Life Goes On

“Life Goes On” is the 1st track of Be, the BTS album released in November 2020. It was produced by Pdogg, RM, Ruuth, Chris James, Antonia Armato, SUGA, j-hope.

A line-by-line translation and explanation follows the clean version. English lyrics are italicised and the stanzas are left as they are in the original. One addition for this album: because so many of the lyrics clearly represent the member that voices them, I’ve made a note of the artist when they sing or rap alone.

Clean Translation

Jung Kook
One day, the world stopped 
without any prior warning 
Spring didn’t know to wait 
so it came without any tact

Jimin
On a street with footsteps since erased, 
here I am, fallen on the ground 
Time goes off alone,
without even an apology 

RM
It seems like it’ll rain again today
I’m drenched
It still doesn’t stop
I race faster than those dark clouds
I thought that would be enough but
I must merely be human
It hurts so,
this cold I’ve gotten from that damn one called ‘the world’
The dusty rewind I’ve pressed because of it,
dancing to an uneven rhythm while fallen on the ground
Let’s breathe out once winter’s here,
a warmer breath

V
💫 I can’t see the end
Is there even an exit?
I can’t, can’t move my feet forward, oh
Jung Kook / Jin
I briefly close my two eyes
Here, hold my hand
Let’s fly to that future

 🌳  Like an echo in the forest
The day will surely return 
as if nothing had happened 
Yeah life goes on
Like an arrow in the blue sky
Another day will fly past 
On my pillow, on my table
Yeah life goes on
Like this again

SUGA
I’ll borrow this music to say this to you: 
people say that the world has all changed 

Thankfully, our relationship 
still hasn’t changed 

j-hope 
With the words ‘hello/goodbye’ that we always said to begin and end,
let’s try to connect today and tomorrow once again 
Though the world has stopped, don’t hide in the dark 
for the light will rise again 

💫 

🌳  

V
I remember
I remember
I remember
I remember

---

Line-by-Line Translation

어느 날 세상이 멈췄어
One day, the world stopped 

아무런 예고도 하나 없이
without any prior warning 

봄은 기다림을 몰라서
Spring didn’t know to wait 

눈치 없이 와버렸어
so it came without any tact 

발자국이 지워진 거리
On a street with footsteps since erased, 

여기 넘어져있는 나
here I am, fallen on the ground 

혼자 가네 시간이
Time goes off alone,

미안해 말도 없이
without even an apology 

오늘도 비가 내릴 것 같아
It seems like it’ll rain again today 

흠뻑 젖어버렸네
I’m drenched 

아직도 멈추질 않아
I still don’t stop
The lack of subject means this can also be read as ‘the rain still doesn’t stop’.

저 먹구름보다 빨리 달려가
I race faster than those dark clouds 

그럼 될 줄 알았는데
I thought that would be enough but 

나 겨우 사람인가 봐
I must merely be human 

몹시 아프네
It hurts so, 

세상이란 놈이 준 감기
this cold I’ve gotten from that damn one called ‘the world’ 

덕분에 눌러보는 먼지 쌓인 되감기
The dusty rewind I’ve pressed because of it, 

넘어진 채 청하는 엇박자의 춤
dancing to an uneven rhythm while fallen on the ground 

겨울이 오면 내쉬자
Let’s breathe out once winter’s here, 

더 뜨거운 숨
a warmer breath 

💫 끝이 보이지 않아
I can’t see the end 

출구가 있긴 할까
Is there even an exit? 

발이 떼지질 않아 않아 oh
I can’t, can’t move my feet forward, oh 

잠시 두 눈을 감아
I briefly close my two eyes 

여기 내 손을 잡아
Here, hold my hand 

저 미래로 달아나자
Let’s fly to that future 💫

🌳 Like an echo in the forest

하루가 돌아오겠지
The day will surely return 

아무 일도 없단 듯이
as if nothing had happened 

Yeah life goes on

Like an arrow in the blue sky

또 하루 더 날아가지
Another day will fly past 

On my pillow, on my table

Yeah life goes on

Like this again 🌳

이 음악을 빌려 너에게 나 전할게
I’ll borrow this music to say this to you: 

사람들은 말해 세상이 다 변했대
people say that the world has all changed 

다행히도 우리 사이는
Thankfully, our relationship 

아직 여태 안 변했네
still hasn’t changed 

늘 하던 시작과 끝 안녕’이란 말로
With the words ‘hello/goodbye’ that we always said to begin and end,
In Korean, 안녕 (‘an-nyeong’) is used for both greetings. 

오늘과 내일을 또 함께 이어보자고
let’s try to connect today and tomorrow once again 

멈춰있지만 어둠에 숨지 마
Though the world has stopped, don’t hide in the dark 

빛은 또 떠오르니깐
for the light will rise again 

💫 

🌳  

I remember

I remember

I remember

I remember