Table of Contents
🎶 AKMU - “LAST GOODBYE”: Introduction
🎯 Key Takeaways
🎶 AKMU - “Last Goodbye”: Additional Information
🎶 Introduction to AKMU
🎶 AKMU - “LAST GOODBYE”: Introduction
Stage Performance
Lyrics Summary
“LAST GOODBYE” is a reflective monologue on a love that was genuine and deeply cherished, but ultimately came to an end. The lyrics trace the speaker’s memories of a long relationship, described as “a long night with one star and one you.” It was a quiet kind of love, not marked by grand declarations, but by the comfort of simply being near each other. Even if the words “I love you” were hesitant, they were never lies.
But as time passed, something shifted. The silence between them grew, not out of anger, but out of the fear of vulnerability and change. The speaker begins to sense that the intimacy they once shared is fading, and though the love was real, the emotional distance becomes undeniable.
Still, they do not want this breakup to be remembered with bitterness. They plead: “Please don’t remember me with hate.” The memories, no matter how painful now, are too precious to be tarnished. Even after the farewell, the trace of the other person lingers—still beautiful, still unforgettable.
What makes this goodbye so painful is not betrayal, but the very fact that it was once so good. The realization that such a deep love must be let go is where the heartbreak lies. In the end, the speaker resolves to accept the farewell, to hold onto the sincerity of what once was, and to let the “last goodbye” carry the weight of love without regret.
A Practical Learning Guide
- The lyrics are structured as a first-person inner
monologue, a typical style in Korean ballads. They reflect an introspective
tone, lacking formal speech endings, making them a good example of non-honorific,
plain-style emotional Korean.
- You'll encounter many proper conversational contractions
and abbreviated forms like:
• “넌” (너는),
• “난” (나는),
• “날” (나를),
• “우린” (우리는),
• “맘” (마음),
• “이젠" (이제는),
These show up frequently in spoken Korean and lyrics. Be sure
to learn both their original and abbreviated forms.
- The lyrics feature inverted word orders and omitted
subjects, which are common in poetic or lyrical Korean. Example:
• “밉게 날 기억하지는 말아줄래요”
→ subject is omitted, indirect request form, sentence ends
with a favor/request nuance.
- Emotionally, the song captures Korean emotional
subtlety, where love, regret, gratitude, and sorrow are all expressed
through restraint rather than exaggeration, which contrasts with many
Western pop songs. This helps learners understand cultural nuance in Korean
communication.
- Language learners should note how the lyrics don’t rely on
complex grammar but simple structures arranged poetically, making it an
accessible piece for practicing listening, reading comprehension, and even
shadowing.
🎯 Key
Takeaways
1. "밤이었어 / 밤이다"
- "밤이다" means
"it is night."
- "밤이었어" is
past tense: "it was night."
📌 Example Usage
"그곳이 내 밤이었어."
"That place was my night."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"어두운 밤" –
"dark night"
📌 Example Usage
"어두운 밤을 지새웠다."
"I stayed up through the dark night."
2. "사랑해란 말이 / 사랑했어요 / 사랑하다"
- "사랑하다"
means "to love."
- "사랑해란 말이"
is "the words ‘I love you’" (indirect quote).
- "사랑했어요" is the
past polite form: "I loved."
📌 Example Usage
"사랑해란 말이 머뭇거리어도
거짓은 없었어."
"Even if the words ‘I love you’ hesitated,
it wasn’t a lie."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"좋아하다" –
"to like"
📌 Example Usage
"그를 좋아했어요."
"I liked him."
3. "머뭇거리어도 / 머뭇거리다"
- "머뭇거리다"
means "to hesitate."
- "머뭇거리어도" is
the concessive form: "even if (someone) hesitates"
📌 Example Usage
"머뭇거리어도 진심은
전해졌어."
"Even if I hesitated, my sincerity was
conveyed."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"주저하다" –
"to hesitate"
📌 Example Usage
"그는 말하기를 주저했다."
"He hesitated to speak."
4. "거짓은 없었어 / 거짓은 없다"
- "거짓" means
"lie" or "falsehood."
- “-은”: topic marker
- "없다" means
"to not exist."
- "없었어" is
the past tense: "there was none."
📌 Example Usage
"사랑해란 말이 머뭇거리어도 거짓은
없었어."
"Even if the words ‘I love you’ hesitated,
it wasn’t a lie."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"진심이었다" –
"it was true/sincere"
📌 Example Usage
"그 고백은 진심이었다."
"That confession was sincere."
5. "화나 있고 / 화나 있다 / 화나다"
- "화나다" means
"to be angry."
- "화나 있다"
means "to be in a state of anger."
- "화나 있고" is
the connector form.
📌 Example Usage
"넌 화나 있고 참 조용했던 그곳이 내 오랜 밤이었어."
"You were angry and so quiet — that place
was my long night."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"분노하다" –
"to rage" (formal)
📌 Example Usage
"그는 배신에 분노했다."
"He raged over the betrayal."
6. "조용했던 / 조용하다"
- "조용하다"
means "to be quiet."
- "조용했던" is the
attributive past form: "was quiet."
📌 Example Usage
"넌 화나 있고 참
조용했던 그곳이 내 오랜 밤이었어."
"You were angry and so quiet — that place
was my long night."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"말이 없는" –
"silent"
📌 Example Usage
"말이 없는 분위기였다."
"It was a silent atmosphere."
7. "어둠 속에서도"
- "어둠" means
"darkness."
- "속에서" means
"inside."
- "-도" adds
"even" — "even in the darkness."
📌 Example Usage
"어둠 속에서도 잠
이루지 못해."
"Even in the darkness, I couldn’t fall
asleep."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"깜깜한 속에서도" –
"even in the pitch-black"
📌 Example Usage
"깜깜한 속에서도 불빛을
찾았다."
"I found a light even in the pitch-black."
8. "잠 이루지 못해 / 잠을 이루지 못하다"
- "잠" means
"sleep."
- “-을”: object particle
- "이루다" means
"to achieve."
- "잠을 이루다"
means "to fall asleep."
- "-지 못하다" is
the negative form: "cannot."
📌 Example Usage
"어둠 속에서도 잠
이루지 못해."
"Even in the darkness, I couldn’t fall
asleep."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"잠이 오지 않다" –
"to not get sleepy"
📌 Example Usage
"걱정돼서 잠이
오지 않았다."
"I couldn’t sleep because I was
worried."
9. "흐느껴오는 / 흐느껴오다"
- "흐느끼다"
means "to sob."
- "오다" means
"to come."
- "흐느껴오다"
means "to sob and approach (or reach one)."
- "흐느껴오는" is
the attributive present form.
📌 Example Usage
"흐느껴오는 너의
목소리."
"Your sobbing voice that reached me."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"울먹이다" –
"to choke up"
📌 Example Usage
"그녀는 말하다 울먹였다."
"She choked up as she spoke."
10. "그대 곁이면"
- "그대" is a
poetic/formal word for "you."
- "곁" means
"side," and "곁이면" is conditional:
"if by your side."
📌 Example Usage
"그대 곁이면 아무것도
두렵지 않아."
"If I’m by your side, I’m not afraid of
anything."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"당신 옆이라면" –
"if next to you"
📌 Example Usage
"당신 옆이라면 뭐든
할 수 있어."
"If I’m next to you, I can do
anything."
11. "곁에서만 있어도"
- "곁" means
"side" or "beside."
- "-에서" is a
location particle meaning "at" or "from."
- "-만" adds
the meaning of "only" or "just."
- "있어도" is
the conditional form of "있다 (to be)" +
"-아도 (even if)."
📌 Example Usage
"곁에서만 있어도 행복했단
걸."
"Even just being by your side, I was
happy."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"옆에 있기만 해도" –
"even just being beside (someone)"
📌 Example Usage
"옆에 있기만 해도 마음이
놓여."
"Even just being next to you puts me at
ease."
12. "행복했단 걸 / 행복했다는 것을 / 행복했어 / 행복하다"
- "행복하다"
means "to be happy."
- "행복했어" is
the past informal form: "was happy."
- "행복했다는 것"
is a quoted nominalized clause: "the fact that (someone) was happy."
✂️ "행복했단
걸" is a contracted form of "행복했다는 것을."
📌 Example Usage
"곁에서만 있어도 행복했단
걸."
"Even just being by your side, I was
happy."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"기뻤다" –
"was glad"
📌 Example Usage
"네가 와줘서 기뻤다."
"I was glad you came."
13. "추억 말아요 / 추억하지 말아요 / 추억하다"
- "추억하다"
means "to recall fondly" or "to remember."
- "추억하지 말아요"
means "please don’t remember" (polite).
✂️ "추억
말아요" is a shortened, informal version.
📌 Example Usage
"그 시절은 추억
말아요."
"Please don’t remember those days."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"잊어주세요" –
"please forget"
📌 Example Usage
"그 일은 그냥 잊어주세요."
"Please just forget about that."
14. "어쩔 수 없었다는 건 / 어쩔 수 없었다는 것은 / 어쩔 수 없다"
- "어쩔 수 없다"
means "it can’t be helped" or "inevitable."
- "어쩔 수 없었다"
is the past form.
- "어쩔 수 없었다는 것"
is nominalized: "the fact that it was inevitable."
- “-은”: topic marker
✂️ "어쩔
수 없었다는 건" is a contraction of the above “어쩔 수 없었다는
것은.”
📌 Example Usage
"모든 게 어쩔
수 없었다는 건 알아요."
"I know it all couldn’t be helped."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"피할 수 없었다" –
"couldn’t avoid"
📌 Example Usage
"그 선택은 피할
수 없었다."
"That choice was unavoidable."
15. "말도 안 될 거라"
- "말도 안 되다"
means "to be ridiculous" or "to make no sense."
- "말도 안 될 거라"
is future conjecture: "that it might be nonsense."
✂️ “말도 안될 것” → “말도 안될 거” (contraction) → “말도 안될 거라”
📌 Example Usage
"말도 안 될 거라 생각하겠지만
사실이야."
"You may think it’s ridiculous, but it’s
true."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"믿기 힘들겠지만" –
"hard to believe, but…"
📌 Example Usage
"믿기 힘들겠지만 진심이야."
"It’s hard to believe, but I mean
it."
16. "생각하겠지만 / 생각하다"
- "생각하다"
means "to think."
- "생각하겠지만" is
a conditional/future form: "you might think, but…"
• “생각하다” + “-겠-“ (future tense) + connective ending
“-지만” (conditional)
📌 Example Usage
"말도 안 될 거라 생각하겠지만 사실이야."
"You may think it’s ridiculous, but it’s
true."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"의심하겠지만" –
"you may doubt"
📌 Example Usage
"의심하겠지만, 나를
믿어줘."
"You may doubt it, but trust me."
17. "밉게 날 기억하지는 말아 줄래요"
- "밉다" means
"to be hateful" or "to be disliked."
- "밉게" is the
adverbial form: "hatefully" or "in a resentful way."
- "날": "나 (I)" + object particle "-를"
- "기억하다" means "to remember."
- "기억하지는" is a contracted form used to emphasize contrast, often followed by "-말다" or "-않다."
- "말다" means "to stop" or "not to do something."
- "말아줄래요" is a soft request: "would you not (do something)?"
• “말다” + “주다” → “말아주다 (not to do something for someone)” → “말아줄래요” (request, polite)
🐾 "당신이 나를 밉게 기억하지는 말아 줄래요" → "밉게 날 기억하지는 말아 줄래요"
• "당신이": subject is implied
• "나를 밉게" → "밉게 나를": inversion of word order
📌 Example Usage
"밉게 보지
말아줘요."
"Please don’t look at me with
resentment."
18. "잘 모르겠어 / 모르다"
- "모르다" means
"to not know."
- "잘 모르겠어"
means "I’m not really sure" or "I don’t quite know."
📌 Example Usage
"잘 모르겠어, 이게
맞는지."
"I’m not sure if this is right."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"확신이 없다" –
"to not be sure"
📌 Example Usage
"정답인지 확신이
없었어."
"I wasn’t sure if it was the correct
answer."
19. "지울 수 없이 / 지울 수 없다 / 지우다"
- "지우다" means
"to erase."
- "지울 수 없다"
means "cannot erase."
- "지울 수 없이"
is the adverbial form: "in a way that cannot be erased."
📌 Example Usage
"당신의 흔적이 지울
수 없이 남아 있어요."
"Your trace remains in a way that can’t be
erased."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"없애지 못하다" –
"cannot get rid of"
📌 Example Usage
"그 기억은 없애지
못했어."
"I couldn’t get rid of that memory."
20. "그 말 끝으로 / 그 말을 끝으로"
- "그" means
"that."
- "말" means
"word" or "speech."
- “-을”: object particle
- "끝으로" means
"as the end" or "as the final thing."
- "그 말 끝으로"
means "with those words as the end."
• omission of object particle
📌 Example Usage
"그 말 끝으로 모든
게 끝났어."
"Everything ended with those words."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"그 말 이후로" –
"after those words"
📌 Example Usage
"그 말 이후로 우리는
만나지 않았다."
"After those words, we never met
again."
21. "흐른 시간은 / 시간이 흐르다"
- "시간이 흐르다"
means "time passes" or "time flows."
- "흐른 시간"
means "the time that has passed," using the past attributive form
"흐른."
- “-은”: topic marker
📌 Example Usage
"흐른 시간은 마치
꿈 같았어."
"The time that passed felt like a
dream."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"지나간 시간은" –
"the time that has gone by"
📌 Example Usage
"지나간 시간은 다시
오지 않는다."
"The time that has passed never comes
back."
22. "깊어져 있었고 / 깊어져 있다 / 깊어지다"
- "깊어지다"
means "to deepen."
- "깊어져 있다"
means "to be in a deepened state."
- "깊어져 있었고"
is the past perfect connective form: "had deepened and..."
📌 Example Usage
"서로에게 깊어져
있었고, 그게 두려웠어."
"We had grown deeper toward each other,
and that scared us."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"정이 들다" –
"to grow attached"
📌 Example Usage
"그와 함께 지내며 정이
들었어."
"I grew attached to him while spending
time together."
23. "가만있고 / 가만있다"
- "가만있다"
means "to stay still" or "to remain silent/inactive."
- "가만있고" is
the connector form: "to stay still and..."
📌 Example Usage
"그저 가만있고 아무 말도 하지 않았어."
"I just stayed still and didn’t say a
word."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"조용히 있다" –
"to stay quiet"
📌 Example Usage
"그는 내내 조용히
있었다."
"He remained silent the whole time."
24. "의미도 없듯이 / 의미가 없다"
- "의미" means
"meaning."
- "의미가 없다"
means "has no meaning."
- "의미도 없듯이"
means "as if it has no meaning" or "like it’s meaningless."
• “-도”: also, too (particle)
• “-듯이”: in a way that seems like (connective ending)
📌 Example Usage
"함께한 시간이 의미도
없듯이 사라졌어."
"The time we spent disappeared like it was
meaningless."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"가치가 없다" –
"to have no value"
📌 Example Usage
"그 선택은 가치가
없었다."
"That choice had no value."
25. "추억만 하게 하겠죠 / 추억하다"
- "추억하다"
means "to reminisce" or "to remember fondly."
- "추억만 하게 하겠죠"
means "will probably make one only reminisce" or "leave only
memories."
• “-만”: only
• “~하게 하다”: to make (someone/something) do ~,
to make (someone/something) become ~.
📌 Example Usage
"결국엔 추억만
하게 하겠죠."
"In the end, it’ll only make me
reminisce."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"기억에만 남다" –
"to remain only in memory"
📌 Example Usage
"그 사람은 기억에만
남게 될 거야."
"That person will only remain in
memory."
26. "진심이었소 / 진심이다"
- "진심" means
"sincerity" or "true feeling."
- "진심이다"
means "to be sincere."
- "진심이었소" is
the poetic/polite past form: "it was sincere."
📌 Example Usage
"그 말, 진심이었소."
"My words — they were sincere."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"참된 마음이었다" –
"it was truehearted"
📌 Example Usage
"그 고백은 참된
마음이었다."
"That confession was genuine."
27. "하늘이 뿌옇고 / 하늘이 뿌옇다"
- "하늘" means
"sky."
- "하늘이" is
the subject form with particle "-이" meaning
"the sky (as subject)."
- "뿌옇다" means "to be hazy" or "to be foggy/dim."
- "뿌옇고" is the connective form with "-고" meaning "and hazy."
📌 Example Usage
"하늘이 참
뿌옇고 흐렸지."
"The sky was so hazy and gloomy."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"공기가 흐리다" –
"the air is dull/hazy"
📌 Example Usage
"오늘은 공기가
흐려서 기분도 가라앉아."
"Today the air feels dull, so my mood is
down too."
28. "맘을 다잡아야 하죠 / 마음을 다잡다"
- "마음을 다잡다"
means "to pull oneself together" or "to gather one’s
resolve."
✂️ "맘" is a colloquial contraction of "마음."
- "다잡아야 하죠"
is an obligation form: "have to pull (oneself) together."
📌 Example Usage
"이젠 맘을
다잡아야 하죠."
"Now I have to pull myself together."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"정신 차리다" –
"to get a grip"
📌 Example Usage
"이제라도 정신
차려야 해."
"I need to get a grip, even now."
🎶 AKMU – “LAST GOODBYE”: Additional Information
- Song Title (Korean): 오랜 날 오랜 밤
- Release Date: January 3, 2017
- Album: SPRING OF YOUTH, PART 2
- Genre: Acoustic Ballad / Pop
- Lyrics & Composition: Lee Chan-hyuk
Legacy:
“LAST GOODBYE” marked a turning point
for AKMU, showing their maturity as artists. It resonated with audiences for
its poetic lyrics, restrained sentiment, and universal theme of parting from
someone you still care for. Its simplicity and rawness have made it a lasting
favorite for those processing the end of a meaningful relationship.
🎶 Introduction to AKMU
📢 Please check other posts
in the K-Lingo category for introductions to other songs and AKMU.
🔖 “NAKKA” by AKMU & IU: Korean Song Meaning Explained for Language Learners
🔖 Learn Korean Through AKMU’s Most Poetic Ballad: “How can I love the heartbreak…”
🌍 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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