held on to me, if only you let me love you. the narrator is chasing these fireworks in hopes of finding that love, but it's wearing them out. the narrator longs to see the fireworks with that special someone, the one who means the world to them, but for now, they'll have to keep waiting.

[doodletae]

Paint the night This blazing fire won't be put out It's burning 'til dawn In my eyes Falling stars Fireworks go off, A beautiful sight is filling up everything ... Just like salvation Even if it's just a dream, it's alright I'm running and running and running on To you I'm running and running and running on If you look closely into my eyes It all becomes clear

-"fireworks" by aimers

something about these lyrics is just so pretty, the imagery of painting a night sky with fireworks that light up the darkness and the story of two people finding each other underneath the dazzling sparkles from the fireworks in the sky. for one moment, as the fireworks go off, everything around you is illuminated in beautiful colors and you live chasing that moment, to share that moment with someone else.

bro songs about fireworks go so hard

[doodletae]

Waste, waste away In the gutter with me No, I can't tell what is fake In my reality

-"devil by the window" by txt

i think it's an interesting choice that they worded it "i can't tell what is fake in my reality." usually we encounter the phrase "i can't tell what's real anymore", but this time they emphasize that nothing seems fake to them and that everything is real. it's a bit more haunting because we always place "real" things as more valuable and more desirable than "fake" things, but now what if everything seems real, everything seems desirable, and you can't tell when something is lying to you anymore?

[doodletae]

I don't have that kind of talent Deep story I admit it, I'm not a "born to be" Even when I see myself, I know I am nothing special My twinkling dream It's been long since it faded away Waiting for every second I want to become a rock

-"tinnitus (wanna be a rock)" by txt

not gonna lie, i just really relate to these lyrics, like this is every performer or musician that's ever lived, wondering if they're even talented enough, wondering if their dreams of making it big are wastes of time, and slowly losing the passion for their art. so shoutout to all the peeps who have faded dreams and low self-confidence; you're doing great, keep being creative, keep going! <3

[doodletae]

Tell me today From the dull morning I missed the bus for 10,000 won I had to take a taxi Rush hour I want to know your expression ... Come meet me at seven And stay 'til eleven But won't go to bed then 'Cause this feels like heaven ... Been a long day But it’s okay 'Cause at seven you will be Be here with me

-"7 pm" by bss

this song feels like someone placed a blanket over you as you slowly fall asleep on the couch. i love how from the very first verse you can hear the singer's weariness, their longing to just hang out with their friend again, stealing whatever time they have to be with the person who gives them light and joy in their life. and you can hear them smiling despite their tired body, knowing that once the day ends and the moon rises, once 7 pm rolls around, "you will be here with me" <3

[doodletae]

They say I'm stupid Even if it’s a little delayed, I’m not afraid It's happy every day I’m trapped tightly in a sweet moment Leave the worries to the me of tomorrow This moment won’t come again, yeah

-"happy fools" by txt

this song being the one all the txt members have credits on for the lyrics, i like to think there are a lot of self-references and allusions to their own experiences in these lyrics. "happy fools" seems like an ode or a reminiscence of their pre-debut days. when they sing "leave the worries to the me of tomorrow", it's like pre-debut txt is singing to their future selves who will become "tomorrow x together"