Reception Radio: Dionysus, by BTS
The Bacchae take a trip to Seoul
So far on Reception Radio, I’ve covered genres of music that are familiar to me. I listen to plenty of classical, soundtracks, folk, and folk-inflected indie, and those preferences have shown in my Reception Radio picks so far. This is my first foray into a style of music that I don’t listen to on my own time.
I want to start periodically blogging about music from outside the English-speaking world that engages with the ancient Mediterranean. Why not start with one of the most popular music groups working today?
In the unlikely event that you haven’t heard of them, BTS are a South Korean boyband. They have seven members, an impressive catalogue of hit songs, and a slightly terrifying ARMY of fans. The all-caps are important: ARMY is how the fans refer to themselves.
I’m no expert on the intricacies of Kpop fan culture and nomenclature, but I know mythological reception when I see it. BTS’ lyrics portray making art and drinking as twin sources of madness, but also twin sources of divine inspiration. Dionysus is perhaps best-known as the god of wine and partying, but it’s worth remembering that he was also a patron of the arts, especially of theatre. The ancient theatre in Athens, where Aristophanes, Sophocles and their ilk had their plays performed, is named after him.
Writing music about Dionysus and his wild, dangerous artistic inspiration is something people have been doing for centuries. I’m curious as to why he appeals to BTS specifically. I wonder if they chose to engage with a figure from a western mythos in order to appeal to their international fans. Or perhaps he’s a new foreign figure to them, and his otherness makes him an exciting source for song lyrics: some of Dionysus’ domains make frequent appearances in their music overall. Regardless of how BTS perceive the god Dionysus, the song Dionysus does a fantastic job localizing this ancient Greek god to modern South Korea. BTS incorporate some fun wordplay: for example, the Korean word for art is “yesul” (예술), while the Korean word for alcohol is “sul” (술). This double-entendre makes several appearances in Dionysus’ lyrics. On a more grandiose scale, Kpop performances tend to be quite campy and bombastic, in a way that perfectly matches the god of theatre and ritual madness. Look no further than this BTS live performance, which I can only describe as bonkers (technical term). It’s a wonderfully madcap tribute to a wonderfully madcap deity.
Here are the lyrics to Dionysus (in translation and in the original Korean):
Drink it up
Shot glasses (sippin’) Link arms (tippin’)
One shot
Thyrsus (grippin’) Grape "(eatin’)
Drink it up
Vibes (Keep it) D style (rip it)
One shot
Here (Kill it) let’s steal it
The illest
Just get drunk like Dionysus
Drink in one hand, Thyrsus on the other
Art splashing inside this clear crystal cup
Art is alcohol too, if you can drink it, you'll get drunk fool
You dunno you dunno
You dunno what to do with
I'll show you I recommend you something different
From my mic made of ivy and rough wood
There is never a sound that comes out in one breath
Until the sun comes up, where the party at
Until we fall asleep, where the party at
Sing it, sing it again
Drink it, drink it again
We’re born again
Drink it up (the pain of creation)
One shot (the scolding of this era)
Drink it up (Talking with myself)
One shot (Okay now l’m ready for the show)
Drink, drink, drink, drink up my glass ay
Everyone all, fall, fall into this crazy artist
One drink (one shot), two drinks (two shots)
Get drunk on art and say onghaeya
Drink, drink, drink, drink up my glass ay
Everyone fall, fall, fall into this crazy artist
One drink (one shot), two drinks (two shots)
Hit the gong and say onghaeya
Shot glasses (sippin’), linked arms (tippin’)
Thyrsus (grippin’), Grape (eatin’)
Vibes (Keep it) D style (rip it)
Here (Kill it) let’s steal it
The illest
I'm now in front of the door to the world
The cheers I hear when I get up on stage
Can’t you see my stacked
Broken thyrsus
At last I’m reborn
When the night comes
Mumble mumble mumble
When the night comes
Tumble tumble tumble
The bass, bass, bass filling the studio
Bass drum goes like dum dum dum (Yeah)
Until the sun comes up, where the party at
Until we fall asleep, where the party at
Sing it, sing it again
Drink it, drink it again
And we’re born again
Drink it up (the pain of creation)
Have a mouthful (the scolding of this era)
Drink it up (Talking with myself)
One shot (Okay now I’m ready for the show)
Drink, drink, drink, drink up my glass ay
Everyone fall, fall, fall into this crazy artist
One drink (one shot), two drinks (two shots)
Get drunk on art and say onghaeya
Drink, drink, drink, drink up my glass ay
Everyone fall, fall, fall into this crazy artist
One drink (one shot), two drinks (two shots)
Hit the gong and call onghaeya
If we pop up
Anywhere in the world, stadium party ay
Born as a K-pop idol
Reborn as an artist
Reborn as an artist, reborn as an artist
What does it matter if I’m an idol or an artist, cheers
Art at this level is over-drinking, over-drinking yeah
The new record is the fight against oneself, a fight yeah
Toast to this, one shot
But I‘m still thirsty
You ready for this?
Are you ready to get hyped up?
Come on
Drink, drink, drink, drink up my glass ay
Everyone fall, fall, fall into this crazy artist
One drink (one shot), two drinks (two shots)
Get drunk on art and say onghaeya
Drink, drink, drink, drink up my glass ay
Everyone fallin', fallin', fallin' into this crazy artist
One drink (one shot), two drinks (two shots)
Hit the gong and call onghaeya
Shot glasses (sippin’) linked arms (tippin’)
Thyrsus (grippin’) Grape (eatin’)
Vibes (Keep it) D style (rip it)
Here (Kill it), let’s steal it
The illest
Korean Lyrics:
쭉 들이켜
술잔 (sippin'), 팔짱 (tippin') (한 입)
티르소스 (grippin'), 포도 (eatin')
쭉 들이켜
분위기 (keep it) D style (rip it) (한 입)
여기 (kill it)
Let's steal it, the illest
그냥 취해, 마치 디오니소스
한 손에 술잔, 다른 손에 든 티르소스
투명한 크리스탈 잔 속 찰랑이는 예술
예술도 술이지 뭐, 마시면 취해 fool
You dunno, you dunno, you dunno what to do with
내가 보여줄게, 난 전혀 다른 걸 추진
아이비와 거친 나무로 된 mic
절대 단 한 숨에 나오는 소리 따윈 없다 (ho!)
해가 뜰 때까지 where the party at? (Yeah)
잠이 들 때까지 where the party at? (Yeah)
Sing it 불러 다시, drink it 마셔 다시
우린 두 번 태어나지
쭉 들이켜
창작의 고통 (한 입)
시대의 호통
쭉 들이켜
나와의 소통 (한 입)
Okay, now I'm ready fo' sho'
다 마셔, 마셔, 마셔, 마셔 내 술잔 ayy
다 빠져, 빠져, 빠져, 미친 예술가에
한 잔 (one shot), 두 잔 (two shots)
예술에 취해 불러 옹헤야
다 마셔, 마셔, 마셔, 마셔 내 술잔 ayy
다 빠져, 빠져, 빠져, 미친 예술가에
한 잔 (one shot), 두 잔 (two shots)
꽹과리 치며 불러 옹헤야
쭉 들이켜
술잔 (sippin'), 팔짱 (tippin') (한 입)
티르소스 (grippin'), 포도 (eatin')
쭉 들이켜
분위기 (keep it) D style (rip it) (한 입)
여기 (kill it)
Let's steal it, the illest
난 지금 세상의 문 앞에 있어 (쉿)
무대에 오를 때 들리는 환호성 (쉿)
Can't you see my stacked broken Thyrsus?
이제 난 다시 태어나네 비로소 (비로소 eh-oh)
When the night comes
Mumble, mumble, mumble (eh-oh)
When the night comes
Tumble, tumble, tumble (eh-oh)
Studio를 채운 저음, 저음, 저음
Bass drum goes like 덤덤덤 yeah
해가 뜰 때까지 where the party at? (Yeah)
잠이 들 때까지 where the party at? (Yeah)
Sing it 불러 다시, drink it 마셔 다시
우린 두 번 태어나지
쭉 들이켜
창작의 고통 (한 입)
시대의 호통
쭉 들이켜
나와의 소통 (한 입)
Okay, now I'm ready fo' sho'
다 마셔, 마셔, 마셔, 마셔 내 술잔 ayy
다 빠져, 빠져, 빠져, 미친 예술가에
한 잔 (one shot), 두 잔 (two shots)
예술에 취해 불러 옹헤야
다 마셔, 마셔, 마셔, 마셔 내 술잔 ayy
다 빠져, 빠져, 빠져, 미친 예술가에
한 잔 (one shot), 두 잔 (two shots)
꽹과리 치며 불러 옹헤야
우리가 떴다 하면 전세계 어디든지 stadium party, ayy
K-pop 아이돌로 태어나 다시 환생한 artist, ayy
다시 환생한 artist, ayy
다시 환생한 artist, ayy
내가 아이돌이든, 예술가이든 뭐가 중요해? 짠해
예술도 이 정도면 과음이지, 과음
새 기록은 자신과 싸움이지, 싸움
축배를 들어올리고 one shot
허나, 난 여전히 목말라
What?
You ready for this?
Are you ready to get hyped up?
Come on
다 마셔, 마셔, 마셔, 마셔 내 술잔 ayy
다 빠져, 빠져, 빠져, 미친 예술가에
한 잔 (one shot), 두 잔 (two shots)
예술에 취해 불러 옹헤야 (ah-ah)
다 마셔, 마셔, 마셔, 마셔 내 술잔 ayy
다 빠져, 빠져, 빠져, 미친 예술가에
한 잔 (one shot), 두 잔 (two shots)
꽹과리 치며 불러 옹헤야
쭉 들이켜
술잔 (sippin'), 팔짱 (tippin') (한 입)
티르소스 (grippin'), 포도 (eatin')
쭉 들이켜
분위기 (keep it) D style (rip it) (한 입)
여기 (kill it)
Let's steal it, the illest
쭉 들이켜
술잔 (sippin'), 팔짱 (tippin') (한 입)
티르소스 (grippin'), 포도 (eatin')
쭉 들이켜
분위기 (keep it) D style (rip it) (한 입)
여기 (kill it)
Let's steal it, the illest
(Yeah-yeah)