어제 내린 비 Yesterday's Rain

 

Movie Poster of “Yesterday’s Rain” released 1974

This song “Yesterday’s Rain” was written as the main soundtrack of the eponymous movie in 1974, staged in the movie as sung by one of the protagonists. The lyrics was written by Choi In-ho, one of the most popular novelists of the time. It was the first song in the history of Korean movie industry created as soundtrack. The movie itself was produced, in quite a hurried manner, to repeat the huge success of  its predecessor “the hometown of stars” 별들의 고향 based on a novel  by the writer Choi, but this movie, of which the scenario was a scissors-and-paste job out of a couple stories of his, didn’t make an impressive box office performance, while the soundtrack made a great hit. 

The song was sung by Yoon Hyung-ju, a young folk singer, who, being student at an elite medical school, could be said to be one of the first idols in the modern-time Korean entertainment history. His such image and exquisite voice with a clean high tone contributed a lot to the success of the song.

 

어제는 비가 내렸네,  키작은 나뭇잎새로 맑은 이슬 떨어지는데 비가 내렸네.

우산쓰면 내리는 비는 몸 하나야 가리겠지만, 사랑의 빗물은 가릴 수 없네.

 Yesterday it rained, clear beads fell down through the leaves of small trees.

The umbrella may cover you from the rain, but never from the raindrops of  love.

사랑의 비가 내리네 두 눈을 꼭 감아도, 사랑의 비가 내리네 귀를 막아도.

쉬지않고 비가 내리네 눈물같은 사랑의 비가, 피곤한 내몸을 적셔다오. 

Falls the rain of love even when you close your eyes, Falls the rain of love even when you cover your ears.

Falls like endless tears the rain of love,  Please soak this tired body of mine.

조그만 길가 꽃잎이 우산없이 비를 맞더니,지난밤 깊은 꿈속에 활짝 피었네.

밤새워 창을 두드린 간절한 나의 소리여, 사랑의 비야 적셔다오 사랑의 비야 적셔다오. 

A little roadside flower got the rain without umbrella, Bloomed in full in my deep dream last night.

The desperate call of mine that knocked the window all night. Rain of love, please soak me out [repeat]

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A beautiful piano cover of "Yesterday's Rain" by an old pianist 

of the singer Yoon's generation with undisclosed name

.

Sy Jo, Author of this article, was born in Busan, and majored in Business Administration at Yonsei University. He worked in  the telecommunication industry, specializing in telecommunications policy and international relations. 

섬집 아기 Island Baby

 

 

This song was released in April 1950, just two months before the breakout of Korea War by the prolific composer Lee Heung-yeol 이흥렬 over a poem released back in 1946. This song became a must in elementary-schools music class by early 1960s and is now one of the national hymns of Korean people. The simple lyrics describing a baby and mother in a poor seaside village seems to epitomize the state the country was in right after the Liberation. Notable should be the undaunted musical productivity of the Korean people as it went through the series of national tribulations.

When Park In-Hee released this song in one of her albums in 1970s, all young people had known this song from their elementary-school years, but this song in Park's pure voice struck the chord with the Korean mind, young and old, regardless.

 Island Baby by Park In-hee released 1974

          

엄마가 섬그늘에 굴 따러 가면   When Mother goes out to shades to pick oysters

아기가 혼자 남아 집을 보다가   Baby watches home alone

바다가 불러주는 자장 노래에     He falls asleep on his own arm

스르르르 팔을 베고  잠이 듭니다     to the lullaby the sea sings for him

아기는 잠을 곤히 자고 있지만   He’s sleeping deep like a baby,

갈매기 울음소리 맘이 설레여    but Mother, unsettled at the cry of seagulls,

다 못찬 굴바구니 머리에 이고   runs across the sand

엄마는 모랫길을 달려옵니다     with the unfilled basket on her head

 

 Park In-hee singing the "Island Baby" in September 2024 

50 years after the release of the song by her voice in 1974 

in the concert held for the audience of her generation

Japanese singer Azma Aki singing "Island Baby" in a Korean TV show in March 2025 

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Sy Jo, Author of this article, was born in Busan, and majored in Business Administration at Yonsei University. He worked in  the telecommunication industry, specializing in telecommunications policy and international relations. 

바람과 나, 그리고 희망의 노래 Wind and I , and the Song of Hope

 

Han Dae-Soo, after he debuted in Korea, lived in US and Korea alternately. His marrage with the first wife came to an end in early 1990s with no children. He met his second wife Oxana, a Russian-American, in New York, as he was looking for an apartment to live. She was the resident in the apartment and, he later said, they had a drink together on the first day they met. He was 44 when he married Oxana, but he was  59 when he had his first and only child girl Yangho. 

'Wind and I' was first released by Kim Min-gi, the writer himself of  the monumental "Morning Dew", in 1971. Han gave the song to Kim before he went for the military service with ROK Navy. He included the song in his first album released in 1974.

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끝.. 끝없는 바람  End…,  Endless wind,

저 험한 산 위로 나뭇잎 사이 불어 가는

Blowing over the rugged mountains, through the leaves,

아~ 자유의 바람 Oh, the wind of freedom,

저 언덕 넘어 물결 같이 춤추던 님

My Nim, who danced like a water flow over the hills.

무명.. 무실.. 무감한 님 No name, no substance, no emotion

나도 님과 같은 인생을 지녀 볼래.. 지녀 볼래

I wish to have and live a life like yours

물결 건너 편에        On the other side of the water flow

황혼에 젖은 산 끝 보다도 아름다운  More beautiful than the mountain end drenched in the hue of sunset

아~ 나의 님 바람      Oh, Wind, my Nim,

뭇 느낌 없이 진행하는 시간 따라   You just ride the time that goes with no feeling

하늘위로 구름 따라      Over the sky, after clouds,

무목 여행하는 그대여    Travelling with no destination

인생은 나.. 인생은 나    Life is me, life is me.

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Han wrote all the songs in his albums, but the only exception was the Song of Hope 희망가. This song originated from the Christian Hymn written by a Scot in early 19C. [ Look for "The Lord Into His Garden Comes (Hymn)" to identify the two songs.]   It first became popular in Japan as a mourning song for the young victims of a marine accident in 1910. [Look for 『眞白き富士の根』 to listen] Then, in Korea it became a big hit in 1960s as "Song of Hope" in a quite different sentiment. [ Look for "고복수 희망가" to listen.]  The song reminds Koreans of the traditional genre called Ta-ryeong 타령 or Lament Song, which was popular during Joseon Dynasty. Like Ta-ryeong, the lyrics carry a typical Korean sentiment with the tint of the Buddhist Nihilism and compassion in its perspective to life. Han seems to have loved this song and,I believe, this song of his singing is the best in its expression of the Korean sentiment the lyrics carry. He is a good singer.

                                    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------  Lyrics

   이 풍진세상을 만났으니 너의 희망이 무엇이냐

부귀와 영화를 누렸으면 희망이 족할까

푸른 하늘 밝은 달 아래 곰곰이 생각하니

세상만사가 춘몽 중에 또다시 꿈 같도다

 

이 풍진 세상을 만났으니 너의 희망이 무엇이냐

부귀와 영화를 누렸으면 희망이 족할까

담소화락에 엄벙덤벙 주색잡기에 침몰하랴

세상만사를 잊었으면 희망이 족할까

 

In this world of troubles, what’s your hope?

Wasn’t it enough with the affluence and glory that you had rejoiced over?

Under the clear sky and the bright moon, I’m mulling over and over,

Everything in this world is but a dream in a dream.

In this world of troubles, what’s your hope?

Wasn’t it enough with the affluence and glory that you had rejoiced over?

Wasn't it yet enough, giggling away the world and your youth, sodden from parties with wine and women, closing your eyes to all the worries of life and you still dare to have hope? 

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Sy Jo, Author of this article, was born in Busan, and majored in Business Administration at Yonsei University. He worked in  the telecommunication industry, specializing in telecommunications policy and international relations. 

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이루어 질 수 없는 사랑 Impossible Love

 

Yang Hee-eun 양희은 was born in downtown Seoul in 1952 during the period of Korea War. Her father died when she was 12 and her mother raised the three girls running a boutique shop, but her business went south after a series of unfortunate incidents. Up against such family vicissitude, she managed to go to the most-coveted girls’ high school in the whole country, yet being the eldest child of the poverty-stricken household, she had to make money for her family singing songs on stage. She had an exquisite voice and it was time for the folk music around the world and in South Korea too. Many quickly recognized her talent and gave her songs. Her first album released in 1971 when she was freshman in Sogang University included the legendary songs “Morning Dew” and “Senoya’, which made big hits and made her an icon of the new-generation young women in blue jeans and short-cut hair. She still remains one of the most admired popular artists in Korean society.

This song “Impossible Love” is written by Kim Jeong-shin 김정신, a young lady at the time of the song-writing. It is known she had written the song inspired by her friend who was suffering from a sudden parting with her love.

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이루어질 수 없는 사랑 Impossible love

너의 침묵에 메마른 나의 입술    차가운 네 눈길에 얼어붙은 내 발자욱

My lips dry from your silence         My footstep frozen from your cold gaze

돌아서는 나에게 사랑한단 말 대신에     안녕 안녕 목메인 그 한마디

                                    Instead of "you love me", just the chocked-up"good-bye,good-bye"from you as I turned

                                                                       이루어질 수 없는 사랑이었기에 음-       

For that was a love that could never be

 

밤새워 하얀 길을 나 홀로 걸었었다      부드러운 네 모습은 지금은 어디에

I walked down the white road all night alone Where is the gentle appearance of yours now?

가랑비야 내 얼굴을 거세게 때려다오 슬픈 내 눈물이 감춰질 수 있도록

 Oh you, drizzle, hit me hard on the face so that my sad tears can be hidden

이루어질 수 없는 사랑이었기에 음-   For that was a love that could never be

 

미워하며 돌아선 너를 기다리며 쌓다가 부수고 또 쌓은 너의 성

Waiting for you, who turned away hating me, I built, broke and built again your castle

부서지는 파도가 삼켜버린 그 한마디 정말 정말 너를 사랑했었다고

The one word that the breaking wave swallowed, I really really loved you  

이루어질 수 없는 사랑이었기에 음- For that was a love that could never be

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The song is known for simple guitar chords, so was loved by many guitar beginners. I found this video clip of the song cover by an amateur singer, Lee Je-soon 이제순, with unadorned, yet charming voice and atmosphere. She can be a real guitar beginner or a professional who came up with the best way to sing that song.

.Author of this article, Sy Jo, was born in Busan, and majored in Business Administration at Yonsei University. He worked in  the telecommunication industry, specializing in telecommunications policy and international relations.