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Thursday, November 24, 2011

Jang Gi-Ha and the Faces

I have been falling behind on my interpreter of pop culture duties. Please let me introduce you to one of my favorite Korean bands, 장기하와 얼굴들, and the title song of their first album, "My Life Is Pretty Easy":



To celebrate the end of the semester, I showed my students an episode of Flight of the Conchords (Season 1, Episode 1: Sally, for all you fans in the know). Most of them don't find it at all funny - it seems to me that dry humor and awkwardness are extremely difficult to carry over in translation. How do you know if you're missing all the nuances or if the content is deliberately ironic and simplistic, and, therefore, deep and significant? Thus, I don't expect my own (very) rough translation to do justice to Jang Gi-ha. Nor, actually, do I think that I even understand fully. This translation is the result of many most likely annoying Q&A sessions with my friends.


I'm gonna tell you something really surprising.
Listen up.
You probably
won't be happy
when you hear it.
Wanna know?
My life is pretty easyyyyyyy
I got nothing to worry about
My life is pretty easyyyyyyy
That's right, not a single care.

I'm gonna tell you something
I'm almost sure
You'll find unpleasant.
There's no way, tonight
you'll just plop down in bed
and get a good rest.
Wanna know?
My life is pretty easyyyyyyy
I got nothing to worry about
My life is pretty easyyyyyyy
That's right, not a single care.

This next one, you'll definitely
not want to believe.
You'll really wish
that it weren't the truth.
But
I think life is fuuuuuuunnnnnnnn
Each day is pretty nice.
I think life is fuuuuuuunnnnnnnn
Every day kicks ass.
I think life is fuuuunnnnnnnnnnn
Each day is pretty nice.
I think life is fuuuuuuunnnnnnnn
Every day kicks ass

It's great.

My life is pretty easyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
My life is pretty easyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
I think life is fuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
I think life is fuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
Each and every day
Is really...meh!

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