(translated in 2021)
During the dog days of summer, the Korean peninsula enters its monsoon season, accompanied by weeks of often intense, unyielding rain that saturates the landscape. In the 90s film “Forrest Gump,” in one of the scenes, the eponymous protagonist recounts his experience with various kinds of rain in Vietnam during the monsoon season, from fine drizzles to stinging droplets to heavy torrents that seemed to come from all directions, even from below. This description vividly captures the essence of Korea’s monsoon season at its peak as well.
When I first heard ”Rain” from their debut studio album “Dark & Wild,” which was released the previous year, Seoul was mired in three consecutive days of relentless downpour. Water descended from the leaden sky as if harboring a grudge against the world beneath. From my window, I watched the rain mercilessly battering the pavement, turning the roadside into a semblance of a turbulent river, the swift current surging towards the drainage. Within this context, each note and lyric of the song seemed to resonate with the season’s mood.
“Rain” also was a revelation to me. It was the group’s first work that showcased their innovative approach and the depth of their lyrical expression.
Musically, composed by the rap line with Slow Rabbit, the song blends a serene melody with the rhythmic patterns of rainfall, creating an immersive experience that mirrors the introspective journey it narrates. This use of rain as more than just a backdrop sets the song apart, a technique Jungkook would later employ in his solo effort “Still With You,” released six years afterwards, to similar effect.
Lyrically, also written by the rap line—who were 19 and 20 years old at the time—with Slow Rabbit, “Rain” utilizes a variety of metaphors and poetic expressions to deeply capture the essence of a rainy day’s moments and the introspection they inspire. Just as one senses the nuanced shifts and scents of the weather, the lyrics delicately convey the intricate emotions tied to each fleeting moment on a rain-soaked day. Let’s delve into a few key examples:
In the intro and first verses, even though it is centered around the theme of rain, RM transcends mere weather description, utilizing symbolism and figurative language to reveal a state of deep immersion in his thoughts and emotions. Phrases like “달리는 차들, 사방에 꿈틀대는 우산들 (dahl-li-neun chah-deul, sah-bahng-eh kkum-teul-dae-neun woo-sahn-deul) (Cars rush by, umbrellas twist everywhere)” depict a vivid picture of the vibrant, bustling world outside, in contrast to his own sense of stagnation. Pondering, “난 왜 여기 멈춰 섰을까 (Why am I stuck here?),” he articulates the anxiety that grips his mind, a symbolic reflection of his uncertainties about the group’s and his future. This moment encapsulates a sense of being at a standstill amid a world in constant motion.
His anxiety escalates with lines such as “지난 밤 완성치 못한 노래의 메모장/ 오늘은 끝낸다 눈 질끈 감고 한숨 푹 쉬어보네 (A notepad harboring last night’s unfinished song,/ I resolve to finish it, closing my eyes with a deep sigh).” These words not only convey his determination to overcome creative blocks but also lay bare the uncertainty surrounding his artistic endeavors. Furthermore, “죄 없는 냉장고 또 열었다 닫어 (I keep opening and shutting the poor fridge)” describes the emptiness felt and the repetitive actions it triggers. RM employs the term “죄 없는 (chwe up-neun) (innocent, not guilty)” to characterize the fridge. Through this anthropomorphism, he conveys a sense of guilt towards the fridge, as if to apologize for his repeated actions of opening and closing it, a behavior driven by his underlying anxiety and boredom.
The final lines of the first verse are my favorite part in the song:
Overwhelmed by an inexplicable emptiness,
I feel the need to go out, umbrella forgotten.
The distinct sound of rain touching earth,
An absurd smile breaks;
It’s the perfect background score.
Lost in hums like a madman, time slips by.
As elaborated earlier, on a rain-drenched day, RM grapples with his future and struggles with completing a song’s lyrics. However, stepping outside, he is struck by the realization that the timbre of rainfall creates a captivating harmony. RM reflects on this moment with the expression “피식 웃어 (pih-sihk woo-(t)suh),” a Korean phrase used when one is compelled to laugh at the absurdity, innocence, or awkwardness of a situation. It captures his mixed feelings of amusement and frustration, recognizing the effortless musicality of the rain, which is markedly different from his own struggle with creativity.
Echoing RM’s approach in the first verse, SUGA skillfully employs the motif of rain not just as a literal description but as a vehicle for conveying his emotional landscapes. Phrases like “비 내리는 밤 창문을 노크하는 비는 때리지 마음을/ 시크한 어깨를 잡고 확인한 문자, “요즘 어때?/ 친구의 안부문자는 나를 감성에 젖게 만들지 (A rainy night, droplets knock on the window, stirring feelings/ Clutching my sore shoulder, I see a message: “What’s up”/ A friend’s query drenches me in nostalgia)” unfolds a scene where the droplets tapping against the window awakens a torrent of emotions.
This song was crafted during the beginning stages of BTS’s journey, at a time when the members shared a dormitory, distant from the comforting care of family and friends. It is in this state that SUGA wrote his verse to personify rain as an external force stimulating his emotions. (Regarding the ‘sore shoulder,’ he hurt his shoulder in 2012, before his debut with BTS, when he got hit by a car while employed as a delivery worker to support his dream of becoming a musician. As those with a significant injury know, the pain intensifies on a rainy day.)
SUGA’s later reflective lines “만날 사람도 없는데 괜히 더 길게 샤워를 하지/ 숙소 밖 여전히 비는 내리네/ 갈 곳도 딱히 없는데 우산을 챙긴 채/ 처벅처벅 걸어 정처 없이 더러워진 신발에 비는 (No one to meet, yet a prolonged shower ensues/ Outside the dorm, rain continues its descent/ Nowhere to go, but I grab an umbrella/ And then wander, my shoes gathering rain’s mark)” poignantly encapsulates the aimlessness he experienced in his formative years. This depiction of mundane actions—taking an unnecessarily long shower, aimlessly wandering under the persistent rain—serves as a metaphor for the internal sense of directionlessness.
In the third verse, J-Hope continues the use of rain as a metaphorical catalyst, further exploring its capacity to evoke and mirror his internal emotions. Waking up to a body stiff with anticipation of rain, he looks outside to see the rain beginning to fall, as if on cue with his aches (“몸을 일으켜 찌뿌둥하다고 느낄 쯤 창문을 볼 때/ 내 몸을 예상이라도 한 듯 비가 내리고 있네 (Getting up feeling stiff, I gaze outside/ As if it anticipated my aches, rain falls)”). And then the raindrops on the window seems to reflect the tears he holds back, making the rain an extension of his own emotional state: “창문에 맺혀 있는 빗물들 바라보며 느끼지/ 마치 내 마음속을 흐른 눈물들 (Watching raindrops on the window/ They echo the tears within me”).
As J-Hope steps outside, after unfurling an umbrella creased like his worried face—“내 (nae) (my) 인상처럼 (in-sahng-chuh-ruhm) (like an worried expression) 구겨진 (goo-gyuh-jin) (creased) 우산을 (woo-sahn-eul) (umbrella) 쫙 펴고 (jjock pyuh-go) (widely unfurl)”—his walk outside becomes a contemplative experience, with the rain’s constant murmur inviting him to reflect. He ponders the rain’s recipients, its purpose, as it patters on the desolate pavement: “이 비는 누굴 위해서 내리는 걸까?/ 쓸쓸한 회색 시멘트 위 부딪혀 때리는 청각 (For whom does this ran fall/ On desolate gray cement, rain’s beats resound).”
Through its rich metaphors and poetic expressions, “Rain” is an artwork that deeply immerses listeners in their emotions and thoughts. It also marks a revelatory moment as the first BTS song that showcased a level of lyrical sophistication and emotional depth distinct from other K-Pop groups, a quality that has continued to impress me over the years.
Lyrics:
Intro:
(JK) Over Seoul draped in rain’s dark hues,
(RM) Cars rush by, umbrellas twist everywhere.
Clouds hang heavy, air remains clear.
(V) Me reflected in post-rain puddles, (*continued by RM in Verse 1)
Verse 1 (RM):
Against a gray backdrop; why am I stuck here?
Overthinking, or thoughts absent, I’m not sure.
As the outside world brightens, I awaken.
Fingers of my weary hands run through my hair.
A notepad harboring last night’s unfinished song,
I resolve to finish it, closing my eyes with a deep sigh.
Crafting excuses, spinning words;
The song’s incomplete, so any words will do now.
Turning to the window, world’s awash in gray.
The city, buildings, streets all under rain’s gray.
Everything in the world moves in slow motion.
A younger band member awakens, mumbling.
I keep opening and shutting the poor fridge.
Overwhelmed by an inexplicable emptiness,
I feel the need to go out, umbrella forgotten.
The distinct sound of rain touching earth,
An absurd smile breaks;
It’s the perfect background score.
Lost in hums like a madman, time slips by.
Chorus (JK, V):
Over Seoul draped in rain’s dark hues,
Sleeplessness grips me, becoming gray.
In post-rain puddle reflections reveal
A more pitiful me today.
Verse 2 (SUGA):
A rainy night, droplets knock on the window,
stirring feelings.
Clutching my sore shoulder, I see a message: “What’s up?”
A friend’s query drenches me in nostalgia.
Inhaling the damp scent of raindrops,
I stretch and then head off to the bathroom,
Where a groggy reflection greets me.
No one to meet, yet a prolonged shower ensues.
Outside the dorm, rain continues its descent.
Nowhere to go, but I grab an umbrella,
And then wander, my soiled shoes gathering rain’s mark,
As if it’s highlighting its presence.
Do I, like the rain, leave marks on you?
Or am I merely a transient shower, here then gone?
Chorus (Jimin, Jin):
Over Seoul draped in rain’s dark hues,
Sleeplessness grips me, becoming gray.
In post-rain puddle reflections reveal
A more pitiful me today.
Verse 3 (J-Hope):
Getting up feeling stiff, I gaze outside.
As if it anticipated my aches, rain falls.
Watching raindrops on the window,
They echo the tears within me.
Peering outside, it reflects my delicate feelings.
In the melody of rain, all moves in andante.
Stepping out after getting ready,
Unfurling the umbrella as creased as my worried face,
I walk, rain filling my ears.
At that moment, I ponder,
For whom does this rain fall?
On desolate gray cement, rain’s beats resound.
Come slow down.
Chorus (JK, V):
Over Seoul draped in rain’s dark hues,
Sleeplessness grips me, becoming gray.
In post-rain puddle reflections reveal
A more pitiful me today.
Outro (JK, Jimin):
Even if rain ceases, clouds disperse,
I remain, just as I am.
Silently peering into the world through a puddle,
I see a pitiful reflection of myself staring back.
In this rain,
In this rain.