On the Street
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On the previous post, I wrote that in love, as well as in separation, ones indeed find and lose themselves at the same time; Lost and Found. In love, ones find and lose themselves, from the way they are when they’re with the love. They find who they are, and perhaps, who they want to be. They lose who they used to be, and perhaps, who they might be. In separation, ones find and lose themselves, from the way they’re without the love. They find who they are, and perhaps, who they have to and must be. They lose who they used to be, and perhaps, who they could have might be. After separation, ones lose a part of them, leaving them with an emptiness. In emptiness, ones find another part of them, forcing them to choose between moving forward or moving on.
“I put
up my collars against my neck and even try to smile. As I still see the picture
of the way you were leaving, I’m looking back again and tears are falling.”
–The Zoo, On the Street (거리에서)
A
song titled “On the Street (거리에서)”
is a Korean classic as today’s song for Lost
and Found. This folk pop song was originally performed by Korean folk band,
The Zoo (known as동물원in
Korean, literally read as Dongmulwon),
and was first released on 1988 as the lead single of the band’s first album.
Later, it was released by former The Zoo’s vocalist, the late Kim Kwang Seok
(he was the member of The Zoo until 1989), on 1993 as a part of his first
remake album. The late Kim’s rendition of this song had a rock arrangement in
it, making it a folk rock version of the heart-wrenching song that told about
emptiness, longing, and loneliness.
A
place has its own memories. And sometimes, a certain place could bring up some
certain memories from the depth of our minds. For the man in this song’s
lyrics, that kind of place is on the street; on this one particular street. “The streetlamps on the street light up one
by one. When another day comes to an end over the burnt red twilight, somehow
everything feels like a dream.” Sometimes, it only takes a little corner on
the side of a street to wake up the memories of that long gone person.
Sometimes, it only takes a sunset on a cold windy day to bring back the
memories of that long lost love. “The
deep darkness piles up on the street like dead leaves. When only the cold wind
breeze passes by me, somehow everything feels like a dream.” When those
memories come up, somehow we feel like there’s an inexplicable emptiness
inside. The wind seems colder, the night seems darker, it’s because of the
emptiness. And we wonder, what are we looking for? “I wonder what my reflection on the mirror is trying to find. Even if I
try to say something, even if I try to remember it, only empty gaze, it’s all
that returns.”
When
those memories surface, somehow we realize that the emptiness comes from the
longing feeling we have toward that person who has left. The street seems more
quiet, the streetlamps seem dimmer, it’s because of the longing. And that’s
what we wonder, we’re looking for that person’s presence. “I put up my collars against my neck and even try to smile. As I still see
the picture of the way you were leaving, I’m looking back again and tears are
falling.” The deeper we got into the memories, the more we understand that
we have to get out. Yet, still, after all of those times, it makes the
unstoppable tears shed. “You, the one I deeply long for, with your beautiful
presence, as if nothing had happened, after leaving for a far away place that I
do not know.” Time is moving forward, and we know we have to move along. Time
is moving forward, but have we moved on yet? “Sad memories of love scatter silently. Now, even the way you looked, even
the love we shared, are slowly being forgotten in times.” But in some other
times, from the deep of our hearts we know that we will remember whenever we’re
on that street.
Sung
Hoon, a member of Korean prominent male vocal group Brown Eyed Soul, performed
“On the Street (거리에서)”
on an entertainment music program “Immortal Songs 2: Singing the Legend”. It
was during the 39th episode, when Kim Chang Gi appeared as the legend in the
show. He was a guitarist and singer of The Zoo, along with the late Kim Kwang
Seok. The Kim Chang Gi special
episode was broadcasted by KBS television station on February 25th 2012, and also
by KBS World channel on March 17th 2012. The song was written by Kim Chang Gi,
yet it left a big impression about the late Kim Kwang Seok, as he was the one
who sang it. Sung Hoon performed a ballad rendition of this song, with his
outstanding piano accompaniment. As this song was originally beautiful, Sung
delivered a different beautiful side of the sad love song.
“Sad
memories of love scatter silently. Now, even the way you looked, even the love
we shared, are slowly being forgotten in times.” –The Zoo, On the Street (거리에서)
“Georie garodeung bulri
hana dulssik kyeojigo
(The
streetlamps on the street light up one by one)
Geombukeun noeul neomeo
tto haruga jeomul ttaen waenji modeun geotsi kkumgyeol gatayo
(When
another day comes to an end over the burnt red twilight, somehow everything
feels like a dream)
Yurie bichin nae
moseubeun mueol chadgo itneunji
(I
wonder what my reflection on the mirror is trying to find)
Mwora malharyeo haedo
gieokharyeo hayeodo heohan nungilmani doedorawayo
(Even
if I try to say something, even if I try to remember it, only empty gaze, it’s
all that returns)
Geuriun geudae
areumdaun moseubeuro machi amu ildo eobdeon geotcheoreom
(You,
the one I deeply long for, with your beautiful presence, as if nothing had
happened)
Naega alji mothaneun
meonameon geugotseuro tteona beorin hu
(After
leaving for a far away place that I do not know)
Sarangui seulpeun chueokeun
sori eobsi heuteojyeo
(Sad
memories of love scatter silently)
Ijen geudae moseubdo
hamkke nanun sarangdo deodin sigan soke idjhyeojyeo gayo
(Now,
even the way you looked, even the love we shared, are slowly being forgotten in
times)
Georie jiteun eodumi
nakyeobcheoreom ssaigo
(The
deep darkness piles up on the street like dead leaves)
Chagaun barammani naui
gyeoteul seuchimyeon waenji modeun geotsi kkumgyeol gatayo
(When
only the cold wind breeze passes by me, somehow everything feels like a dream)
Otgitseul sewo georeumyeo
utseum jiryeo hayeodo
(I
put up my collars against my neck and even try to smile)
Tteonagadeon geudaeui
moseub boil geot gata dasi dorabomyeo nunmul heullyeoyo
(As
I still see the picture of the way you were leaving, I’m looking back again and
tears are falling)”
Tags:
brown eyed soul
immortal songs 2
kim chang gi
kim kwang seok
kpop
music
on the street
sung hoon
television program
the zoo
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