Whale Hunting

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Every child has a dream. But not all old people have a vision. They who are able to make their childhood dreams into manhood visions, they’re the mature ones. They’re grown ups. Do you know what the good thing about being mature is? It’s knowing when and how to use your childhood spirit. Being children isn’t a less good or bad thing at all. On the other hand, it has some good points. Children are innocent, spiritful, honest; things that most of old people had lost; things that we actually must never lost. No matter how old we are, there are times when we should let our child-self out, the spiritful one. Dream big like a child, make vision like a grown up, live it like a mature one. So that when you stumble once, you would always find a way to get up again, to catch that dream, and work hard to realize the vision.

“Let’s leave to the East Sea. Let’s go ride a slow running train to get there.” –Song Chang Sik, Whale Hunting (고래사냥)

Today’s song for Free Spirit is a song titled “Whale Hunting (고래사냥)”, a Korean classic hits sung and written by the legend of Korean folk music, Song Chang Sik. It was first released in 1975, when Song directed music for the classic young-adult Korean movie titled “March of the Fools”. The song, as well as the movie, became a huge hit. As it became the symbol of youth culture in South Korea in the 1970s, it was loved by the youngsters there back then even until now.

Life is kind. Not because it gives us everything we want or need, but because it gives us pain and hardships too, to make us learn, to make us become better, a survivor and a fighter. Life is kind because it’s real. And when we stumble, it’s because we need to see that there’s more to life than we’ve known before. Life is kind, because there’s gotta be more to it. It’s what “Whale Hunting (고래사냥)” tells us. “Even if I keep drinking, singing, and dancing, my heart is filled with sadness. Even if I look around to see what to do, everything I see turns its back to me.” For some people, they have to be stumbled first in order to be pushed out of their comfort zones; to discover something new, to realize that life is so much more than as they know it. For some people, they have to be lost to be able to find themselves; to regain their spirit and be free. “Let’s leave to the East Sea. Let’s go ride a slow running train to get there.”

“The world in my dream last night is forgotten when I wake up in the morning. But there’s one thing I clearly remember from my dream, it’s one small and beautiful whale.” Dream, happiness, purposes of life; ‘whale’ is a metaphor for that. Why? Because it’s a rare animal, a mystical creature that people rarely see, barely. However, it exists and it’s there. And so as dream. “Let’s leave to the East Sea. Let’s go catch the mystical living whale.” For some people, they have to be broken first in order to be able to stand up stronger than ever. Though we can’t see and touch it, though it seems absurd, a dream is there to give people hope. “Even though our love has broken, even if we lost everything all at once. There’s one certain thing inside our hearts, that’s the one beautiful whale.” Dream is a hope that people hold for their life, and they should never let it go, ever. “Let’s leave to the East Sea, let’s go catch the mythical sounded whale.”

Up until this article is written, “Whale Hunting (고래사냥)” has been performed twice in the entertainment music program, “Immortal Songs 2: Singing the Legend”. The first one was on the 28th installment during the “70/80 Original Soundtrack Special” episode. It was performed by the member of male vocal group 4MEN, Shin Young Jae. The episode was broadcasted by KBS television station on December 10th 2011, and later was aired on KBS World channel on December 31st 2011.
The second time was performed by rock vocalist, Jung Dong Ha, collaborated with a pop-rock band, DICKPUNKS. It was during the “Summer Special Part 1 with Guest” when the powerful collaboration performance turned the studio into a summer rock festival, gave feeling like cool breeze of the East Sea was transferred to the stage. The 156th installment was broadcasted by KBS television station on July 5th 2014, and later was aired on KBS World channel on July 26th 2014. Furthermore, Jung and DICKPUNKS’ rendition made it into my list of 7 Most Breathtaking Collaboration Performances on “Immortal Songs 2” of 2014.

“Let’s leave to the East Sea. Let’s go catch the mystical living whale.” –Song Chang Sik, Whale Hunting (고래사냥)

“Sulmasigo noraehago chumeul chwobwado gaseumeneun hana gadeuk seulpeumppunine

(Even if I keep drinking, singing, and dancing, my heart is filled with sadness)

Mueotseul hal geotsinga dulleo boado boineun geon moduga dora anatne

(Even if I look around to see what to do, everything I see turns its back to me)

Ja tteonaja donghae badaro samdeungsamdeung wanhaengyeolcha gichareul tago

(Let’s leave to the East Sea, let’s go ride a slow running train to get there)

Ganbame kkueotdeon kkumui segyeneun achime ireonamyeon idjhyeojijiman

(The world in my dream last night is forgotten when I wake up in the morning)

Geuraedo saenggaknaneun nae kkum hananeun jogeuman yeppeun gorae hanmari

(But there’s one thing I clearly remember from my dream, it’s one small and beautiful whale)

Ja tteonaja donghae badaro sinhwacheoreom sumeul swineun gorae jabeureo

(Let’s leave to the East Sea, let’s go catch the mystical living whale)

Urideul sarangi kkaejindahaedo modeun geotseul hankkeobeone ilneunda haedo

(Even though our love has broken, even if we lost everything all at once)

Urideul gaseumsokeneun tturyeoti itda hanmari yeppeun gorae hanaga

(There’s one certain thing inside our hearts, that’s the one beautiful whale)

Ja tteonaja donghae badaro sinhwacheoreom sorichineun gorae jabeureo

(Let’s leave to the East Sea, let’s go catch the mythical sounded whale)”

3 komentar

Ava KrolMarch 2, 2017 at 9:08 AM
Hi, I stumbled upon this blog, because I was looking for the meaning of the song "Whale Hunt". I first heard it on IS2 when Jung Dong Ha and Dickpunks performed. I wanted to make a post about this in my blog dedicated to Jung Dong Ha. Your blog is a wonderful treasure.
ReplyDelete
Replies