Learning Korean through music: 뱀 by 자우림

A post from another site of mine that I originally wrote on 2004.01.10. No YouTube video seems to be available for this. Remember, the translation is done as literally as possible, in order to help the student.



Original post from 2004:

I like this song a lot, especially the 나나나나나나 part. It's a good song to listen to when driving, as is another that I'll put up soon. Lyrically though it's a wee bit difficult. Words like 궤변가 (sophist, a person who always tries to weasel his/her way out of things through talking) aren't used too often in regular speech. Still, it's worth taking the time to listen to.


Song lyrics

8)그래그래 너는 그렇게 말을 하지. 이제 다시 그런 일은 없을거라고
왜 내 눈을 보면서 얘기 못 해? 너는 질리지도 않았니, 뻔한 핑계.
언제까지나 그런 식으로 도망갈 줄 알았니? 언제까지나 그런 식으로 무사할 줄 알았니?
난 그저 매번 이렇게 화만내지. 이제 다시 그런 일은 하지 말라고. 왜 너를 이대로 버리지 못 해?
나는 질리지도 않는 걸까, 이런 일들.
언제까지나 이런 식으로 살아야만 하는걸까? 언제까지나 이런 관계를 계속해야 하는 걸까?
너는 한 마리 뱀이지, 슬슬 스르르륵, 네 몸만 빠져나가면, 아무 상관 없이,
뻔뻐느런 얼국로 만족스런 미소를 짓지. 너의 한 마디말에도, 아무렇지 않게 지껄여대는 괘변과 내뱉어대는 욕설이 있지.
나나나나나나....
내 인생을 망쳐 놓고, 웃고 있는 너
나나나나나나....
이 모든 걸 망쳐 놓고 즐거워하는 넌
나나나나나나....
넌, 한 마리 뱀이지.
그래 보자보자 하니까 심하잖아. 나를 만만하게 보지마, 더 이상은.
이제 각오해 두는 게 좋을 거야. 너도 뜨거운 맛을 보게 될 테니.
언제까지나 그런 식으로 도망갈 순 없으니까. 언제까지나 그런 식으로 찾아주진 않으니까.

Yeah, that's the way you talk, saying that it'll never happen again.
Why can't you look at my eyes when you talk? Aren't you even sick of your ridiculous excuses? 
How far did you think you could run like that? How safe did you think you were like that?
I just get angry every time, telling you not to do that.
Why can't I just throw you away? Shouldn't I be sick of all this?
How long do I have to live like this? How long do I have to keep up this relationship?
You're a snake aren't you, slithering about...when you leave your body you're
smiling like there's nothing wrong, looking satisfied with that cocky expression of yours
In just one of your words you spit out curses and sophistry to no end like you don't give a damn
Nananana...
You, ruining my life and smiling all the while
nanananan...
You, enjoying yourself as you ruin everything
nanananana...
You're a snake, aren't you?
That's right, you're suffering because you underestimated me
Don't you look down on me anymore, I'm not so soft
You should get ready
You're going to taste something hot too (you're going to regret what you're doing later)
Because you can't run away like that forever
Because I'm not going to put up with it forever

질리다-Get sick of, be taken aback by.
뻔하다-Cocky, ridiculous, outlandish.
핑계-Excuse.
식-Style, system. This is seen a lot in cooking. 일본식요리 is Japanese-style food. 그런 식으로 means 'in that way', and 한국식으로 means 'in a Korean way'.
도망가다-Run away, flee. Also 도망치다.
무사하다-To be safe. 무사히 means safely.
매번-Every time. 매 means every, so we can have 매일-every day, 매주-every week, etc.
화 나다-To get angry. Lit. Fire comes out. 화 means fire, or anger.
버리다-To throw away.
살다-To live.
한 마리-One animal. 마리 is the counter for animals so we have 한 마리, 두 마리, etc.
관계-Relationship. 관계 없다, lit. no relationship means, 'It doesn't matter' and is used in conversation all the time.
계속하다-To continue.
상관없다-No relationship/doesn't matter. Nearly identical to 관계 없다.
뻔뻔스럽다-Cocky.
만족스럽다-Satisfied.
미소(를 짓다)-(To) smile. 미소 is a noun for smile. Another word for smile is 웃음, he noun form of the verb 웃다, to smile or to laugh.
한 마디-One word/short statement.
아무렇지 않게-As if nothing were going on, like nothing's the matter.
지껄여대다-Chatter, blabber.
궤변-Sophistry (Bending the truth with words)
내뱉다-To spit out.
욕설-Swear, curse. Sometimes just called 욕. 욕 하다 means 'to swear'.
망치다-To ruin.
웃다-To smile, to laugh.
즐거워 하다-To have fun, enjoy oneself. This is a form of the adjective 즐겁다 which means enjoyable/fun.
보자보자 하다- to underestimate
심하다-Terrible, painful...
만만하게 보다-To look down/underestimate somebody.
더 이상-More/from now on.
각오하다-To prepare, mentally get ready for something.
뜨겁다-Hot.
참다-To put up with something.

...거라고 - This is used in quoting. In the first two sentences of the song we see
그렇게 말을 하지 - you talk like that, don't you?
And then, 그런 일은 없을거라고 - that it won't happen again. These are actually two broken sentences, and could be made into one that looks something like this: 너는 그런 일은 없을거라고 말을 하지 - You say that it's not going to happen again. Take this sentence: 나는 내년에 유럽에 갔다 올거라고 친구에게 말했어. I told my friend that I would go to Europe next year. This sentence can also be broken up in the same way: 내가 친구에게 말했어, 내년에 유럽에 갔다 올거라고. I told my friend, that I would go to Europe next year. These sentences are seen often in conversation.
하지 말라고-(I) told (you) not to do (it). This is another example of quoting. By affixing -지 마 to the end of a verb one can give a negative order - don't! For example 캐나다에 가지마, 캐나다에 가지 마요, 캐나다에 가지 마세요 - Don't go to Canada, in varying degrees of politeness. By affixing -지 말다 to a verb we get a new verb that is negative in form. For example, since 가야 되다 means you must go, we can take the negative form, 가지 말다, and turn it into 가지 말아야 되다, which means you must not go, literally you have to not go.
뜨거운 맛 - lit. a hot taste. This is used when threatening people. I still don't know what is bad about a 'hot taste' - I used to think it meant blood, but someone has told me that it's not so. In the meantime just remember that it's used when threatening somebody and means "You're gonna get it later!"

왜 내 눈을 보면서 얘기 못해 - Why can't you talk while you look at me? This -면서 means to do something at the same time as another action.
먹으면서 전화했어 - I phoned while I ate
책을 읽으면서 테레비젼을 볼 수가 없어 - I can't watch tv while reading