Some of you who know me know that Yumi’s Cells is one of my all-time favorite K-dramas (shout-out to my friend Tamar Herman for recommending it to me in the first place!).  The hit TV show introduced me to not only my cartoon twin, but also this really awesome Korean indie band called Band Nah (나상현씨밴드).  They’re a rising indie pop/rock trio who are responsible for some of the catchiest K-indie songs I’ve heard to date, including “Spotlight,” the theme song from Yumi’s Cells (the Korean title of the song is 주인공, which means “main character”).  It’s a song about finding yourself, and how sometimes in order to do so, you might need to break up with your partner if the relationship isn’t working so that both of you can become better versions of yourselves (or at least that’s how I interpreted it). I love this song so much that sometimes when I’m walking on the streets of NYC, I’ll start randomly playing this song in my head (and usually by that point I’ll whip out my iPhone and my earphones and start listening to it on Spotify).

I decided to include Band Nah in a roundup of K-indie artists that I did for ELLE magazine and really wanted to link to a video of “Spotlight” that had English translations of the lyrics because both the melody and the lyrics are so damn good.  But it seems there’s no official MV for the song, and the lyric videos that currently exist on YouTube all have lots of inaccuracies or really awkward phrases in their translations (plus, I’m sure they’re illegal too). 

So below I’ve tried to provide my own English translation of the lyrics to the best of my ability.  I didn’t do a word-for-word translation because I think that’s a key reason why most of the translations out there sound pretty awkward, and besides, some expressions simply can’t be translated literally. I also switched the order of some of the translated verses to better fit English syntax, so the English translation won’t always correspond to the Korean verse it’s next to.  

I’m no poet or songwriter though, so unfortunately my attempt still fails to capture much of the rich meaning found in the original Korean lyrics, but hopefully this English translation—despite still sounding a bit awkward in some places—gives people an idea of what the song is about (and for those of you who’ve watched Yumi’s Cells, you’ll realize how perfectly this song meshes with the storyline).

주인공 (“Spotlight”) – 나상현씨밴드 (Band Nah)

Written and composed by Nah Sang-hyun (Band Nah’s frontman)

Korean

[Verse 1]
우린 수많은 생각 속에
또 다른 하룰 만나고
지친 마음은 뒤로 한 채
누군가를 생각하고

나완 상관없는 일들에
괜히 마음을 쓰고서
매번 똑같이 흘려보낸
그 시간들 속에서

[Chorus]
작아지는 내 모습이
초라해보이겠지만
언젠가 우리 이렇게
서로를 보며 웃어볼 수 있도록

이 시간이 지나가면
모든 걸 알 수 있을까
그때가 되면 나에게
잘 해왔다고 수고했다 말할래


[Verse 2]
흔한 만남과 헤어짐에
나의 말들은 숨기고
무슨 생각을 하는 건지
어색한 표정들만

쉽게 흔들리는 마음에
상처 입은 건 아닐까
지난 기억들이 나에게
슬픔으로 다가와도

[Chorus]
작아지는 내 모습이
초라해보이겠지만
언젠가 우리 이렇게
서로를 보며 웃어볼 수 있도록

이 시간이 지나가면
모든 걸 알 수 있을까
그때가 되면 나에게
잘 해왔다고 수고했다 말할래

[Verse 3]
멀어져가는 기억에
아직 남아있었던
내 안의 이야기들을
이제는 놓지 않을기
나를 잊지 않게
스쳐가는 계절 속에
말 없이 멈춰선 순간
어쩌면 우린 이렇게
서로를 보며 버티고 있는 걸까

[Outro]
다가오는 이 하루가
조금은 겁이 나지만
그때가 되면 나에게
잘 해왔다고 수고했다 말할래

Romanization

[Verse 1]
urin sumaneun saeng-gak soge
ddo dareun harul mannago
jichin ma-eumeun dwiro han chae
nugun-gareul saeng-gak hago

nawan sang-gwan eomneun ildeure
gwaenhi ma-eumeul sseugoseo
maebeon ddok-gachi heulyeo-bonaen
geu shigan-deul sogeseo

[Chorus]
jagajineun nae moseubi
chorahae-bo-i-getjiman
eonjen-ga uri ireoke
seororeul bo-myeo useobol su itdorok

i shigani jinaga-myeon
modeun geol al su isseulkka
geuddaega dwemyeon na-ege
jal haewatdago sugohaetda malhallae

[Verse 2]
heunhan mannam-gwa he-eojime
naye maldeureun sumgigo
museun saengga-geul haneun geonji
eosaekan pyojeong-deulman

shwipge heundeullineun ma-eume
sangcheo ibeun geon anilkka
jinan gi-eokdeuri na-ege
seulpeumeuro dagawado

[Chorus]
jagajineun nae moseubi
chorahae-bo-i-getjiman
eonjen-ga uri ireoke
seororeul bo-myeo useobol su itdorok

i shigani jinaga-myeon
modeun geol al su isseulkka
geuddaega dwemyeon na-ege
jal haewatdago sugohaetda malhallae

[Verse 3]
meoreojyeoganeun gi-yeoge
ajik nama-isseotdeon
nae ane iyagideureul
ijeneun nochi aneulgi
nareul itji anke
seu-chyeoganeun gyejeol soge
mal eobshi meom-chweoseon sun-gan
eojjeomyeon urin ireoke
seororeul bo-myeo beotigo inneun geolkka

[Outro]
daga-oneun i haruga
jogeumeun geobi najiman
geuddaega dwemyeon na-ege
jal haewatdago sugohaetda malhallae

English

[Verse 1]
While we’re (lost) in countless thoughts,
Another day comes
Leaving our weary hearts behind,
We think of someone

For no good reason, I concern myself with
Matters that don’t concern me
Passing time every day
In the same manner

[Chorus]
Though I’m getting smaller,
And I may seem pathetic,
I hope one day we can
Face each other like this and smile.

Once these times have passed,
Will I be able to know everything?
When that time comes,
I’m going to tell myself that I did well.

[Verse 2]
During frequent encounters and breakups
I hide what I want to say
“Wonder what s/he’s thinking about?”
Only awkward expressions

With a heart that’s easily swayed,
Could it be that s/he was (or I was) hurt?
Even if past memories come to me
In the form of sadness

[Chorus]
Though I’m getting smaller,
And I may seem pathetic,
I hope one day we can
Face each other like this and smile.

Once these times have passed,
Will I be able to know everything?
When that time comes,
I’m going to tell myself that I did well.

[Verse 3]
In my fading memories
The stories inside of me
Still remained.
Now I won’t let go of them
So that I won’t forget who I am.
Amid the passing seasons,
The moments we stopped without saying a word,
Maybe we’re just barely holding on
As we’re looking at each other like this.

[Outro]
This day that’s approaching
Scares me a little,
But when that time comes
I’m going to tell myself that I did well.

Here’s a clip of the band playing the song live!