| I heard a song on FM radio in Seoul and I've tracked it down: Title: "Empty Chair" (빈의자). Artist: Chang Jeanam (장재남). Era: Late 1970s. I actually like the tune and the optimistic lyrics/message (see below). Koreans of my age would not readily admit to liking such a song. I am not a Korean. This song hardly registers on the Internet, with really nothing in English at all that I find, so again I find myself blazing new ground on these digital pages. Below: Youtube of the song; lyrics; my translation; a friend's comments. |  Chang Jeanam |
Here is another version:
| 장재남 / 빈 의자 (1978) 서 있는 사람은 오시오 나는 빈 의자 당신의 자리가 되드리리다 피곤한 사람은 오시오 나는 빈 의자 당신을 편히 쉬게 하리다 두 사람이 와도 괜찮소 세 사람이 와도 괜찮소 외로움에 지친 모든 사람들 무더기로 와도 괜찮소 서 있는 사람은 오시오 나는 빈 의자 당신의 자리가 되드리리다 서 있는 사람은 오시오 나는 빈 의자 당신의 자리가 되드리리다 피곤한 사람은 오시오 나는 빈의자 당신을 편히 쉬게 하리다 두사람이 와도 괜찮소 세사람이 와도 괜찮소 외로움에 지친 모든 사람들 무더기로 와도 괜찮소 서 있는 사람은 오시오 나는 빈 의자 당신의 자리가 되드리리다 | Chang Jeanam / Empty Chair (1978) All you standing people, come on over! An empty chair is what I am... and I offer myself up as your seat... All you tired people, come on over! An empty chair is what I am. To let you relax in comfort... Two people want to come? That's just fine! Three people want to come? That's just fine! All those of you tired of being lonely, Come, pile on! It's just fine. All you standing people, come on over! An empty chair is what I am... I offer myself up as your seat... All you standing people, come on over! An empty chair is what I am... and I offer myself up as your seat... All you tired people, come on over! An empty chair is what I am. To let you relax in comfort... Two people want to come? That's just fine! Three people want to come? That's just fine! All those of you tired of being lonely, Come, pile on! It's just fine. All you standing people, come on over! An empty chair is what I am... and I offer myself up as your seat... |
A Korean friend named L. made some interesting comments to me about the song. This is a Korean who majored in German and with whom I communicate in a mix of German, English, and Korean, as the mood fits. (L.'s Korean name, if written in English initials, is the temperamentally-unsuitable S.H.Y.).
These are L.'s comments on the song (in original German):
"In den 70er Jahren lebten Koreaner in der dunklen Zeit der Diktatur. Deswegen sang die viele Folksong über die Solidarität zwischen den Leuten oder die leuchtende Zukunft." ("In the 1970s, Koreans lived in the dark days of dictatorship. It is for this reason that they sang a lot of folk songs about unity of the people or the bright future.")
L. was born in 1987 and the above reflects the view of that generation, I think. Few Koreans of our generation would admit to liking the "dictatorship" (which ended around the early 1990s), I suppose.
Is it a stretch to impute a political message to this very simple song? Maybe, but this kind of thing is the bread-and-butter of certain academics, isn't it. There is also value in the comments for their own sake, i.e., how young Koreans see their own recent history.
These are L.'s comments on the song (in original German):
"In den 70er Jahren lebten Koreaner in der dunklen Zeit der Diktatur. Deswegen sang die viele Folksong über die Solidarität zwischen den Leuten oder die leuchtende Zukunft." ("In the 1970s, Koreans lived in the dark days of dictatorship. It is for this reason that they sang a lot of folk songs about unity of the people or the bright future.")
L. was born in 1987 and the above reflects the view of that generation, I think. Few Koreans of our generation would admit to liking the "dictatorship" (which ended around the early 1990s), I suppose.
Is it a stretch to impute a political message to this very simple song? Maybe, but this kind of thing is the bread-and-butter of certain academics, isn't it. There is also value in the comments for their own sake, i.e., how young Koreans see their own recent history.
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