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So:
On BTS, 봄날, Rodgers & Hammerstein, and Molnár Ferenc.
On BTS, 봄날, Rodgers & Hammerstein, and Molnár Ferenc.
Everyone has seen the rusted carousel in Bangtan's "Spring Day" M/V, right? The one which says "You Never Walk Alone"?
So the easy part is that "You'll Never Walk Alone" is a song from the 2nd act of the 1945 R&H musical, "Carousel".
But it's far deeper than that.
So the easy part is that "You'll Never Walk Alone" is a song from the 2nd act of the 1945 R&H musical, "Carousel".
But it's far deeper than that.
Because "Carousel", in turn, is based on Molnár's play "Liliom" (which might be the best known work of Hungarian literature, full stop), and the parallels between the song, the M/V, and the play/musical are many.
First, the obvious part: 보고싶다. In the play, the title character, a carousel barker at a carnival, attempts a robbery in order to feed his daughter, but fails and commits suicide.
He is sent to Purgatory, and has to wait for 16 years until he is given one day to see her.
He is sent to Purgatory, and has to wait for 16 years until he is given one day to see her.
In the song, the narrator is in a hell-like place, where it is "winter even in August", and "I miss you" is repeated like a mantra, with the narrator saying "how many days must I wait, how many nights must I stay awake" to see the object of his longing.
Speaking of winter, the song juxtaposes the desired spring's cherry blossoms to the winter's "눈꽃 (snow flowers", with which the trees of the narrator's cold Purgatory are laden.
"Snow flowers fall". The nickname of the play's eponymous (and "fallen") protagonist?
"Snow flowers fall". The nickname of the play's eponymous (and "fallen") protagonist?
Liliom - Lily, a white flower.
Then, there is the carousel. Both in the play/musical and in the song/MV, trains are of great importance. And what is a carousel but a train that never goes anywhere?
And in the play, that is what the carousel symbolises:
Then, there is the carousel. Both in the play/musical and in the song/MV, trains are of great importance. And what is a carousel but a train that never goes anywhere?
And in the play, that is what the carousel symbolises:
Namely, the fact that all the characters are stuck - due to their nature, their addictions, or their poverty - and all that happens is them turning in circles, never going anywhere. They can't change. Even the "Snowpiercer" Namjoon mentions moves in a circle, albeit a huge one.
The idea of people changing figures heavily in the lyrics, as well: Yoongi asks "did I change? Did you change?" before dismissively saying that it doesn't matter because they, like everything, change no matter what - thus invalidating the concept of change as anything meaningful.
Also, he says it from a literal dark place, where the only feature is a literal mountain of discarded clothes - ie what is left after people "change".
Now, in the MV, the carousel - something made to entertain and delight children - is nominally functional: it lights up, after all, but it is rusted (old ship), abandoned, haunted.
Well, much has been said about how the MV is about the 세월호 disaster, so I'll leave it at that.
Well, much has been said about how the MV is about the 세월호 disaster, so I'll leave it at that.
Anyway, as someone who loves Molnár, seeing so much of the topics of his greatest work be reflected in BTS's 봄날 was, in the words of Dean Martin, a kick in the head, and no mistake. Awesome work of art, that.
So when I say that BTS's songs have actual deep meanings, I actually mean it.
Hey, @TheKpopProf, I think you might enjoy this.
