검정치마 (The Black Skirts) is a Korean indie pop band. Characterized by catchy… Read Full Bio ↴검정치마 (The Black Skirts) is a Korean indie pop band. Characterized by catchy, melody-oriented tunes, and frank, sometimes even cynical lyrics, 검정치마 has been likened to bands such as The Strokes and Phoenix, incorporating shoegaze, punk, pop and other styles into their own sound.

Formed in 2004 in New York, they started out with three members, but eventually drifted apart, leaving frontman 조휴일(Cho Hyu-Il, also Bryan Cho) as the sole member. Making his way back to Korea in 2006, 조휴일 undertook the entire production process into his own hands, writing songs in between performing at Hongdae clubs. Making his way back to the US in the hopes of releasing an album, he started his recording in the studio.

In 2008, on 조휴일's return to Korea, 검정치마 released its first album, "201", on the indie record label RubySalon. It proved to be a big hit in the Korean indie scene, hitting 10,000 copies in sales and earning the band the 2009 Korea Music Award (the Korean equivalent of the Grammy) for 'Best modern rock album'. 검정치마 was also nominated for "Best modern rock single", "Album of the year", "Song of the year", and "Newbie of the year".

검정치마 parted with its label, RubySalon, in January 2010, along with Galaxy Express and Telepathy. A remastered special edition of their debut album, "201" is currently being distributed by Sony. 조휴일 is currently taking a break from touring to work on 검정치마's next album.

Keyboardist Im Yoojin (임유진), with the band from 2008 to 2010, went solo in 2011 as Neon Bunny (야광토끼).

Ariel
검정치마 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

baby 알고 있나요
아직도 내가 그댈 맴도는 이유
baby 너는 나를 당기는
이상한 중력을 몸에 가지고 있어요
오 허쉬
변명 같나요
연락도 한 번 없는 나의 말이
믿기 힘들면 어때요

그때가선 잊어줘요 믿어줘요
바람이 없는 바다는
호수라는걸
you know me better than that
baby 알고 있나요
어젯밤 내가 뜬눈이었던 이유
baby 그대 이후론 아직
날 찾아왔던 사람은 한 명도 없죠
whatever
사실 일걸요
새들이 나를 읽어가기 전에
난 깊은 잠을 잘꺼에요
깨지 못 할 꿈속으로
되돌리고만 싶었던
그날 오후로
I know that it can't be done
my baby's going away
far away now
my baby's going away
far away from me
my baby's going away
far away now
my baby's going away
far away from me
my baby's going away
far away now

my baby's going away
far away from me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to 검정치마's song Ariel tell the story of someone who is still captivated by their lost love. The opening lines of "baby 알고 있나요, 아직도 내가 그댈 맴도는 이유" ask if the person knows why the singer is still thinking about them. The chorus repeatedly laments the fact that this person is going away, far away from the singer. Despite trying to move on, the singer can't help thinking about their lost love, even when they're trying to sleep: "새들이 나를 읽어가기 전에, 난 깊은 잠을 잘꺼에요."

The overall tone of the song is one of resignation and heartbreak. The singer knows that their love is leaving them and they can't stop it, even though they wish they could go back to the day they first met. Despite this, the song doesn't feel overwhelmingly sad or heavy - it's melancholic, but there's still a sense of acceptance and inevitability.

Line by Line Meaning

baby 알고 있나요
Do you know, my dear

아직도 내가 그댈 맴도는 이유
why I am still fixated on you

baby 너는 나를 당기는
You have a strange gravity that pulls me towards you

이상한 중력을 몸에 가지고 있어요
It's as if there's a weird force that keeps me drawn to you

오 허쉬 변명 같나요
Oh, is this an excuse?

연락도 한 번 없는 나의 말이
Even though I haven't contacted you once

믿기 힘들면 어때요
If it's hard to believe, that's okay

그때가선 잊어줘요 믿어줘요
Just forget about it and believe me

바람이 없는 바다는
A windless sea

호수라는걸
Is like a lake

you know me better than that
You know me better than that