Korean Popular Culture

The Textbook-in-progress of the Ivy League's first class on the Korean Wave. This blog is the work of University of Pennsylvania EALC 198/598 students (Spring 2006 & 2007). Please apply proper citation when using any part of this blog. For details on citing this site see: http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite5.html#1

Friday, March 16, 2007

Drunken Tiger - "I Want You"

As I was browsing YouTube for other Korean music videos, I came across this one by Drunken Tiger, entitled "I Want You."



After watching all those sappy ballad videos last week, I struck by how blantantly sexual this video was. I thought the director did a nice job of juxtaposing the singer's stroll through the red light district with the cuts to a pretty, innocent-looking girl, and then later showing the same girl all dolled up like a prostitute. Her transformation is quite shocking. The lyrics to the song as also much more explicit than I would have expected:

I WANT YOU
*Translated By Eric Kim - http://www.drunkencamp.com/lyrics/trdt1-2.htm

Tiger is in the presence bam bam Upon the reggae is bam bam Tiger is in the presence bam bam Upon the reggae is bam bam

Even though we don't know each other that well, I could see us like a sweet couple. I want you, I wanna tell you this. The light in my eyes of how much I want you, are so bright.

I can make it feel like there was never futility. Now close the eyes of your heart. There will probably be an overwhelming happiness. Yes, I'm very happy.

Scent of your presence was true essence of your beauty Complexion luminescent be like blinding twenty twenty From the git go couldn't let go You had my heart mad looney tooney From the full moon to the crescent Reminiscing about your booty Feeling blue indeed

Like the time You didn't do me When I'm alone I'm in a love Jones Baby boo I'm truly yours Like honey dip from Gothem

You let me in for a pleasure Voulez-vous couchez avec moi? Now you drop your draws, uh!

I want you, I love you, honey. I remember all the times we shared. I could feel all of your love.

Even though we don't know each other that well, I could see us like a sweet couple. I want you, I wanna tell you this. The light in my eyes of how much I want you, are so bright. Now as I close my eyes and as the moon greets me. Come into my arms, and leave you with me. And tell me of the words of temptation that will come out of your mouth. I like the way you are now.

The honey that I love, do you know? Do you know my heart? Do you know that it's full of the thoughts of you? What is it of me that you don't like? I can make it feel like there was never futility. Now close the eyes of your heart. There will probably be an overwhelming happiness. Yes, I'm very satisfied.
The YouTube page where I found the video notes that this particular version of the music video was banned. I wasn't able to find anymore information about that online anywhere, but I believe that "I Want You" was one of the first popular rap videos in Korea, and coming from the era of completely unsexualized ballad videos, I'm not surprised that that was the general reaction. The video does, however, have some stylistic commonalities with the ballad videos, most notably the violent, tragic ending and the cinema-style storyline accompanying the music.

1 Comments:

At 7:34 PM, Blogger Mikey said...

Interesting video, probably one of the most unique hiphop videos I've seen. I think it is interesting how we have the contrast of purity/beauty and then the contrast of dirtiness/impurity.

 

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