Table of Contents
🎶 Lee Seung-chul - “The Western Sky”: Introduction
🎯 Key Takeaways
🎶 Lee Seung-chul - “The Western Sky”: Additional Information
🎶 Introduction to Lee Seung-chul & Ulala Session
🎶 Lee Seung-chul - “The Western Sky”: Introduction
Lyrics Video - Lee Seung-chul
🎧 I will also introduce covers by other musicians.
Stage Performance - Ulala Session
Lyrics Summary
“The Western Sky” tells the story of irreversible parting and the lingering weight of grief. As the sunset fades into the western sky, the narrator watches memories dissolve into the past. The one they once loved is now unreachable—no longer someone who can be called back, no longer someone who will respond. And yet, they call out again, driven by habit, by longing, and by pain.
The song revolves around the image of rain, which serves as both a metaphor for sorrow and a literal memory trigger. On rainy days, the narrator always misses the one who left. The rain becomes a symbol of their tears, falling endlessly, with the wet sky amplifying their sadness rather than washing it away. Despite the effort to forget—to dissolve those memories in the rain—they remain painfully vivid.
There’s also a sense of resignation. The lyrics move from hope (“waiting for the day we’ll meet again”) to acceptance of absence. Even though the narrator wishes to find and see the person again, they remain in the same unreachable place, frozen in time and space, like a lingering phantom.
At the very end, however, the narrator declares that despite everything—despite pain, distance, and memory—they still love them. The love, no matter how unresolved, continues. The song conveys the timeless echo of love that endures even in separation, even in the absence of a response.
A Practical Learning Guide
- This
style is more refined than casual dialogue but still accessible, making it an
ideal study piece for learners seeking to understand emotional nuance in
Korean.
- You’ll encounter various metaphorical
expressions and cultural references, such as:
• “서쪽 하늘” (the western sky) – traditionally symbolizes death, farewell, or the passage of time in
Korean culture.
• “노을이 지고” (the sunset falls) – a metaphor for the end of love or life.
• “흩어진 내 눈물” (scattered tears) – familiar poetic imagery expressing grief and fragmentation.
- The
verb forms showcase a wide range of tense and modality endings like:
• “돼 버린” – from “되다 + 버리다,”
expressing something that has regretfully ended or transformed.
• “불러보네” – ending “-보네” expresses a soft, self-directed action.
• “날 버려두고 가지” – shows causative and
compound structure using “-아 두다” and “가다.”
- Pay
attention to contracted and abbreviated forms frequently used in both
poetic and spoken Korean:
• “넌” = “너는”
• “난” = “나는”
• “그리워해” = “그리워하다” in casual conjugated form
• “널” = “너를”
- The
song includes lyrical inversion and emphasis, a hallmark of Korean song
lyrics:
• “비가 오는 날엔 난 항상 널 그리워해” – placing
the time clause first adds emotional emphasis.
• “이젠 슬픔이 돼 버린 그대를” – the object
precedes the verb for dramatic focus.
-
Observe how repetition is used for emotional impact. Korean lyrics
often repeat key lines for dramatic buildup and emphasis, mirroring the use of
repetition in traditional Korean pansori and ballads.
- The
song also demonstrates how natural elements (rain, sky, sunset) are
tied into emotional narrative, reflecting a Korean aesthetic
where external nature mirrors internal states.
- While
not rich in idioms, the song offers excellent practice with noun-modifying
forms, verb combinations, and poetic contractions, all of which
appear in everyday and lyrical Korean.
-
Lastly, the emotional core of this song resonates with Korean cultural values
of remembrance, emotional restraint, and enduring love, making it a meaningful
piece not only linguistically but also culturally.
🎯 Key
Takeaways
📢 Explanations of basic dictionary definitions have been omitted.
1. "서쪽 하늘로"
- "서쪽 하늘로"
means "toward the western sky." It indicates direction, often
symbolizing farewell or the end of something in poetic expressions.
- "서쪽":
"서쪽 (west)"
- "하늘":
"하늘 (sky)"
- "하늘로":
"하늘 (sky)" + direction particle "-로 (toward)"
📌 Example Usage
"그는 서쪽 하늘로 지는 해를 바라보았다."
"He looked at the setting sun toward the
western sky."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"석양을 향해" –
"toward the sunset"
📌 Example Usage
"석양을 향해 걸어가는 뒷모습이 쓸쓸했다."
"His figure walking toward the sunset
looked lonely."
2. "노을은 지고"
- "노을은 지고"
means "the sunset fades" or "the twilight sets." It conveys
the image of the sun setting and the day coming to an end.
- "노을":
"노을 (sunset, twilight)"
- "-은": topic
particle
- "지고":
"지다 (to set, fade)" + connector "-고 (and)"
📌 Example Usage
"노을은 지고 어둠이 내려앉았다."
"The sunset faded and darkness fell."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"해가 지고" –
"the sun sets"
📌 Example Usage
"해가 지고 나면 기온이 뚝 떨어진다."
"After the sun sets, the temperature drops
sharply."
3. "슬픔이 돼 버린 / 슬픔이 돼 버리다"
- "슬픔이 돼 버린"
means "has turned into sadness." It describes something that has
completely become a state of sorrow.
- "슬픔이":
"슬픔 (sadness)" + subject marker "-이"
- "돼": "되다 (to become)" + connective ending “-어”
✂️ “되어” → “돼” (contraction)
- "버린":
"버리다 (to end up doing)" as a grammatical
auxiliary indicating completion with an emotional nuance
• “버리다” + attributive “-ㄴ” (past tense)
📌 Example Usage
"그 순간은 추억이 아닌 슬픔이 돼 버렸다."
"That moment became not a memory but a
sorrow."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"상처로 남다" –
"to remain as a wound"
📌 Example Usage
"그의 말은 내게 상처로 남았다."
"His words remained as a wound for
me."
4. "다시 부를 수 없을 것 같아 / 다시 부를 수
없을 것 같다"
- "다시 부를 수 없을 것 같아"
means "I don't think I can call you again." It conveys sorrow or the impossibility
of reunion.
- "다시": again
- "부르다": to
call
- "부를 수 없다":
cannot call
- “부를 수 없을”: attributive
form (future tense)
- "것 같다": it
seems like, I think
- "없을 것 같아":
it seems like it won’t be possible
• “없을
것 같다” + sentence-final ending ”-아”
(informal)
📌 Example Usage
"이젠 그 이름을 다시 부를 수 없을 것 같아."
"I don’t think I can call that name
again."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"다시는 못 만나겠지" –
"I guess I won’t be able to meet again"
📌 Example Usage
"그렇게 떠난 널 다시는 못 만나겠지."
"Now that you’re gone like that, I guess I
won’t see you again."
5. "불러보네 / 불러보다"
- "불러보네"
means "I try calling" or "I call (reflectively/softly)." It
expresses an emotional attempt to call out.
- "부르다": to
call
- "보다": used
as a grammatical auxiliary meaning "to try"
- "불러보다": to
try calling
- "불러보네":
present tense with emotional tone ending "-네"
📌 Example Usage
"그 이름을 또 불러보네."
"I try calling that name again."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"되뇌이다" –
"to repeat (softly, reflectively)"
📌 Example Usage
"그녀의 이름을 되뇌이며 눈물을 흘렸다."
"I repeated her name as I cried."
6. "소리쳐 불러도 / 소리쳐 부르다"
- "소리쳐 불러도"
means "even if I shout and call (out)." It implies desperate or
emotional effort.
- "소리치다": to
shout
- “소리쳐”: “소리치다” + connective ending “-어서”
✂️ “소리쳐서” → “소리쳐” (contraction)
- "소리쳐 부르다":
to call out loudly
- "불러도":
"부르다 (to call)" + "-어도 (even if)"
📌 Example Usage
"소리쳐 불러도 대답 없는 그대."
"Even if I shout your name, there’s no
answer."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"외쳐도" –
"even if I cry out"
📌 Example Usage
"아무리 외쳐도 그는 돌아오지 않았다."
"No matter how much I cried out, he didn’t
return."
7. "부서져 / 부서지다"
- "부서지다"
means "to be broken" or "to shatter."
- "부서져" is
the connective form: "shattered and..."
• “부서지다” + connective ending “-어”
📌 Example Usage
"이름이 부서져 허공에 흩어진다."
"The name shatters and scatters in the
air."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"깨지다" –
"to break"
📌 Example Usage
"유리가 깨졌어요."
"The glass broke."
8. "더 견딜 힘조차 없게 / 더 견딜 힘조차 없다"
- "더" means
"more."
- "견딜" is the
future-attributive form of "견디다 (to endure)."
- "힘" means
"strength."
- "-조차" adds
"even (that too)."
- "없게" is
"없다 (to not have)" + "-게" (so that).
📌 Example Usage
"더 견딜 힘조차 없게 아파졌어."
"It became so painful I didn’t even have
the strength to endure."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"버틸 기운도 없다" –
"I don’t even have the energy to bear it."
📌 Example Usage
"이젠 버틸
기운도 없어."
"I have no strength left to go on."
9. "버려두고 가지 / 버려두고 가다"
- "버려두다"
means "to leave (someone) behind" or "abandon."
- “버려두고”: “버려두다” + “-고 (and)”
- "가다" means
"to go."
- "버려두고 가지"
means "you leave me and go."
• “가지”: “가다” + sentence
ending “-지” (It is used to express, ask, command, or
suggest something positively.)
📌 Example Usage
"버려두고 가지 말아줘."
"Please don’t leave me behind."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"남겨두고 떠나다" –
"to leave someone behind and go"
📌 Example Usage
"그녀는 나를 남겨두고
떠났다."
"She left, leaving me behind."
10. "빗속에 떠날 / 빗속에 떠나다"
- "비" means
"rain."
- "빗속" means
"inside the rain."
• “비” + interfix -s (사이시옷, saisiot) + “속”
- "-에" is a
location particle: "in/into."
- "떠나다" means
"to leave."
- "떠날" is the
future attributive form: "who will leave."
📌 Example Usage
"빗속에 떠날 용기가
없었어."
"I didn’t have the courage to leave in the
rain."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"비 오는 날에 떠나다" –
"to leave on a rainy day"
📌 Example Usage
"그는 비 오는
날에 떠났다."
"He left on a rainy day."
11. "나였음을"
- "나" means
"I" or "me."
- "-였음" is
the noun form of the past copula: "was."
- "-을" is the
object particle.
📌 Example Usage
"그 사람이 너를 사랑한 건 나였음을 알아줘."
"Please know that it was I who loved
you."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"내가 그 사람이었다는 걸" –
"that I was the one"
📌 Example Usage
"내가 그 사람이었다는 걸 이제야
말할 수 있어."
"Only now can I say that I was that
person."
12. "알고 있는 듯이 / 알고 있다"
- "알다" means
"to know."
- "알고 있다" is
the progressive form: "to be knowing / to know (continuously)."
- “알고 있는”: “알고 있다” + attributive “-는” (present tense)
- "듯이" means
"as if."
📌 Example Usage
"모든 걸 알고
있는 듯이 말했어."
"You spoke as if you knew
everything."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"다 아는 것처럼" –
"as if you knew it all"
📌 Example Usage
"다 아는 것처럼 행동하지
마."
"Don’t act like you know everything."
13. "비가 오는 날엔 / 비가 오는 날에는"
- "비가 오다"
means "rain is falling."
- "비가 오는 날"
means "the day when it rains."
- "-에는 / -엔" is the locative particle meaning "on that day."
• “-에는”: locative particle “-에” + topic marker “-는”
✂️ “-에는” → “-엔” (contraction)
📌 Example Usage
"비가 오는 날엔 늘
네 생각이 나."
"I always think of you on rainy
days."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"비 오는 날마다" –
"every rainy day"
📌 Example Usage
"비 오는 날마다 네가
떠올라."
"I think of you on every rainy day."
14. "그리워해 / 그리워하다"
- "그리워하다"
means "to miss" or "to long for."
- "그리워해" is the
informal present ending form.
📌 Example Usage
"아직도 널 그리워해."
"I still miss you."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"보고 싶어하다" –
"to want to see (someone)"
📌 Example Usage
"그는 그녀를 보고
싶어했어."
"He wanted to see her."
15. "언젠간 / 언젠가는"
- "언젠가" means
"someday" or "at some point."
- “언젠가는”: “언젠가” + auxiliary particle “-는” (emphasis, limitation)
✂️ "언젠간" is a contracted, informal form.
📌 Example Usage
"언젠간 다시
만날 수 있을까?"
"Will we meet again someday?"
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"어느 날엔가" –
"one of these days"
📌 Example Usage
"어느 날엔가 전화가
오겠지."
"One of these days, I’ll get a call."
16. "그날을 기다리며 / 그날을 기다리다"
- "그날" means
"that day."
- “-을”: object particle
- "기다리다"
means "to wait."
- "기다리며" is
the connective form: "while waiting."
📌 Example Usage
"그날을 기다리며 오늘도
살아가."
"I live on today, waiting for that
day."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"그 순간을 바라며" –
"longing for that moment"
📌 Example Usage
"그 순간을 바라며 준비하고
있어."
"I’m preparing, hoping for that
moment."
17. "비 내린 /
비가 내리다"
- "비" means
"rain."
- "내리다" means
"to fall" or "to come down."
- "비가 내리다"
means "rain falls."
- "비 내린" is
an attributive form meaning "fallen rain" or "rain that has
fallen."
• omission
of subject particle “-가”
📌 Example Usage
"비 내린 거리엔
너의 기억이 남아 있어."
"On the rain-soaked street, your memory
remains."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"비가 오다" –
"rain comes/falls"
📌 Example Usage
"지금 비가
오고 있어요."
"It’s raining right now."
18. "왜 그리 날 슬프게 해"
- "왜" means
"why."
- "그리" means
"so" or "that much."
✂️ "날" is the contracted object form of "나를" (me).
- "슬프게 하다"
means "to make (someone) sad."
- “슬프게 해”: present
tense colloquial form
📌 Example Usage
"왜 그리 날 슬프게 해?"
"Why do you make me so sad?"
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"왜 이렇게 아프게 해" –
"why do you hurt me like this"
📌 Example Usage
"왜 이렇게 아프게 해 나를."
"Why do you hurt me like this?"
19. "잊고 싶은데 / 잊고 싶다"
- "잊다" means
"to forget."
- "잊고 싶다"
means "to want to forget."
- "잊고 싶은데"
adds a contrastive or hesitant tone: "I want to forget, but…"
• “잊고 싶다” + connective ending “-은데” (contrast, regret, explanation)
📌 Example Usage
"잊고 싶은데, 자꾸
떠올라."
"I want to forget, but it keeps coming
back."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"지우고 싶다" –
"want to erase"
📌 Example Usage
"그 기억을 지우고
싶어."
"I want to erase that memory."
20. "가고 싶어 / 가고 싶다"
- "가다" means
"to go."
- "가고 싶다"
means "to want to go."
- "가고 싶어" is
the informal present tense.
📌 Example Usage
"지금 너에게 가고
싶어."
"I want to go to you right now."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"찾아가고 싶다" –
"want to go visit"
📌 Example Usage
"그 사람을 찾아가고
싶었어."
"I wanted to go visit that person."
21. "보고 싶어 / 보고 싶다"
- "보다" means
"to see."
- "보고 싶다"
means "to want to see" or "to miss (someone)."
- "보고 싶어" is
the informal present tense.
📌 Example Usage
"지금 네가 너무 보고
싶어."
"I really miss you right now."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"그립다" –
"to miss" (used with things/people)
📌 Example Usage
"그 시절이 너무 그리워요."
"I really miss those times."
22. "찾고 싶었어 / 찾고 싶다"
- "찾다" means
"to find" or "to look for."
- "찾고 싶다"
means "to want to find."
- "찾고 싶었어" is
the past tense: "I wanted to find."
📌 Example Usage
"널 찾고 싶었어, 그래서 여기까지 왔어."
"I wanted to find you, so I came all the
way here."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"되찾고 싶다" –
"want to recover"
📌 Example Usage
"잃어버린 웃음을 되찾고
싶어."
"I want to recover the smile I lost."
23. "그 자리에"
- "그" means
"that."
- "자리" means
"place" or "spot."
- “-에”: locative
particle
- "그 자리에"
means "at that place."
📌 Example Usage
"넌 그 자리에 아직 있니?"
"Are you still at that place?"
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"그곳에" –
"at that place (more general)"
📌 Example Usage
"나는 여전히 그곳에 머물러 있어."
"I’m still staying at that place."
24. "하지만 난 널 사랑해"
- "하지만" means
"but."
✂️ "난" is the contraction of "나는"
(I + topic marker).
✂️ "널" is the contraction of "너를"
(you as object).
- "사랑해" is
the informal present form of "사랑하다" (to
love).
📌 Example Usage
"하지만 난 널 사랑해, 아직도."
"But I still love you."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"그래도 난 네가 좋아" –
"even so, I still like you"
📌 Example Usage
"그래도 난 네가 좋아."
"Even so, I like you."
🎶 Lee Seung-chul - “The Western Sky”: Additional Information
- Song Title (Korean): 서쪽 하늘
- Release Date: December 22, 2005
- Album: Blue Swallow OST
- Genre: Ballad
- Original Singer: Lee Seung-chul
- Notable Covers: Ulala Session (2011, Superstar K3)
- Lyricist: Lee Seung-chul
- Composer: Yoon Myung-seon
Legacy:
“The Western Sky” is widely considered
one of Lee Seung-chul’s signature ballads. Its enduring appeal lies in its
sincere lyrics, gentle yet expressive melody, and universal themes of love,
loss, and memory. It remains a featured element in dramas, singing
competitions, and tribute performances.
🎶 Introduction
to Lee Seung-chul & Ulala Session
Lee Seung-chul (이승철) is a legendary Korean singer who
debuted as the lead vocalist of the rock band Boohwal in 1985. After going
solo, he became one of Korea’s most beloved balladeers, known for his rich,
soulful voice and emotionally resonant performances. His hits include “Never
Ending Story”, “Heeya”, and “My Love”. With a career spanning over
three decades, Lee Seung-chul’s music continues to inspire younger artists and
resonate with listeners across generations. His ability to blend powerful vocal
techniques with heartfelt storytelling remains unmatched.
Ulala Session (울랄라세션) is a South Korean vocal group best
known for winning the third season of Superstar K in 2011. The group
quickly rose to national fame thanks to their dynamic arrangements, strong
harmonies, and emotionally charged performances. Their rendition of “The
Western Sky” is one of the most memorable moments in Korean audition show
history, as it was dedicated to their late leader Lim Yoon-taek, who was
battling cancer at the time. The sincerity of their performance moved both
judges and the audience, breathing new life into the song and elevating it to a
modern classic.
🌍 If
you’d like to read the full lyrics, please visit official music platforms such
as Melon, Genie Music, Apple Music, or Spotify!
❗The copyright belongs to the original
creators, and the management of music royalties and copyrights is handled by
the respective copyright holders and organizations such as the Korea Copyright
Commission.
❗This analysis
is intended for educational and language-learning purposes and does not replace
the official lyrics.
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