Composed by SUNMI & EL CAPITXN
Lyrics by SUNMI
Arranged by EL CAPITXN
Noir = a genre of crime film or fiction characterised by cynicism, fatalism and moral ambiguity
Note: Sunmi has written this song with "the noir of our era", social media, in mind. She explained that everything on social media is flamboyant, strong or sexual and she tried to play an "attention seeker" in the music video. She said she was worried since this subject is sensitive but then thought "Who else would do it, if not me?" And that's how noir came to be.
Translation Note: Sunmi hasn't referenced anything specific and the only pronoun she's used in the song is "you" in the pre-chorus and bridge. The song can be interpreted in multiple different ways. The lyrics are pretty ambiguous and the only way to make a solid lyric translation is to base it on the translator's interpretation. She might be talking about herself or someone else entirely, so I've translated the song based on what I think made more sense while leaving the rest up to the readers. I believe she wrote the lyrics in a vague distanced way on purpose, leaving it up to our imagination.
[Verse]
왜 늘 엇갈리는 거야
걸음은 한 발짝 느려
wae neul eotgallineun geoya
georeumeun han baljjag neuryeo
Why do we always miss each other on the way?**
Always a step behind
**Could also be "why do [we] always disagree?"
그새 스쳐 지나가
그제서야 돌아봐
뻔하디 뻔하잖아
geusae seuchyeo jinaga
geujeseoya dorabwa
bbeonhadi bbeonhajana
I look back on it
While passing by
It's too obvious
[Pre-Chorus]
I've already seen this before
I feel so high
흐릿해져 하나 둘 셋
heurit-haejyeo hana dul set
It gets blurry, one, two, three
Now I'm blind
I don't know why
보지 않아도
알잖아 Bad ending
boji anado
aljana Bad ending
Though I don't see it
I know, bad ending
[Chorus]
We are in noir
이제 없어 너와
ije eobseo neowa
[I'm] not with you anymore
We are in noir
이제 그만 놔
ije keuman nwa
Now let go [of me]
[Post-Chorus]
Noir Noir
[Verse]
You know what? You're talking too much
봤잖아 그러다
제일 먼저 피 보는 클리셰
bwatjana keureoda
je-il meonjeo pi boneun keullishye (=cliché)
You saw it, that if you do so
[You'll be] the one who bleeds first, [like a] cliché
하긴 이도 저도 뭐도 아닐 바에
차라리 그게 더 나아
hagin ido jeodo mweodo anil ba-e
charari keuge deo na-a
"Well, it's better than
Being neither one nor the other"
Blah blah bullshhh
[Pre-Chorus]
I've already seen this before
I feel so high
흐릿해져 하나 둘 셋
heurit-haejyeo hana dul set
It gets blurry, one, two, three
Now I'm blind
I don't know why
보지 않아도
알잖아 Bad ending
boji anado
aljana Bad ending
Though I don't see it
I know, bad ending
[Chorus]
We are in noir
이제 없어 너와
ije eobseo neowa
[I'm] not with you anymore
We are in noir
이제 그만 놔
ije keuman nwa
Now let go [of me]
[Post-Chorus]
Noir Noir
[Bridge]
Feel like nobody else is here
Feel like nobody else is here
너는 어떤 표정일까
neoneun eoddeon pyojeongilgga
[I wonder] what facial expression you're making
No need to take a look
Cuz I know what is the next
[Chorus]
We are in noir
이제 없어 너와
ije eobseo neowa
[I'm] not with you anymore
We are in noir
이제 그만 놔
ije keuman nwa
Now let go [of me]
[Post-Chorus]
Noir Noir
March 4th 2019
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