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).

Diamond
검정치마 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

밤이 오려나
나 방금 일어나려 했는데
해가 짧아지면 하나씩 들어오는
불빛이 쓸쓸해

'지금 무슨 생각해?'
티비가 시끄럽게 울려도
니 말이 짧아지면

비좁은 마음속엔
걱정만 커져

너 사는 섬엔 아직 썰물이 없어
결국 떠내려온 것들은 모두 니 짐이야
이어질 땅이 보이지 않네

힘만 빼려나
난 그냥 나가는게 좋겠네
어차피 지나갈 거
새벽에 돌아오면
잠들어 있겠지

'너 지금 뭐라고 했어'
샤워기 물소리만 대답해
젖은 내 양말보다
질척한 마음속엔
2등이 떠올라

너 사는 섬엔 아직 썰물이 없어
결국 떠내려온 것들은 모두 니 짐이야
이어질 땅이 보이지 않네

너 살던 섬은 이제 가라앉았고
내가 두고 온 것들은 다 저기 저 아래에
녹만 슬다 없어지겠지

You are my baby, but you ain't no kid
Speak up now, don't shut your lid
Monolids blinking at me
I hear nothing
Just tell me something
Anything

You are my baby, but you ain't no kid
Speak up now, don't shut your lid
Monolids blinking at me
I hear nothing
Just tell me something
Anything

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Speak up now, don't shut your lid
Monolids

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh

Speak up now, don't shut your lid
Monolids

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Island" by the Korean indie rock band 검정치마 (The Black Skirts) touch upon the theme of loneliness and the feeling of being trapped in a situation where one's thoughts and worries keep piling up. The song starts with the singer waking up to the sight of the lonely lights that keep coming up one by one as the day gets shorter. He is then asked what he is thinking about, but his mind is clogged with worries and concerns.

The chorus describes how the island where the singer's loved one lives has no ebb tide, and everything that eventually befalls them becomes his burden. The bridge of the song talks about the singer's desire to disconnect himself from everything that burdens him and his increasing desire to let go of his worries by going somewhere, where he can be at peace. The lyrics of this song provide an eerie and eerie feeling, culminating in a sense of finality with the suggestion that the island where the singer's loved one lives has now disappeared.

Line by Line Meaning

밤이 오려나
It seems like night is falling

나 방금 일어나려 했는데
I just tried to wake up

해가 짧아지면 하나씩 들어오는 불빛이 쓸쓸해
When the sun sets, the lonely lights come on one by one

'지금 무슨 생각해?'
'What are you thinking right now?'

티비가 시끄럽게 울려도
Even if the TV is loudly blaring

니 말이 짧아지면 비좁은 마음속엔 걱정만 커져
When you speak less, worries grow bigger in my confined mind

너 사는 섬엔 아직 썰물이 없어
There isn't any low tide on the island you live in

결국 떠내려온 것들은 모두 니 짐이야
All the things that have floated here are your baggage

이어질 땅이 보이지 않네
I can't see any land that continues from here

힘만 빼려나
Maybe I should just let go

난 그냥 나가는게 좋겠네
I think it's better for me to just leave