[Romanized:]
I neorbeun bada geu hangaunde
Han mari goraega najeumakhi oeropge mareul hae
Amuri sorichyeodo dahji anhneun ge
Samuchige oerowo joyonghi ip damune
Amuryeom eottae mwoga
Dwaetdeon ijen mwo I don’t care
Oeroumiran nyeoseokman nae gyeoteseo meomul ttae
Onjeonhi honjaga dwae oeroi chaeuneun jamulsoe
Nugun malhae saekki yeonyein da dwaetne
Oh fuck that, geurae mwo eottae nugunga gyeote
Meomul su eobtda handaedo geugeollo jokhae
Nal hyanghae swipge yaegihaneun
I mareun got byeogi dwae
Oeroumjocha nideul nunen cheoki dwae
Geu byeoge gajyeoseo
Nae sumi makhyeodo
Jeo sumyeon wireul hyanghae
Hey oh, oh hey, oh yeah
Lonely lonely lonely whale
Ireoke honja noraebulleo
Oettan seom gateun nado
Barkge bitnal su isseulkka
Lonely lonely lonely whale
Ireoke tto han beon bulleobwa
Daedap eobtneun i noraega
Naeire daheul ttaekkaji
No more, no more baby
No more, no more
Kkeuteobtneun mujeon hana eonjenga daheul geoya
Jeogi jigu bandaepyeonkkaji da
No more, no more baby
No more, no more
Nunmeon goraedeuljocha nal bol su isseul geoya
Oneuldo dasi noraehaji na
Sesangeun jeoldaero molla
Naega eolmana seulpeunjireul
Nae apeumeun seokkil su eobtneun mulgwa gireum
Geujeo nan sumyeon wieseoman
Sumeul swil ttae gwansim kkeut oeroun badassok kkoma
Nado alligo sipne nae gachireul everyday
Geokjeongui meolmireul hae neul seutikeoneun gwi mite
Never end, wae kkeuteun eobtgo maebeon hell
Sigani gado chagaun simyeon sogui neverland
But neul saenggakhae
Jigeum saeujam jadeorado kkumeun goraedapge
Dagaol keun chingchani
Maeil chumeul chuge halgeoya
Nadapge ye I’m swimmin’
Nae miraereul hyanghae ga
Jeo pureun badawa
Nae hereucheureul mideo
Hey oh, oh hey oh yeah
Lonely lonely lonely whale
Ireoke honja noraebulleo
Oettan seom gateun nado
Barkge bitnal su isseulkka
Lonely lonely lonely whale
Ireoke tto han beon bulleobwa
Daedap eobtneun i noraega
Naeire daheul ttaekkaji
Eomeonineun badaga pureuda hasyeosseo
Meolli himkkeot ni moksoril naera hasyeosseo
Geureonde eotteokhajyo yeogin neomu kkamkkamhago
Ontong dareun mareul haneun dareun
Goraedeul ppuninde I just can’t hold it ma
Saranghanda malhago sipeo
Honja haneun dollim norae,
Gateun akbo wireul doejipeo
I badaneun neomu gipeo
Geuraedo nan dahaengin geol
(Nunmul nado amudo moreulteni)
I’m a whalien
Lonely lonely lonely whale
Ireoke honja noraebulleo
Oettan seom gateun nado
Barkge bitnal su isseulkka
Lonely lonely lonely whale
Ireoke tto han beon bulleobwa
Daedap eobtneun i noraega
Naeire daheul ttaekkaji
No more, no more baby
No more, no more
Kkeuteobtneun mujeon hana eonjenga daheul geoya
Jeogi jigu bandaepyeonkkaji da
No more, no more baby
No more, no more
Nunmeon goraedeuljocha nan bol su isseul geoya
Oneuldo dasi noraehaji na
[Korean:]
이 넓은 바다 그 한가운데
한 마리 고래가 나즈막히 외롭게 말을 해
아무리 소리쳐도 닿지 않는 게
사무치게 외로워 조용히 입 다무네
아무렴 어때 뭐가
됐던 이젠 뭐 I don’t care
외로움이란 녀석만 내 곁에서 머물 때
온전히 혼자가 돼 외로이 채우는 자물쇠
누군 말해 새끼 연예인 다 됐네
Oh fuck that, 그래 뭐 어때 누군가 곁에
머물 수 없다 한대도 그걸로 족해
날 향해 쉽게 얘기하는
이 말은 곧 벽이 돼
외로움조차 니들 눈엔 척이 돼
그 벽에 갇혀서
내 숨이 막혀도
저 수면 위를 향해
Hey oh, oh hey oh yeah
Lonely lonely lonely whale
이렇게 혼자 노래불러
외딴 섬 같은 나도
밝게 빛날 수 있을까
Lonely lonely lonely whale
이렇게 또 한 번 불러봐
대답 없는 이 노래가
내일에 닿을 때까지
No more, no more baby
No more, no more
끝없는 무전 하나 언젠가 닿을 거야
저기 지구 반대편까지 다
No more, no more baby
No more, no more
눈먼 고래들조차 날 볼 수 있을 거야
오늘도 다시 노래하지 나
세상은 절대로 몰라
내가 얼마나 슬픈지를
내 아픔은 섞일 수 없는 물과 기름
그저 난 수면 위에서만
숨을 쉴 때 관심 끝 외로운 바닷속 꼬마
나도 알리고 싶네 내 가치를 everyday
걱정의 멀미를 해 늘 스티커는 귀 밑에
Never end, 왜 끝은 없고 매번 hell
시간이 가도 차가운 심연 속의 neverland
But 늘 생각해
지금 새우잠 자더라도 꿈은 고래답게
다가올 큰 칭찬이
매일 춤을 추게 할거야
나답게 ye I’m swimmin’
내 미래를 향해 가
저 푸른 바다와
내 헤르츠를 믿어
Hey oh, oh hey oh yeah
Lonely lonely lonely whale
이렇게 혼자 노래불러
외딴 섬 같은 나도
밝게 빛날 수 있을까
Lonely lonely lonely whale
이렇게 또 한 번 불러봐
대답 없는 이 노래가
내일에 닿을 때까지
어머니는 바다가 푸르다 하셨어
멀리 힘껏 니 목소릴 내라 하셨어
그런데 어떡하죠 여긴 너무 깜깜하고
온통 다른 말을 하는 다른
고래들 뿐인데 I just can’t hold it ma
사랑한다 말하고 싶어
혼자 하는 돌림 노래,
같은 악보 위를 되짚어
이 바다는 너무 깊어
그래도 난 다행인 걸
(눈물 나도 아무도 모를테니)
I’m a whalien
Lonely lonely lonely whale
이렇게 혼자 노래불러
외딴 섬 같은 나도
밝게 빛날 수 있을까
Lonely lonely lonely whale
이렇게 또 한 번 불러봐
대답 없는 이 노래가
내일에 닿을 때까지
No more, no more baby
No more, no more
끝없는 무전 하나 언젠가 닿을 거야
저기 지구 반대편까지 다
No more, no more baby
No more, no more
눈먼 고래들조차 난 볼 수 있을 거야
오늘도 다시 노래하지 나
[English translation:]
In the middle of the vast ocean
One whale speaks softly and lonelily
The fact that no matter how much they shout, it won’t reach
Makes them so gravely lonely that they quietly shut their mouths
Now, well, I don’t care
When only the thing called
Loneliness remained by my side
I’ve become completely alone
Some say, “bastard, you’ve become a celebrity”
Oh fuck that, yeah, well, so what, nobody
Remains by my side, I’m ok like this
These words that are easily said
Towards me quickly becomes a wall
Even loneliness turns into something you can see
Even if my breaths are blocked
Because I’m confined in that wall
I head towards the surface of water above
Hey oh oh hey oh yeah
Lonely lonely lonely whale
Singing alone like this
Even me, who’s like a lonely island
Can I shine on the outside
Lonely lonely lonely whale
Like this, try calling once again
Until this song that doesn’t have a response
Reaches tomorrow
No more no more baby
No more no more
An endless signal, will reach someday
Everywhere, even to the other side of the earth
No more no more baby
No more no more
Even the blind whales will be able to see me
Today, again, I sing
The world will never know how sad I am
My pain is water and oil that can’t mix
So only above the surface of the water do I
Breathe, and the interest towards me ends
A child in the lonely ocean
I want to make it known too
My value, everyday
I become sick with worry, the sticker always beneath my ear
Never end, why isn’t there an end; every time it’s hell
Even if time goes by, in the cold abyss, neverland
But, I always think, now
Even if I sleep a shrimp’s sleep,
My dreams are like that of a whale’s
The upcoming big praise will make me dance everyday
Like me, ye I’m swimmin’
I go towards my future
That blue beach and
Believe in my hertz
Hey oh oh hey oh yeah
Lonely lonely lonely whale
Singing alone like this
Even me, who’s like a lonely island
Can I shine on the outside
Lonely lonely lonely whale
Like this, try calling once again
Until this song that doesn’t have a response
Reaches tomorrow
My mother said the sea is blue
She said to let out your voice as far as you can
But what to do, it’s so dark and there are only different whales
Speaking entirely different words
I just can’t hold it ma
I want to say I love you
I want to trace back to this music sheet that’s
Like a rotating song that I sing myself
This sea is too deep
Still, I’m lucky
Because even if I cry, no one would know
I’m a whalien
Lonely lonely lonely whale
Singing alone like this
Even me, who’s like a lonely island
Can I shine on the outside
Lonely lonely lonely whale
Like this, try calling once again
Until this song that doesn’t have a response
Reaches tomorrow
No more no more baby
No more no more
An endless signal, will reach someday
Everywhere, even to the other side of the earth
No more no more baby
No more no more
Even the blind whales will be able to see me
Today, again, I sing
The Loneliness of the 52-Hertz Whale
“Whalien 52” by BTS draws inspiration from the real-life 52-hertz whale, known as the loneliest whale in the world because its calls go unheard by other whales. The song uses this metaphor to explore themes of isolation, longing for connection, and the struggle to be understood. Through vivid ocean imagery, BTS expresses feelings of being surrounded yet alone, likening themselves to an island or a solitary whale whose song fades into the vast sea.
Hope Amidst Solitude
Despite its somber undertones, “Whalien 52” carries a message of resilience and hope. The repeated pleas of the lonely whale to be heard reflect the universal desire for recognition and empathy. BTS suggests that even if responses are absent now, their voices will eventually reach someone. The song encourages listeners to keep expressing themselves, trusting that their unique song will one day be understood, no matter how deep the ocean of loneliness may seem.
Song Credits
- Artist: BTS
- Album: The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt.2
- Release Year: 2015
- Songwriters: Pdogg, RM, Suga, J-Hope, Brother Su
- Label: Big Hit Entertainment