BTS - UGH! Explained (Script)

BTS - UGH! Explained Script

Here we have another clever song from the BTS rap line spitting out fire, just like DDAENG. But if you thought this song was to diss haters and crush them, well, I would say that is maybe 50 percent right. It’s actually deeper than that. Let's dive into the real meaning of the song. 

[Intro]

Let's go, yeah, yeah, yeah

[Verse 1: Suga]

타닥 또 타오르는 저 불씨

기름에 닿기 전에 먼저 집어삼키네

필시 휩쓸려가겠지 

SUGA starts by saying that the haters are starting to get triggered again. 

They get triggered so fast that even before the actual fuel is poured, they ignite and burn themselves. 

It means haters overreact and blow things out of proportion with the smallest things, and in that process, they don’t know that they’re hurting themselves with all the negativity. 

예 예 음

오늘의 선수 입장하시네 건수를, yeah

물기 시작하면 둥둥둥 동네북이 돼 둥둥둥

Now he’s being sarcastic and calling the haters a pro. The pro is a player that is entering the ring with a trivial little flaw. He bites on the flaw, making a big fuss out of it. 

동네북 is literally translated into neighborhood drum. This is a Korean expression that means a drum that anybody can hit on, basically meaning an easy target or person to shit on. 둥둥둥 is how Koreans pronounce the sound of a drum. 

툭툭 건드네 괜시리 툭툭, yeah

반응이 없음 걍 담궈버리지 푹푹, yeah

진실도 거짓이 돼 거짓도 진실이 돼

이곳에선 모두가 도덕적 사고와

판단이 완벽한 사람이 돼 웃기시네

The haters keep on poking for no reason, like a boxing player jabbing.

And if he keeps on ignoring, they just stab him.

This expression 담궈버리다 is actually a very hardcore slang used by Korean gangs when they stab people with knives. The original word 담그다 would mean put an object into a liquid, usually used in terms of kimchi or salted seafood called 젓갈. The common thing among these foods is that they are ‘red, liquid-y, and go inside jars afterward’ for fermentation. So you can see why gangs would use this word in that way. 

푹 is a word that expresses the action of stabbing something very deep and powerfully. 

Notice that the mimetic words 둥둥둥, 툭툭, 푹푹 all rhyme and they all escalate by each line from hitting a drum, to jabbing and stabbing. 

Haters start off trying to tease and make fun of SUGA, but when he doesn’t respond, they start jabbing and stabbing him. 

The truth becomes a lie; a lie becomes the truth. 

It's funny to see everyone suddenly become morally perfect and flawless humans. 

Yup, I know a little bit about this too, it seems like the typical characteristics of many online communities or platforms with people that have nothing better to do in real life that spread hate towards others. (SIGH)

[Verse 2: RM]

분노? 물론 필요하지

타오를 땐 이유가 있어

어쩌면 우리의 역사지

그게 세상을 바꾸기도 하지

RM states that rage is an actual emotion that is sometimes needed. He says that people have the right to get mad at certain things, and that might be our history. The word history can be used in general terms as in a nation’s or the world’s history, or in terms of BTS, like how their success and legacy was motivated and accomplished through anger. But overall, RM acknowledges the fact that rage can likely change the world. Now, Korea is a nation full of rage against many surrounding countries that invaded and colonized our land, and also, the most recent incident of rage impeached our president as well. 

But 이건 분노 아닌 분뇨

뭐가 분노인지 you know?

분노인 척하며 죽여 진짜 분노

질려버린 수도 없이 많은 people

But he says that the anger that heads towards him is not 분노 rage, but  분뇨 human waste. Peepee and poopoo. 

He says that haters are actually killing anger with their fake anger. Numerous people are tired of that.

This means that the useless negative energy or anger about stupid things haters throw is actually devaluating the power and impact of the word ‘anger.’ 

넌 나만 죽이는 게 아니야 (아니야)

똥 밟는 게 익숙해 우리야 (우리야)

무감각해진 저 사람들 봐 (봐)

분뇨, 무관심 너넨 팀이야, yeah

RM keeps on going saying that your anger is not just killing us. We are used to shit anyways. But the real problem is that people are getting insensitive about the emotion anger since it's so normalized and thrown towards them in every direction. 

He keeps on going saying that Human Waste and ‘indifference’ is a team which is what the haters are and deserve. 

[Pre-Chorus: Suga, RM]

나는 욱해 욱해

나는 욱해 욱해

나는 악의에 가득 찬 분노에 분노해

나는 악의에 가득 찬 분노에 분노해

They go 욱! 

욱 is a Korean term that describes the state of blood suddenly rushing to your head in a second right after you see something infuriating. It usually is used towards people who don’t know how to keep their temper and are hot-headed. 

BTS cleverly translated 욱 into UGH, very similar to how it sounds in English, and also gives that feeling of a sudden disgust or frustration. 

Then why does the rap line suddenly feel angry? Because of the haters? Not exactly. 

They are mad because of ‘the anger that contains malice.’ 

At this point, they don’t care about what the haters shit anymore. They’re angry about the fact that this pure emotion anger is being used in such a malicious way to hurt them or others, which results in nothing but harm. It doesn’t change history nor the world. That’s why they bring up the word 분뇨, human waste because ‘anger’ is being wasted. 

RM

나는 욱해 욱해

나는 욱해 욱해

나는 꺼져야만 했던 분노에 분노해

나는 꺼져야만 했던 그 분노에 분노해 (Yeah, yeah)

Then RM goes on and says that he is angry about the anger that got extinguished. In accordance with the previous lyrics, this means that RM is angry that in some situations, when anger was truly needed for a protest or a good cause or whatever, it died out and didn’t meet its goal because the anger is being diffused towards random subjects like themselves. They don’t care, but if that energy were to be gathered and used for a meaningful cause, the anger could actually make an improvement in the world.

[Chorus: All]

그래 욱 욱 욱해라 욱

재가 될 때까지 그래 욱해라 욱

그래 욱 욱 욱해라 욱

부러질 때까지 그래 욱해라 욱

Then they go on promoting anger. They say, "Be angry about things that are not just." Well, that is for all the people around the world.

However, to haters, this line has a sarcastic double meaning. It’s basically saying, "Yeah, go off, go off as much as you can, until you become ashes and break yourself. Whatever. idgaf." 

 [Verse 3: j-hope]

이 세상 분노가 지배함

분노가 없음 다 못 사나 봐

분노하고 또 분노하고 분노하고

그리 미쳐가고 욱 욱 욱 욱

Jhope continues to say that he understands that anger is a powerful emotion that moves and rules the world. But then he says that people these days can't live without being angry. They’re just too mad at every single thing, and they go crazy. 

분노하는 이유도 다 수만 가지

선의와 악의도 다 매한가지

분노할 수 있다만 남의 삶에

피해가 있는 건 I don’t like

그건 stop, ayy

Once again, he points out there are thousands of reasons to get angry. Either if it's for good or bad, it is anger. He says that unleashing your anger is ok, but he doesn’t like anger that harms other people’s lives, so he urges haters to stop that.

누구의 행동에 누구는 아파해

누구의 언행에 누구는 암담해

누구의 찰나에 누구 순간이 돼

누구의 분노에 누구 목숨이 돼

썩을 퉤

Someone's actions can hurt someone.

Someone's words can make someone lose hope. 

Someone's blink of an eye can become a moment for someone. 

Someone’s anger can cost a life for someone. 

JHOPE spits out of disgust. 

Although these lines are universal, and it applies to all of us, here in particular, because they went to the extent of mentioning a life, I think had in mind of the tragic incidents that happened in Kpop last year. 

Stupid and useless actions, words, laughs, and anger was wasted on such meaningless things about idols and celebrities… that some of these celebrities were forced to make a very unfortunate decision.

If you think this is a stretch, then listen to the next verse. 

[Bridge: Suga, j-hope]

아 대체 욕 좀 먹는 게 왜

잘 벌잖아 또 징징대 왜

그 정돈 감수해야지 에헴

This part is an impersonation of haters and netizens. These jobless people keep on saying stuff such as. ‘What’s the big deal about getting some insults. You guys make a whole lot of money. Stop complaining. It’s a toll, just suck it up.’

This is the common logic that many netizens would say whenever a celebrity brought up how they are suffering from, or are planning to sue hate comments.

에헴 에헴 에헴 에헴

니네 에헴 에헴 에헴 에헴

나 시켰어봐 다 참아

니네 에헴 니네 에헴 에헴 에헴 에헴

나 시켰어봐 그냥 에헴 비헴 에헴

“Just let me be in your place, let me be an idol, I’d be able to deal with all of that.” Is what the haters keep on saying, justifying the hate comments and undermining the pain celebrities have just because they profit out of publicity. 

Then the haters say the word EHEM. 

Now, this sound or word is used in English as well, simply to clear out your throat, or show that you’re present, or give an invisible message to somebody dumb who’s not able to read the atmosphere, or to nullify the awkwardness after saying something embarrassing and on. 

(에헴 음악 작게 계속 넣기 자막) As you see a lot of Ehems in this part, I would say that ALL the usages and contexts would fit in. However, just to add, one extra point of view, as a Korean, the sound EHEM was mostly used by 양반 or 꼰대s in Korea. 

양반 is the privileged noble class during the 고려 조선 dynasty that knew how to read Chinese and study Confucianism and was superior in class to all the other classes such as the mechanics, merchants, farmers, and slaves. These 양반s would use EHEM in diverse situations like when they needed their servants, or when they would scold them or try to show off their noble-ness. 

Also, 꼰대 basically means a ‘boomer’ in the workspace or someone older than you that tries to force their ways without any logic or reasonable reason, just by the fact that they were born earlier than you. These 꼰대’s casually use 에헴 to give 눈치, which is a Korean thing that basically means ‘understand what I mean or what I want without me having to say it with my own mouth.’ The magic word would be 에헴, and everybody would have to shut up and comply. 

So the word 에헴 has a complex usage and nuance in it, but basically, it would be best if you understood it as these internet keyboard warriors who think they are morally perfect, better than you, sitting on their high horse, trying to shush you and give you 눈치 and saying ‘suck it up.’ 

So yeah, you could replace the 에헴s with words like, suck it up, get over with it, or shut up. 

While BTS is receiving all these 에헴s, if you listen to the tone they are rapping with, you can feel a sense of sarcasm, which means at one point BTS is saying the same thing vice versa to the haters as well. 

[Chorus: All]

그래 욱 (욱) 욱 (욱) 욱해라 욱 (욱)

재가 될 때까지 그래 욱해라 욱 (욱)

그래 욱 (욱) 욱 (욱) 욱해라 욱

부러질 때까지 그래 욱해라 욱

나는 욱해 욱해 나는 욱해 욱해

나는 악의에 가득 찬 분노에 분노해

나는 꺼져야만 했던 그 분노에 분노해 (Hey, hey)

In conclusion, this song is mainly about BTS’ anger against how people these days waste their precious ‘anger’ in stupid things like mocking celebrities, which sometimes lead to tragic incidents when this anger could be used in a revolutionary way to bring change in history. 

Therefore 욱 is not a direct diss song about the haters, because it seems like BTS has elevated to a level where they don’t even care anymore about human trash. It’s bigger than the haters. It’s a declaration about the emotion anger itself and a lament on a modern-day, socio-contextual usage(waste) of anger.