DISSECTING D-2: Dear My Friend

Hey everyoneee!

I’m very excited to be continuing this series. I got a lot of feedback on the first post and even people said they would go listen to the mixtape which makes me very happy. Yoongi darling, you’re always welcome, it’s no biggie, just keep smiling, that’s enough for me.

So today we will be reviewing the song: Dear My Friend✨

First time I read the lyrics of this song, I was deeply touched and you’ll see why. Make sure to read intently and enjoy!

Note: Like I mentioned in the first post, sometimes the message of the song is lost during translations. It hurts, I know but it is what it is

LYRICS

[Chorus: Kim Jong Wan]

아직도 여전히

To this day I still

니가 난 그립고 또 그립네

Miss and miss you

아직도 여전히

To this day I’m still

함께한 추억이 날 맴도네

Encircled by the memories of us together

어쩌면 그때 널 잡았다면

Had I caught you that day

아니 그때 너를 막았다면

No, had I stopped you that day

아직도 여전히

To this day would we

우리는 아직도 친구일까 어땠을까?

Still be friends? How would it be?

[Verse 1: Agust D]

Dear my friend 어떻게 지내니 넌

Dear my friend, how have you been?

나는 뭐 잘 지내 알다시피 뭐 응 yeah

I’m doing great, you know, yeah

Dear my friend 나 솔직히 말할게

Dear my friend, I’ll be honest

난 니가 존나게 미워 아직도 yeah

I still freaking hate you, yeah

여전히 기억해 함께였었던 지난 날

Even now I remember the past days we were together

대구로 함께 놀러갔었던 우리 시간과

The time and countless days we went to Daegu together

수많은 날 둘이면 세상도 무섭지 않아

“With the two of us, the world is nothing scary”

말하던 우린 지금 전혀 딴 길을 걷지 damn

We said, and now we walk two completely different paths, damn

그때 기억나? 아마 신사였나

Do you remember those days? Was it at Sinsa?

둘이서 소주를 기울이며 나눴던 우리 대화

The conversations we had over soju

세상을 씹어 먹을 거라던 우리 둘의 포부

The ambition we had of conquering the world

원대한 꿈을 품었었던 우리는 어렸었지 꼴랑 나이 스물이야

We were young and had big dreams, only

twenty

Ey 갑작스러웠던 연락두절

Sudden cutting off contact

한참이 지난 뒤 모르는 번호로 왔었던 너의 부모님의

After a long while, after your parents’ short call from an unknown number

그 짧은 전화 한 통에 곧바로 달려가 봤지

I immediately ran there to check

서울 구치소 안양은 너무 멀었지

Seoul Detention Center in Anyang was too far

[Chorus: Kim Jong Wan]

아직도 여전히

To this day I still

니가 난 그립고 또 그립네

Miss and miss you

아직도 여전히

To this day I’m still

함께한 추억이 날 맴도네

Encircled by the memories of us together

어쩌면 그때 널 잡았다면

Had I caught you that day

아니 그때 너를 막았다면

No, had I stopped you that day

아직도 여전히

To this day would we

우리는 아직도 친구일까 어땠을까

Still be friends? How would it be?

[Verse 2: Agust D]

니가 변한 건지 아니면 내가 변한 건지 uh

Was it you who changed? Or was it me? Uh

흐르는 시간조차 미워 우리가 변한 거지 뭐

I hate this flowing time, it’s us who changed

야 니가 밉다, 야 니가 싫다

Hey, I hate you, hey, I don’t like you

야 이 말을 하는 이 순간조차 난 니가 그립다

Hey, even as I say these words, I miss you

Ey 매주 갔었던 서울 구치소 면회 길

Ey The visit to Seoul Detention Center every week

왕복 세 시간쯤 됐었던 먼길을 혼자서 나섰지

I went all alone on that three-hour-long trip

너의 재판 날과 너의 출소 날

The day of your trial, the day of your release

눈이 펑펑 오던 겨울 흰 두부 똑똑히 기억나

I remember vividly it was winter with heavy snow like white tofu

그리고 간만에 본 넌 전혀 딴 사람이 돼버렸고

And after a long time not seeing, you became a completely different person

눈이 풀린 채 넌 말했지 그래 해 볼 생각이 없냐구

With drowsy eyes, you asked, “Don’t you want to try?”

난 화가 났고 또 욕을 했네

I got angry and cursed at you

유일한 친구였던 너를 되돌릴 방법은 없고 너는 괴물이 돼버렸네

There’s no way the you who were my only friend can return, and you became a monster

내가 알던 넌 없고 널 알던 난 없어

The you I used to know is gone and the me you used to know is gone

우리가 변한 건 비단 시간 때문이 아닌 걸 난 알아

I know it’s not just because of time that we

changed

니가 알았던 난 없고 내가 알았던 넌 없어

The me you knew is gone and the you I knew is gone

우리가 변한 건 비단 시간 때문이 아닌 걸 덧없어

It’s not just because of time that we changed and I feel so empty

[Chorus: Kim Jong Wan]

아직도 여전히

To this day I still

니가 난 그립고 또 그립네

Miss and miss you

아직도 여전히

To this day I’m still

함께한 추억이 날 맴도네

Encircled by the memories of us together

어쩌면 그때 널 잡았다면

Had I caught you that day

아니 그때 너를 막았다면

No, had I stopped you that day

아직도 여전히

To this day would we

우리는 아직도 친구일까 어땠을까

Still be friends? How would it be?

There’s a BEAUTIFUL interlude and then finally, the chorus.

Sound

The song definitely has a soothing tune. Like something that can played on a piano like a very beautiful acoustic slow sound. The interlude is very very beautiful. You can fall asleep listening to this song, definitely.

Review

The lyrics shows the song is a story of two friends. Two childhood friends who had big dreams, ambitions of conquering the world together and all that being thrown out the window. The friend got into bad stuff and went to prison but even after the friend found out, he still kept visiting till the day the friend got released.

The lyrics also show regret. The friend wishing he had stopped him on that day, would they still be friends? The friend would’ve probably not gone to prison if he had stopped him? So, he thinks…

There’s also a bit of hope. Him hoping the friend might still be the friend from his childhood but after the friend with drowsy eyes asked, “Don’t you want to try?”. That’s when it dawned on him that his friend had changed.

Now, a lot of ARMYs think this story is a true story of Yoongi and his childhood friend. His friend might’ve gotten into an illegal stuff, maybe drugs; referring to the part he said the friend asked, don’t you want to try?

I also believe it’s definitely a true story because Yoongi has told us umpteen times that he writes his songs on true experiences and his true feelings. Given he also wrote Spring Day, one of ARMYs favorite healing songs, the song also talks about missing a friend, hating the friend for leaving, regret, hope, basically all the feelings you get from this song.

I’m not going to go deep into it because again, it’s his personal life. Even if it’s made into a song, doesn’t mean we have to form so many theories about it. I’m just grateful that he shared this beautiful piece of art with us.

It almost felt like I was reading someone’s diary. And I’ve also read so many stories ARMYs shared about having relationships with drug addicts/alcoholics; their parents, friends, cousins, lovers and how they were given the strength to share their stories because of the courage Yoongi had to share this song with us.

I’m not even going to lie, I cried the first time I heard the song. Kim Jong Wan did an amazing job in expressing exactly what Yoongi wanted in the song. I love that Yoongi is always very raw and authentic in his songs and I hope he never changes.

Whether Yoongi, SUGA or Agust D, we embrace all his alter egos💜.

This song is really beautiful and very dear to me. Go give it a listen, if you please: Dear My Friend

I’m going to go cry now! But trust me, this series will of course continue. I can’t wait to share with you all, the beautiful mind of Min Yoongi. If you haven’t read the first post, we reviewed People, another amazing song.

What are your thoughts on Dear My Friend? Are you an ARMY? What’s your favorite song in D-2? You don’t know, you might just be featured to talk about it😉