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Click to view previous issues: Issue 01: 시작(The Beginning), Issue 02: 별이 빛나는 밤(Starry Night), Issue 03: 연인(Lovers)

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Hello, 안녕하세요, I’m back with issue 04 of ‘The Attic Playlist’! My name is Jiwon, and ‘The Attic Playlist’ is a series I have designed to introduce songs by musicians who are less popular to foreign listeners yet definitely worthy of recognition. In each issue, I will introduce five songs by different musicians. For every song, I will provide the full lyrics in Korean. Then, I will pick out a few lines from the lyrics that capture the mood of the song and provide a translation of them, so non-Korean speakers can also enjoy the meaning of them.

‘The Attic Playlist’ will be published once every two weeks.

This week’s theme

Drinking among colleagues, friends, and family members is one of the exciting aspects of Korean culture. There are rules to follow, and no matter how drunk you are, you need to bear in mind to still respect others according to the usual Korean manners. In the end, just as how many of today’s songs have specially featured singers collaborating with the original singers, the drinking culture works to bring people together in a casual and relaxed atmosphere.

This week’s playlist

1. 보드카 레인(Vodka Rain) - 심야식당(Late-night Restaurant)

2. 윤종신 - 막걸리나

“막걸리(Makguli) is a Korean alcoholic beverage. It is made from rice and wheat mixed with 누룩(nuruk), a Korean fermented starter. It has a milky, off-white color and sweetness” (from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makgeolli). 막걸리나(Makguli-na) is a word the composer made up. Adding -na at the end makes it sound like a girl’s name.

3. 이아립(Lee A-Lip) - 서라벌 호프(Seorabeol Pub) (Feat. 강아솔)

4. 긱스(Geeks) - 그냥 가요(Just Go) (Feat. 조현아)

5. 리쌍(Leessang) - 알콜 Man(Alcohol Man)

I hope you have enjoyed the playlist, and feel free to comment below if you have any questions or concerns about my translation. I would also appreciate words of encouragement! All the Korean lyrics are from Naver Music, and all the videos are from Youtube.