BTS (방탄소년단) - 'NORMAL (Korean Ver.)' Lyrics
- Jun 22
- 5 min read
*This song is a bonus track that is currently only available on the 613 Limited Edition Picture Disc Vinyl of BTS' 'ARIRANG'.
BTS (방탄소년단) - 'NORMAL (Korean Ver.)' Lyrics (With English Translation)
[Jung Kook] : Kerosene, dopamine, chemical-induced
유명세와 fame, yeah, the things we choose
The price of fame and fame, yeah, the things we choose
*유명세 is a noun that refers to the attention, recognition, and effects that come from being famous or well-known. 유명 (famous, well-known) + 세 (勢) (force, influence, power, momentum). Historically, 유명세 is something like: "the force or influence of being famous." Over time, it came to mean the attention, publicity, expectations, scrutiny, and consequences that accompany fame. Unlike 명성 ("fame," "reputation"), 유명세 often focuses on what fame does to a person. While it can be positive, the word often carries a sense of the burden or price of fame. For example, a celebrity dealing with constant public attention, criticism, rumors, or loss of privacy could be described as experiencing 유명세. Unlike the simple idea of "fame," the word often emphasizes the experience and effects of living in the public eye. So the line is not simply: fame and fame, but more like: everything that comes with fame and fame itself. In this lyric, 유명세와 fame (와 being a particle meaning "and / with") seems to contrast the realities or price of fame with fame itself, highlighting both the appeal of celebrity and the burdens that accompany it.
[Jimin] : Show me hate, show me love, 반복되는 춤
Show me hate, show me love, a repeating dance
*Here, 춤 (dance) is likely used metaphorically to describe the ongoing cycle of receiving both love and hate. The image suggests a pattern that keeps repeating, much like a dance whose steps never change.
Yeah, we call this shit normal (Woo-woo)
[Jin] : 조명이 꺼지면 찾아드는 꿈
When the lights go out, a dream comes and finds me
잠깐 이 세상이 날 잊었으면
I wish this world would forget me for a moment
*These lines express a recurring longing for a brief escape from the pressures of fame and public attention. When the spotlight fades, they dream of being forgotten by the world, even if only for a moment.
[V] : Kerosene, dopamine, what I gotta do?
Yeah, we call this shit normal (Ah-ooh)
[Jimin] : 지구는 돌고 난 도망치는 중
The world keeps turning, and I'm in the middle of running away
Will you color me red? Will you color me blue?
네모난 화면 뒤에 그 가쁜 숨
That breathless breath behind the rectangular screen
*The image suggests that behind what we see on a screen, there is a real person struggling, exhausted, anxious, or desperately trying to keep up. These lyrics highlight the contrast between a public image and private reality. The "rectangular screen" suggests social media or digital fame or content / media in general, while the "breathless breath" hints at the exhaustion, anxiety, or pressure hidden behind what people see online.
Is it different for me? Is it different for you?
[V] : Got me feelin' things unusual
And I live 'em all
[Jungkook] : 알아 이제 너무 익숙해진 걸
I know I've gotten too used to it now
텅 빈 me
The empty me
*These lines suggest that they have grown accustomed to a sense of emptiness. Rather than expressing shock or resistance, they recognize that feeling hollow inside has become familiar, which makes the realization all the more unsettling. The word 익숙해진 ("become accustomed to") is especially important because it implies this isn't a temporary feeling—the speaker has been living with it long enough for it to start feeling normal.
[V] : Kerosene, dopaminе, chemical-induced
유명세와 fame, yeah, the things we choose
The price of fame and fame, yeah, the things we choose
[Jungkook] : Show me hate, show me love, 반복되는 춤
Yeah, we call this shit normal (Woo-woo)
[Jin] : 조명이 꺼지면 찾아드는 꿈
When the lights go out, a dream comes and finds me
잠깐 이 세상이 날 잊었으면
I wish this world would forget me for a moment
[Jimin] : Kerosene, dopamine, what I gotta do?
Yeah, we call this shit normal (Ah-ooh)
[j-hope] : How I'm 'posed to feel?
무뎌지기도, 부서지기도 하는 인간이기에
Because we're human beings who sometimes grow numb and sometimes break apart
버텨왔고, 또 견뎌왔던 그런 시간이기에
Because those were times that we endured and persevered through
다 행복하기만 한 건, mm, that ain't real (That ain't real)
Something that's only happy, mm, that ain't real (That ain't real)
*These lines reflect on the reality of being human. Because people inevitably experience pain, numbness, and hardship, j-hope rejects the idea that life can be nothing but happiness, suggesting that both joy and struggle are essential parts of the human experience.
[Suga] : 평범이고 자시고 특별이고
Whether it's normal or special
자 부질없는 담배 연기 같은걸
It's as fleeting as cigarette smoke
한숨 뒤에 그저 흩어지고 흩어져
After a sigh, it simply scatters and disperses
굳이 잡을 필요도 잡히지도 않는걸
There's no need to hold onto it, it can't even be held anyway
*These lines question the importance of being "normal" or "special." Suga compares such labels to cigarette smoke—fleeting, intangible, and impossible to hold onto—suggesting that they're not worth clinging to or defining oneself by.
[RM] : Runaway, pushin' me, pullin' me, said you wanted all of me
But what is even all of me?
Suddenly, part of me is hauntin' me, heard the things they callin' me
What the hell you want from me? (Want from me)
[V] : Got me feelin' things unusual
And I live 'em all
[Jungkook] : 알아 이제 너무 익숙해진 걸
I know I've gotten too used to it now
텅 빈 me
The empty me
[Jimin] : Kerosene, dopamine, chemical-induced
유명세와 fame, yeah, the things we choose
The price of fame and fame, yeah, the things we choose
[V] : Show me hate, show me love, 반복되는 춤
Yeah, we call this shit normal (Woo-woo)
[Jin] : 조명이 꺼지면 찾아드는 꿈
When the lights go out, a dream comes and finds me
잠깐 이 세상이 날 잊었으면
I wish this world would forget me for a moment
[Jungkook] : Kerosene, dopamine, what I gotta do?
Yeah, we call this shit normal (Aa-ooh)
[Jin] : No, we, no, we, no, we call this shit normal
No, we, no, we, no, we call this shit normal, yeah
No, we, no, we, no, we call this shit normal
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