[FESTA 2018] 땡! Ddaeng! by RM, Suga & J-Hope of BTS – Lyric translation and cultural connotations

땡! (Ddaeng!)

Translated by @BTSARMY_Salon

*
1 8, 1 3, 3 8 Ddaeng
U wrong me right, Look carefully Ddaeng
Ring the school bell brr brr Ddaeng
Hey not in this life, you Ddaeng

Hip Hop? Ddaeng
Rap style? Ddaeng
Just a rapper, Ddaeng
Bangtan=Ddaeng
But the reality, bang
Worldwide, bang
On the chart bang bang, Ddaeng
Got money, woo
AP, woo
Nice house, woo
Someone’s dream life, woo
How bout you? uh
I like you! uh
This success uh
Thanks to you uh
Funny funny? bae
Feel dumbfounded? bae
Honestly why they, bae
Are so pressed, bae
Think calmly, bae
Got lots of time, bae
This is a homework homework, bae
If you can’t solve it, your problem is, Ddaeng

*Repeat
**
1 8, 1 3, 3 8 Ddaeng
U wrong me right, Look carefully Ddaeng
Wait a second, freeze Ddaeng
Hey not in this life, you Ddaeng

Ddaeng
Um.. To me you guys are Ddaeng
We all are Ddaeng
Whoever has a strong winning streak
I Ddang don’t care at all
Hunnit bae hunnit bar hunnit bbae hunnit bae Ddaeng
Thia music is shit bae
Might feel annoyed bae
You’re right bae
We are falling
Billboard, thanks to you bae
Above us, there’s no one
Since we are falling thanks
Thanks thanks thanks
Thank you for ignoring us until now
Thanks to you, stadium, dome, Billboard
We received so many things thanks to you
Small company friends
Hope you become big companies soon
We will fail again as you wish
Please keep worrying about us
End (Kkeut)

*Repeat

Chashier’s calculating sound Ddaeng
I liked when I was young, freeze (tag) Ddaeng
I’m dingdong, you’re Ddaeng
You’re are 7 kkeut, I’m Ddaeng
The face of eating ramen before sleeping Ddaeng
Dregs do your thang
Look at me I’m your errthang
You dope? cool? Friggin’ laughable..
S so laugh laughable I s s s stammer
Plea s u understand I’m n not a good talker
But t I tr try to say right my mouth is being cr crooked So so so happy so happy py

Shut up rappers who don’t have haters
Where do you have haters
Wipe your eyes, wash your face
Then look at your mirror
There is your breathing hater
We celebrate more than being celebs
Only accelerate no break
Who do you think you are to approve me
Frogs live up to their name
Hope you die inside a well
I will pray eagerly
Ddaeng

*Repeat

**Repeat

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«Cultural Connotations in 땡!»

In this track, 땡 has many different Korean meanings. (Some 땡 were used as Dang in English)

1) The sound expression when we say something isn’t correct
2) School bell (Popular line from Korean classic children song)
3) The word from 섰다 (Korean card game)

섰다

섰다 is one of games using 화투 (flower cards). Just like you have various card games with the playing cards like poker, one card, etc, Korea have various card games with 화투. If you watch K-drama, you might see them playing 고스톱 (Go-stop). It’s one of 화투 games.

18, 13, 38, 땡!

18, 13, 38, Ddaeng!

These numbers are also from 섰다 the Korean card game.

For detail explanation, please check this tweet → https://twitter.com/Pg31o1/status/1005840447388839936?s=19

Basically BTS have all power cards so haters can’t win this game.
→ ‘Not in this life, you Ddaeng’

누가 끗발이 좋던 간에
나는 상관 안해 땡
Whoever has a strong winning streak
I’m Ddaeng I don’t care at all

Here 끗발 is also from 섰다. Bigger number is stronger and 9 is the biggest number of 끗(Kkeut). But since BTS are 땡(power cards), anyway they are unbeatable in this game.

끗 and 끝

As I explained above, 끗 is the word from the card game. It also sounds similar to 끝 (end). So Suga played a little pun here.

넌 7끗 난 땡
You’re 7 kkeut I’m Ddaeng

7끗 is a mediocre card that tricks you think you can win but many times you lose your money. 땡 here is a power card so the line implies,

You think you can win but nah you still can’t.

이 음악은 똥이야 bae
This music is shit bae

There’s a card called 똥광 in Korean card game. (It’s not used in 섰다 rule.) It’s a pretty strong and useful card. 똥 = shit

Movie 타짜 and 땡!

Suga mentioned movie 타짜 Tazza in Billboard interview and it can be the motif of 땡!. 섰다 is the main game in the movie and 타짜 means a gambler who is good at tricking people.

Interview: https://twitter.com/billboard/status/964186306120069120?s=19

-Having all power cards

-Haters have 끗 but anyway BTS have 땡
→ BTS = 타짜

학교종 울려라 brr brr 땡

Ring the school bell brr brr Ddaeng

As I mentioned at the begining, 땡 can be a imitative word. It’s from classic Korean children song ‘학교종 (The school bell)’

“학교 종이 땡땡땡 어서 모이자”

“The school bell rings ddaeng 3x

Let’s hurry and gather”

The Bell and 땡!

Also in Korea, there’s an idiom

인생 종친다
Ring a bell of life = End of life / Fail in life

It kind of links to the line,

‘이번 생은 글렀어 너 땡’

‘Not in this life you Ddaeng’

잠깐만 멈춰봐 얼음 땡
Wait a second freeze Ddaeng

얼음 땡 (freeze tag) is a playground game similar to Tag. Before a chaser tags you, you say 얼음 (freeze/ice) so that you can avoid getting tagged. Other players can ‘defrost’ you and they have to say 땡 (Ddaeng).

The zombie run game in Run BTS! episode is using this game.

난 딩동 넌 땡
I’m Dingdong You’re Ddaeng

You can often see in Korean variety show quiz. When the answer is correct, the host will play do-mi-sol-(do) with a xylophone or verbally. 딩동댕동(Ding-dong-daeng-dong) is the imitative word of that xylophone sounds. If the answer is wrong, the host will hit 1 note (usually do) or say 땡 Ddaeng!

라면 먹고 잔 얼굴 땡

The face of eating a ramen before sleeping Ddaeng

When we say the face is swollen, we say

얼굴이 땡땡 붓다

Here 땡땡 is describing a puffy face

The line implies haters eating ramen and wake up late so their faces are swollen. Why they wake up late? They are jobless.

이름값 하는 개구리들
우물 안에 죽기를
Frogs live up to their name
Hope you die inside a well

It’s from Korean proverb,
우물 안 개구리 – A frog in a well

It has a negative meaning that you have narrow views. You believe what you see/know is the whole world and absolute truth.

---

Now, let’s see each meaning of 땡s in the lyrics!

*
1 8, 1 3, 3 8 Ddaeng → 🎴
U wrong me right, Look carefully Ddaeng → ❎
Ring the school bell brr brr Ddaeng →🔔 sound
Hey not in this life, you Ddaeng → ❎

Hip Hop? Ddaeng →❎
Rap style? Ddaeng →❎
Just a rapper, Ddaeng →❎
Bangtan=Ddaeng →❎
But the reality, bang
Worldwide, bang
On the chart bang bang, Ddaeng →❎
Got money, woo
AP, woo
Nice house, woo
Someone’s dream life, woo
How bout you? uh
I like you! uh
This success uh
Thanks to you uh
Funny funny? bae
Feel dumbfounded? bae
Honestly why they, bae
Are so pressed, bae
Think calmly, bae
Got lots of time, bae
This is a homework homework, bae
If you can’t solve it, your problem is, Ddaeng →❎

*Repeat
**
1 8, 1 3, 3 8 Ddaeng →🎴
U wrong me right, Look carefully Ddaeng →❎
Wait a second, freeze Ddaeng → Defrost
Hey not in this life, you Ddaeng →❎

Ddaeng
Um.. To me you guys are Ddaeng →❎
We(BTS) all are Ddaeng →🎴
Whoever has a strong winning streak
I Ddang don’t care at all →🎴
Hunnit bae hunnit bar hunnit bbae hunnit bae Ddaeng
Thia music is shit bae
Might feel annoyed bae
You’re right bae
We are falling
Billboard, thanks to you bae
Above us, there’s no one
Since we are falling thanks
Thanks thanks thanks
Thank you for ignoring us until now
Thanks to you, stadium, dome, Billboard
We received so many things thanks to you
Small company friends
Hope you become big companies soon
We will fail again as you wish
Please keep worrying about us
End (Kkeut)

*Repeat

Chashier’s calculating sound Ddaeng →💸
I liked when I was young, freeze (tag) Ddaeng → Defrost
I’m dingdong, you’re Ddaeng →❎
You’re are 7 kkeut, I’m Ddaeng →🎴
The face of eating ramen before sleeping Ddaeng → Swollen face of jobless haters
Dregs do your thang
Look at me I’m your errthang
You dope? cool? Friggin’ laughable..
S so laugh laughable I s s s stammer
Plea s u understand I’m n not a good talker
But t I tr try to say right my mouth is being cr crooked So so so happy so happy py

Shut up rappers who don’t have haters
Where do you have haters
Wipe your eyes, wash your face
Then look at your mirror
There is your breathing hater
We celebrate more than being celebs
Only accelerate no break
Who do you think you are to approve me
Frogs live up to their name
Hope you die inside a well
I will pray eagerly
Ddaeng

*Repeat

**Repeat