Lyrics analysis by IUSTINA @itstinathetuna
The first thing that popped into my head after listening to this song was: Life is not about waiting for the storm to go away, but about learning how to play in the rain. Life is a game. Ready to play? - Which leads me to AGUST D’s quote “Every man dies but not every man lives”
I want to start off by saying that the music video is a masterpiece, so you should totally watch it before reading below. To put it short, this song is about life, so please read carefully. You won’t regret.
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Our protagonist’s name is RM(abbreviation for Real Me) and we’re about to explore the depths of his consciousness and much more. What hit me the hardest was the color theme used in this video. Everything is black and white, as if to say the character’s life is colourless. This combination may also refer to opposing thoughts – perhaps foretelling RM’s interior chaos. Reversing the tints, you obtain the same tones, meaning that light(hope) and darkness(sorrow) live in harmony with each other. Yin Yang much?
"I wish it rained all day
`Cause I’d like someone to cry for me”
I bet that the first question popping into your head is „Why is this so freaking depressing?”.
When I was a baby I used to think that when it rains, it means that the sky is sad and that’s why it’s crying. It is scientifically proven that sun works like a charger for us, so when the weather is cold and cloudy, we tend to be very moody (don’t forget to get that vitamin D, guys).
Notice the „for me”? It’s not that he’s sadistic or wants sacrifices. He just wants to find someone who can understand him and his thoughts, someone who can stand by his side. But have you ever wondered, if this „someone” we’re looking for is actually our hopeless inner self? (sue me, but i don’t believe in soulmates. I’m my own soulmate) Seeking for the „other half” we sometimes neglect our true value. How can someone else love you if you don’t love yourself?
"I wish it rained all day
`Cause then people wouldn’t stare at me
The umbrella would cover the sad face
Cause in the rain people
Are busy minding themselves"
As we all notice, the protagonist, RM, is caught in denial. He can’t find the strength to hide his feelings anymore and put on that smiley facade, so he chooses to blend in with the background.
The people on the street are strangers we see for only seconds just so they can vanish like smoke or...raindrops. Everyone is hiding under an umbrella, incognito you could say. They are like puppets, controlled by their schedules that tell them what to do and where to go. This is another way of saying that nobody cares and perhaps nobody will come ask you if you’re fine. Suddenly, nothing matters anymore, but the rain -> mother nature’s tears. Everything is ephemeral, except for nature and the inner self. The human being – nature bond is very strong, although RM is no Eminescu ( if only we could study Forever Rain for the BAC).
"Gonna breathe a little slower
Cuz my life and my rap,
They’re usually too fast
Now everything goes back to its place
My shadow’s reflected on the sky
I’m standing in the darkness
Head down, to my heels
Slow rap, slow jam, slow rain, everything slow
When it rains it pours, it pours”
The atmosphere is dark and melancholic. This feeling of sadness is somehow addictive, because, to put it short, people are happy to be unhappy. For example, self-harm causes both pleasure and pain and, just like hope and sorrow, the two exist in harmony.
Returning to our plot, the moody weather is making RM fall into the Phlegethon of his inner Inferno (did you notice the antithesis between the cold rain and the burning river, hmm?) The process of slowing down probably means adjusting himself to the addictive state of unhappiness - the pain of protracting loneliness. His head hanging low is a sign of exhaustion. The darkness is like a black hole, sucking all the colour and energy, all the things that make him happy. Although RM keeps walking on his path, suggesting one should never lose hope no matter how dark the sky(life) is because in the end the sun will reappear, he will eventually be sucked by the black hole. Similarly to Dante’s voyage through all the 3 dimensions – Inferno, Purgatory and Paradise, RM has to walk on the path of loving himself in order to achieve happiness. This path is not an easy one because our character must overcome a lot of hardships.
The last verse means that a bad incident is usually followed by even more bad incidents. Too much pain leads to despair. When we’re sad, we tend to forget about positivity. We enhance our sorrow. And again, we’re pleased to feel that way. A few moments later, we’re full of beans. Sadness who? It’s all a freaking cycle. As if the human nature couldn’t get any more complicated (that’s why I like architecture, buildings don’t have feelings).
Subjectively analysing, RM is an artist. As we all know, most performers have a really fast paced life. Being on a never ending tour, creating music and choreos, having a lot of interviews, practices, schedules to attend and so on. The darker the eyebags, the bigger the pain. He’s overworked, he rather needs a pause than a slow button but he keeps working at a steady pace because he knows that if he stops now he will meet his downfall.
"When it rains I get a little feeling that I do have a friend
Who keeps knocking on my windows, asking me if I’m doing well
And I answer, I’m still a hostage of life
I don’t live because I can’t die, but because I’m chained to something”
The sound of raindrops hitting the window is very addictive. When you are inside, you’re safe and warm, but you’re aware of the storm that is outside. Portray this – those raindrops are your restless thoughts and the warmth is represented by your soul which is still seeking hope and light – self-love. The rain is calm, yet we perceive it as violent. But so is our conscience. You know that saying, „the quietest people have the loudest minds”, right? It all turns into a one-on-one battle you have to fight by yourself.
The meaning of friendship is a bit satirized. You see, we all mistake caring about each other with entertaining each other to ease the pain(sort of like a drug). So in other words, despite being surrounded by people, we still feel lonely. We’re bottling up so much that it only intensifies the feeling of despair and when we explode, we break.
The last verse is basically the inner voice screaming for him to keep on going. Stuck in the darkness, he is unable to see the light(the aim), but he feels the urge to go ahead. He is physically blinded by the darkness but the eyes of the mind are still focused on the path. He has to fulfill his unknown fate. That’s why we’re all living.
"Just like you, If I could just knock on somewhere
If I could kiss the whole world so hard
Would someone welcome me and maybe embrace my weary body
Please don’t ask any questions but do keep pouring forever
I’m not lonely when you’re pouring so please stay by my side
Wanna live in the ashy world but I know that there’s no forever”
The rain, despite its sorrow, has a calming effect. RM wishes to be like rain - to help the ones who are feeling lost and soften their pain, to keep them company, because he knows the struggle very well.
Throughout the whole journey it is noticeable that he is strongly seeking acceptance. He wants to be embraced in his true form (pointing out the conflict between his artist persona and him as a fellow Korean citizen), but he isn’t feeling welcomed anywhere. He has yet to follow the path of self-acceptance in order to find the key to self-love.
He is also pointing out the fact that there’s no forever. Life, emotions, money, riches, everything vanishes. That’s why you have to appreciate what you have and enjoy it to the fullest, and never take the good for granted, because there might be no tomorrow. The uncertainty of life is what makes it so beautiful and authentic.
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This song reminds me of this beautiful quote by Haruki Murakami, a Japanese novelist:
“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.” (Kafka on the shore)
I think we all relate to RM. Basically, RM is an universal character – RM is us and we are RM. His path towards self-love, portrayed as a simple walk in the cold rain, is his, is mine, is ours.
Life is like a storm. We’re all struggling to survive. No matter how painful it is, we have to learn how to live, because „ every man dies but not every man lives”. We have to sacrifice our blood, sweat and tears and so much more. We’re born to love and learn how to become better versions of ourselves and fulfill our fates. Let’s make our time on Earth truly worth it!
Kudos to the artist, Kim Namjoon by his name, whom I love and appreciate with all my heart for writing, composing and producing such a meaningful piece of art, and for simply existing.
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