English translation and Korean lesson with the lyrics of Not Today by BTS, from the 2017 album You Never Walk Alone.
Produced by: Pdogg
Written by: Pdogg, “Hitman” Bang, RM, Supreme Boi, June
Find it here: Youtube • Spotify • Apple Music • Amazon Music
Intro:
All the underdogs in the world
A day may come when we lose
But it is not today
Today we fight!
Verse 1:
No not today
언젠가 꽃은 지겠지
There will come a time when flowers fall.
언젠가 = someday, sometime
꽃 = a flower
지다 = to fall
-지 = adds a nuance of “you know”, or “isn’t it?” (지겠지)
But no not today
그 때가 오늘은 아니지
That day is not today.
그 = that, those
때 = the point in time when something happens
오늘 = today
아니다 = to not be X (X being the previous noun)
No no not today
아직은 죽기엔 too good day.
It’s still too good of a day to die.
아직 = still
죽다 = to die
No no not today
No no no not today
그래 우리는 EXTRA
Yeah, we’re extras,
그래 = yeah, sure, okay
우리 = we, us, our
But still part of this world
EXTRA plus ORDINARY
그것도 별 거 아녀
That’s not a big deal either.
-도 = X too/neither, even X (그것도)
별 거 아니다 = to be no big deal, to be nothing special
오늘은 절대 죽지 말아
Don’t ever die today.
절대 = never, absolutely not
-지 말다 = “Don’t do X” (죽지 말아)
빛은 어둠을 뚫고 나가
Light pierces through the darkness.
빛 = light (like sunlight, lamplight, etc. Not like “this bag is light”)
어둠 = darkness
뚫다 = to pierce, to dig through
-고 = “X and”. Used for verbs/adjectives, not nouns (뚫고)
나가다 = to go out of
새 세상 너도 원해
Do you want a new world, too?
Oh baby yes I want it
새 = new
세상 = a world
너 = you
원하다 = to want
Pre-Chorus:
날아갈 수 없음 뛰어
If you can’t fly, run.
날아가다 = to fly off (날다 = to fly + 가다 = to go)
-ㄹ 수 없다 / -을 수 없다 = to not be able to do X (날아갈 수 없음)
뛰다 = to run, jump
Today we will survive
뛰어갈 수 없음 걸어
If you can’t run, walk.
걷다 = to walk
Today we will survive
걸어갈 수 없음 기어
If you can’t walk, crawl.
기다 = to crawl
기어서라도 gear up
Even if you’re crawling, gear up.
-라도 = indicates that even though X isn’t the best option, it’ll do (기어서라도)
겨눠 총! 조준! 발사!
Ready! Aim! Fire!
겨누다 = to take aim
총 = a gun, a firearm
조준 = aim
발사 = a launch, the discharge of a weapon (발사하다 = to launch, to discharge)
Chorus:
Not not today! Not not today!
Hey 뱁새들아 다 hands up
Hey, all you crow-tits, hands up!
(A crow-tit is a small common bird with an unfortunate English name. It is used frequently by BTS to refer to underdogs, in short. There is a phrase in Korean that translates roughly to, “if a crow-tit tries to follow a stork, it’ll split its legs/pull its groin.” The meaning is that crow-tits – underdogs, those born to lowly station – shouldn’t dream too lofty or get big ideas that they can accomplish what a stork – someone born into affluence – can accomplish. You can read more about it in my translation for 뱁새 – Silver Spoon)
뱁새 = a crow-tit
-들 = (뱁새들아)
-아 = (뱁새들아)
다 = all, everyone, everything
Hey 친구들아 다 hands up
Hey, all my friends, hands up!
친구 = a friend
Hey 나를 믿는다면 hands up
Hey, if you trust me, hands up!
나 = I, me
믿다 = to believe in, to trust
-다면 = if X (믿는다면)
총! 조준! 발사!
Ready! Aim! Fire!
죽지 않아 묻지 마라 소리 질러 Not not today
We’re not dying. Don’t ask. Shout. Not not today.
-지 않다 = to not do X (죽지 않아)
묻다 = to ask
소리 지르다 = to shout (소리 = sound/voice)
꿇지 마라 울지 않아 손을 들어 Not not today
Don’t kneel. We don’t cry. Raise your hands. Not not today.
꿇다 = to kneel, to fall to one’s knees
울다 = to cry
손 = a hand
들다 = to lift, to raise
Hey Not not today.
Hey Not not today.
Hey Not not today.
총! 조준! 발사!
Ready! Aim! Fire!
Verse 2:
Too hot, 성공을 doublin’
Too hot. Doublin’ success.
성공 = success
Too hot 차트를 덤블링
Too hot. Tumbling the charts.
Too high we on 트램폴린.
Too high. We on a trampoline.
Too high 누가 좀 멈추길
Too high. If only someone would stop this.
누가 = who, someone (context-dependent)
좀 = “a bit”, “a little”. Also used to soften a request, almost like “please”
멈추다 = to stop
-길 = “I wish X would happen”, “If only X would happen” (멈추길)
우린 할 수가 없었단다 실패
Failure? We couldn’t do it,
하다 = to do
실패 = failure
서로가 서롤 전부 믿었기에
because we believed in each other in everything.
서로 = each other
전부 = everything
-기에 = “because X”. Used to give a reason why one is doing something (믿었기에)
What you say yeah
Not today yeah
오늘은 안 죽어 절대 yeah
We won’t die today. No way. yeah.
안 = to not do X (X being the following verb)
Pre-Chorus:
너의 곁에 나를 믿어
Believe in me, the one by your side.
-의 = indicates possession, like ‘s in English (너의)
곁 = one’s side (Not the side of one’s body, but the spot right beside someone)
-에 = at X, on X (곁에)
Together we won’t die
나의 곁에 너를 믿어
I believe in you, the one by my side.
Together we won’t die
함께라는 말을 믿어
We believe in the word “together”.
함께 = together
말 = a word, something one says
방탄이란 걸 믿어
We believe that we are bulletproof.
방탄 = bulletproof
겨눠 총! 조준! 발사!
Ready! Aim! Fire!
Chorus:
Not not today! Not not today!
Hey 뱁새들아 다 hands up
Hey, all you crow-tits, hands up!
Hey 친구들아 다 hands up
Hey, all my friends, hands up!
Hey 나를 믿는다면 hands up
Hey, if you trust me, hands up!
총! 조준! 발사!
Ready! Aim! Fire!
죽지 않아 묻지 마라 소리 질러 Not not today
We’re not dying. Don’t ask. Shout. Not not today.
꿇지 마라 울지 않아 손을 들어 Not not today
Don’t kneel. We don’t cry. Raise your hands. Not not today.
Hey Not not today
Hey Not not today
Hey Not not today
총! 조준! 발사!
Ready! Aim! Fire!
Bridge:
Throw it up! Throw it up!
니 눈 속의 두려움 따위는 버려
Throw away all the fear in your eyes.
니 = you, your (alternate spelling of 네)
눈 = eye(s)
속 = the inside of something
두려움 = fear
따위 = etc, and other things like that
버리다 = to abandon, to throw away
Break it up! Break it up!
널 가두는 유리천장 따윈 부숴
Smash the glass ceiling that imprisons you.
가두다 = to imprison, to lock up
유리 = glass
천장 = a ceiling
부수다 = to smash, to break
Turn it up! (Turn it up!)
Burn it up! (Burn it up!)
승리의 날까지. (fight!)
Until the day of victory. (fight!)
승리 = victory
날 = a day
-까지 = to X, until X (날까지)
무릎 꿇지 마 무너지지마
Don’t kneel. Don’t fall.
That’s (Do) not today!
무릎 = a knee
무너지다 = to collapse, to fall
Chorus:
Not not today! Not not today!
Hey 뱁새들아 다 hands up
Hey, all you crow-tits, hands up!
Hey 친구들아 다 hands up
Hey, all my friends, hands up!
Hey 나를 믿는다면 hands up
Hey, if you trust me, hands up!
총! 조준! 발사!
Ready! Aim! Fire!
죽지 않아 묻지 마라 소리 질러 Not not today
We’re not dying. Don’t ask. Shout. Not not today.
꿇지 마라 울지 않아 손을 들어 Not not today
Don’t kneel. We don’t cry. Raise your hands. Not not today.
Hey Not not today
Hey Not not today
Hey Not not today
총! 조준! 발사!
Ready! Aim! Fire!
