낙원 (Paradise) – Analysed and explained

Welcome back everyone to another post. I hope you’ve all been taking care of your health and staying happy!

Today we are going to be discussing the 3rd last song of the Love Yourself trilogy: 낙원 (Paradise).

Similarly to 134340, 낙원 (Paradise) was one of the songs I went “huh?!” the first time I listened to it. The name appeared extremely odd to me.

Besides questioning why this particular song had an English and Korean name, I also questioned why on earth it was named Paradise. The name and the contents of the song do not intuitively match.

When someone is thinking about writing a song named Paradise, it is incredibly odd to be inspired by long-distance running or a rat race.

Generally, when one thinks about Paradise, you imagine angels, walls made of chocolate, laughter everywhere, and Jin blowing a kiss to you 10m away with the others sitting underneath the shade of leafy green trees with a picnic basket laid out, beckoning you to join them. You imagine at that moment flower petals scattering in the delightful breeze, your heart bursting with joy and heavenly harps playing in the background.

I would bet my left arm that none of us would imagine ‘Paradise’ as us sweating through the hardships in life, enduring the painful blisters on our feet, and competing against others in a 42km marathon race. I think this could only be normal if you’re a marathon lover, but I feel certain that it is a relatively small population of people who would think that way… and something tells me the boys are not marathon enthusiasts.

Vice versa, when you’re thinking about writing lyrics about hardships, about running the rat race, or about trying to achieve your dreams… it is unlikely any of us would associate this with the word ‘Paradise’.

In addition, 낙원 (Paradise) is an incredibly sad song. Namjoon said this himself in this Vlive. This is odd again because ‘Paradise’ is not usually a word that one associates with sadness.

PD Bang must have had the same confused reaction as me because when Namjoon went to talk to PD Bang about the name, PD Bang told Namjoon to name the song “Dummy’s Race” or “Foolish Race”. To me, PD Bang’s suggestion makes way more sense. One can easily see how the name “Dummy’s Race” or “Foolish Race” (or even just “The Race”) matches the song’s content. It is logical, clear and concise.

Thus, all of this begs the question… why name the song 낙원 (Paradise)?

The above reasoning indicates that Namjoon had already decided in his mind that the song should be named 낙원 (Paradise), but, he had also decided that the song was going to be about the ugly side of the race to achieve one’s dream.

Thus, it feels like Namjoon approached this song by writing about the race, and then massaging the lyrics to incorporate ‘Paradise’ elements to justify the title.

And so what? What is the significance of this? What does it all mean? Well, today, we make sense of Namjoon’s choices.

Let’s go.

Assumed Knowledge & Assumptions

I have written this post assuming you know:

• my theory, that all of the songs in LY albums are connected and reveal storylines when read in a specific order; and
• Joon, Yoongi and Hobi’s stories discussed in my blog so far.

New Readers

Hello there and welcome to my blog! I’m sorry to say that if you haven’t read any of the above posts… I may lose you in the detail as my lyrical analyses are built on existing knowledge!

This is simply because all of the songs are interconnected and need to be read in a specific order for it to make sense, just like a book.

This idea is completely consistent with what Namjoon said about the Love Yourself albums – That there is a narrative throughout the albums.

If you’re wondering where to start, please start here.

Please also note the assumptions I apply when I analyse songs.

Enjoy! 😊

1. Namjoon’s Vlive

Namjoon had quite a lot to say about 낙원 (Paradise) in his Vlive. If you’re interested to watch the whole thing, he starts speaking about 낙원 (Paradise) from 22.35 onwards.

1a. The songwriters of 낙원 (Paradise)

First, let’s make sure we are on the same page about who wrote 낙원 (Paradise).

Namjoon, Yoongi and Hobi are all accredited writers for 낙원 (Paradise). However, Namjoon said in his Vlive that: “I wrote the lyrics for “Marathon Marathon”….MNEK… wrote the song together too… And [we] collaborated with Song Jaekyung… Song Jaekyung wrote most of the lyrics. He did a great job.“

When Namjoon stated MNEK wrote the song, he meant that he wrote the melody, not the lyrics.

This is supported by this article where MNEK said “We were able to plan out this collaboration through a producer in the United States. That was during the time when I broke up with my significant other, so I was having a hard time. I wrote two tracks called ‘Phone’ and ‘Mouth’ back then. ‘Mouth’ became BTS’s ‘Paradise.’ At that time, ‘Mouth’ was about a breakup between a couple and the sadness of a broken heart. The lyrics changed after [the track] went to BTS.”

In addition, the sources we discussed in 134340 indicate that Namjoon was a substantial (lyrics) contributor to 낙원 (Paradise).

Thus, the lyrics of Paradise was mainly written by Song Jaekyung and Namjoon, with Hobi, Yoongi and other accredited writers making (relatively) minor contributions.

Therefore, I will be writing this post from a general point of view but with consideration that the concept was heavily influenced by Namjoon.

1b. What is 낙원 (Paradise) about?

Second, what are we told 낙원 (Paradise) is about?

Namjoon said the following:

Paradise is… it’s about how you don’t need to have a dream. It’s not that you shouldn’t have a dream but it’s… the term love and dream both have sociality.

The terms are… how can I say this… People say the terms over and over and the terms get extra meanings. Or sometimes the terms get specific feelings. Dream and love, the two terms are being used so many times. They are being used by many people. Yes, they are precious terms but I think the terms became too sacred.

So we think love should be something that’s always beautiful and we always have to be giving and desperate about it. It should be something beautiful. And dreams too. We think we must have one. If you don’t have a dream, you’re not living a life. I think that’s not cool. Because not all love is great and beautiful. I think hatred is a part of love. I think love and hatred can be the same thing. Love is not always beautiful. You need to sacrifice, give away, care for the ones you love. There is so much pain related to love which people can’t imagine. But people say that love should be something beautiful and nice. And dream too. People think we must have one. We think we must accomplish our goals and make our dreams come true. It’s not bad, we all have dreams. But I didn’t always have a dream. Sometimes I have and sometimes I don’t. The dream I had last night is also my dream.

Based on [the above] thoughts, I wrote the lyrics. “Paradise”. It is also from Marxism. I think the term “Paradise” is similar too.

When I talked to PD Bang about the title, he told me to name it “Dummy’s Race”. He asked me, “How about Foolish Race?” He suggested “Foolish Race” and I was like “That’s too…” Paradise is a sad song. If you listen to it, it’s very sad. I think it’s very sad. Because it reflects reality and it’s about hope… I think this song itself is a dream.

Paradise is a sad song. I was like “Foolish Race will make the song sound funny. Don’t you think so?” So fortunately, we named it Paradise.

In summary, just like how BTS have explored the ugly side of ‘Love’ throughout the Love Yourself albums, BTS are exploring the ugly side of ‘Dreams’ in 낙원 (Paradise).

낙원 (Paradise) is a counter to the popular and overly romanticised notion of dreams. Dreams, like love, are not always beautiful.

They can be nightmares too.

1c: The significance of naming the song 낙원 (Paradise)

Next, let’s talk about the name of the song. If you have read my blog in order, you would understand why I believe the titles 낙원 (Paradise) and 바다 (Sea) were inspired by 1Q84 and the significance of this connection.

Namjoon’s comments lend further support to my theory on three aspects:

1. Namjoon said that 낙원 (Paradise) is a sad song. I can only think of one context where the word ‘Paradise’ has negative and sad connotations.
   
   The word ‘Paradise’ only has negative and sad connotations when it is used in the context of death (e.g. I’m sorry for your loss, I’m sure he/she is now in paradise with the Lord).
   
   
2. 낙원 (Paradise) explores Marxism. Marxism believes that because of the inevitable creation of society classes that exploits the working class, conflicts between human nature and the way humans are driven to work in a capitalist society will arise. We see this conflict in the lyrics of 낙원 (Paradise).
   
   The reference of Marxism is significant to my theory because it is explored in 1Q84 and is mentioned a few pages after “Sea” and “Paradise” meet in 1Q84. It feels too coincidental to be a coincidence.
   
   
3. 낙원 (Paradise) has been written with the same literary technique as 1Q84 to tell a story. Namjoon said “I think this song itself is a dream.” In other words, 낙원 (Paradise) is about dreams within a dream.
   
   A unique characteristic of 1Q84 is that Murakami has placed a novel within a novel and a universe within a universe.

Thus, this is what I believe occurred:

Namjoon wanted to explore the effects of capitalism based on Marxism: That capitalism creates grand dreams and this, in turn, creates the rat race as people are driven to compete with each other to climb higher up the ladder in order to achieve their dreams.

However, he wanted to specifically name the song 낙원 (Paradise) because it:

1. is a hint that allows us to realise the secret meaning of 바다 (Sea) through 1Q84;

2. makes the song satirical in nature because the grand dreams of capitalist societies* are not always paradises; and

3. helps us realise that the dream of ‘Paradise’ itself is a dream – There is no such thing as a true paradise.

*Note, I use the term capitalist societies in a relatively loose manner as most economies today are mixed economies. Capitalism, by definition, is where the country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state. Thus, countries people generally associate with communism like China are not completely communist as there are private owners. In fact, China is working to establish socialism.

1d. 바다 (Sea) vs 낙원 (Paradise)

Lastly, let’s review the connection between 바다 (Sea) and 낙원 (Paradise).

My theory states that 바다 (Sea) and 낙원 (Paradise) are a song pair and thus, is expected to have some common connection.

We saw in 바다 (Sea) that our boys:

• felt that they were in a metaphysical race;
• faced trials, hardships and exploitation due to being born in the dirt spoon class; and
• decisively decided that they will continue “to run” because of their ambitions, hopes and dreams.

바다 (Sea) showed us that the existence of dreams allowed BTS to continue to persevere and push on even though the world was against them.

Most relevantly:

Yoongi: I don’t want to cry, I don’t want to rest
Hobi: No, how about just resting for a bit?
Joon: No, no no
Yoongi: I don’t want to lose, this was originally a desert
Joon: Well then, we have to run.
Hobi: Well, we have to cry more

As we can see, 바다 (Sea) was about not taking a rest and consequently suffering unimaginable pain. It was about the boys deciding they have to have to run and push on to pursue their dreams.

We will soon see that 낙원 (Paradise) is about the same race but from a different perspective.

낙원 (Paradise) is about how it is okay to stop and rest, how it is okay not to have a dream, and how it is okay to stop during the race to enjoy the little joyful moments in life.

Lastly, since 바다 (Sea) was written for ARMY, I’ve assumed the same for 낙원 (Paradise).

Let’s start.

2. The Race

I refer to the following lyrics:

Marathon marathon
Life’s long so take it slow
42.195
The end is filled with a paradise of dreams

But the real world
is different from the promise
We have to run, we have to step on the accelerator
when the flare gun launches a signal
You don’t even have a destination,
and there’s not even a scenery
Until your breath comes up to your chin
You need to you need to

The speaker philosophises how life is like a Marathon. Because it is a long long journey, the speaker suggests to “Her” (i.e. ARMY) to “take it slow” and pace yourself.

This is arguably a good suggestion because the legend Marathon is named after states that the Greek soldier/messenger who ran non-stop from the battle of Marathon to Athens to warn the people not to let the Persians in collapsed and died after he delivered his message.

The lyrics: “the end is filled with a paradise of dreams” can be interpreted as follow:

At the end of our lives, all of us will fall into a forever state of dreaming.
A paradise of dreams.

The speaker juxtaposes the harsh and unforgiving real world against the gentle and inviting paradise of dreams, making it clear that the real world is far far different from the romanticised promise of paradise. The language and repetition, “we have to run, we have to step… you don’t even have… there’s not even a scenery… you need to you need to…” convey to us the difficult struggle for survival in this real world.

The imagery of “until your breath comes up to your chin” is not a logical expression but a borrowed expression. This expression is borrowed from the common expression to describe someone who is drowning (e.g. the water is up to your chin).

Thus, this expression intrinsically evokes an image of the speaker drowning from the harsh burdens and realities of the rat race.

This should hit you differently if you have read my analyses of 바다 (Sea).

The lyrics also reveal that there is an undercurrent of unpreparedness and an utter lack of choice right from the very start: You have to start running when the flare gun goes off. You need to continue even if you don’t even have a destination. You have to step on the accelerator. You have to go faster and faster and faster, and even some more even if you’re struggling to breathe.

We can see that just like the lyrics, “but the real world is different from the promise,” the real lyrics of 낙원 (Paradise) is very different from the promise given to us by the song’s title.

The realisation that there is no paradise of dreams in the world of the living prompts the unspoken question:

Why are we running and what on earth are we really running for?

3. What dreams can be made of

I refer to the following lyrics:

We dream through others (like debt)*
We learn that we have to become great (like light)
Your dream is actually a burden
If having a future is the only dream,
Then what’s the thing that I dreamt last night in bed?
It’s okay if the name of dreams are different
Be it buying a laptop next month
or just eating and sleeping
or to be doing nothing but have a lot of money
Dreams do not have to be grand
You can just become anybody
We deserve a life
Whether it’s big or small, you’re still just you

*Per doolset lyrics, there is a wordplay here using the words 꾸다. Thus another way of interpreting this line is: ‘we borrow dreams from other people’.

With respect to the lyrics “we dream through others (like debt)” or “we borrow dreams from other people” , an example of this could be the dream of having children.

Many parents dream of having grandchildren and may pressure their children to have children even if their children are uncertain about having any. This is an example of dreaming through others.

Or conversely, a person may be unsure about what they want in life and sees that all of their friends dream about having children. Without a dream of their own and feeling the pressure from society to have a dream, they buy into their friends’ dream of having kids and make it their dream too. This is an example of borrowing dreams from other people.

Other common dreams can include becoming rich, living in a big house, owning an expensive luxury car and retiring by the age of 30.

Whichever way you look at it, dreams can place immense pressure on an individual and thus, dreams are “actually a burden.”

Thus, the speaker challenges the notion of what dreams are made of and puts forward the proposition that the dream they had last night, or a simple dream about buying a laptop, is by all definition a legitimate dream.

Though these dreams may not measure up to society’s expectations, it is still a dream and it can still bring joy and happiness.

In summary: Don’t forget the simple things in life. Simple dreams are still dreams, they are just as important, and they can bring just as much happiness.

4. When dreams become nightmares

I refer to the following lyrics:

I don’t have a dream
Sometimes I’m scared to dream
Just to live like this
and to survive like this, that’s a small dream for me
To dream a dream, to grasp the dream,
and to breathe a breath, sometimes are too much for me
Saying ‘some are living like this, some are living like that,’
The world pours curses on me

Yeah
The world has no right to curse at me
It never has even taught me how to dream
Because it’s a made-up dream, you sleep talk in tears
I wake you from the nightmare for you
Let’s now smile every day in that paradise

When you tell someone you don’t have a dream, or that you’re contented with a simple life, it is more than likely you will receive a thousand and one suggestions of what you should be dreaming about.

Go for the next promotion, get that new car, get married, find a husband, find a wife, marry for love, but don’t marry outside these parameters, don’t ever settle for less, wait… but you’re how old now? And unmarried? You need to lower your standards, you need to get married soon! Have children, have one more, start your own business, invest in this, buy that house, no no, not that house! It is so small! What would everyone say and think?! Buy that million-dollar house, the one with the garden and big outdoor area for your kids. What about a walk-in wardrobe with shelves full of Prada bags and shoes! Oh, are you still studying? Well, do you want to become a doctor, lawyer or accountant? Or to be someone rich and famous? Remember to study hard to achieve your dreams! After all, the best schools and Fortune 500 companies only accept students with the best scores!

Having a dream can be so overwhelming it is no wonder the speaker is “scared to dream.” It can be “too much” for anyone, especially for the speaker who is simply looking to live a simple life, “[I just want to] live like this… survive like this, that’s a small dream for me.”

But the world, having been taught day after day since birth that one simply must must have a grand dream to aspire for in order to be “living” and “happy”, reacts unkindly to those with no dreams or small dreams and “pours curses” on them, ironically turning dreams into nightmares.

The lyrics “the world pours curses on me” conjure up an image of an unkind world pouring endless buckets of dirty water over the speaker’s head. The imagery conveys to us that the act of forcing one’s dream onto others “saying ‘some are living like this, some are living like that‘ ” is unwelcome, unhelpful and demeaning. It inevitably sends the message that the speaker’s simple dreams are pathetic and undesirable.

The speaker, who knows how it feels to be cursed and the emotional trauma that can be suffered, reaches out to those who are “sleep talk[ing] in tears” in their dreamy cursed nightmares and wakes them up.

To those who are suffering from dreams that have turned into nightmares…
Wake up.

That grand dream that you made up or that someone told you to dream about is clearly making you unhappy. It is not paradise.

But fear not, you can still find happiness. Your little dreams (e.g. sharing a happy home-cooked meal with your friends and family, cuddling your new puppy, hugging the person you love) can make you smile every day.

And that simple happiness itself can be paradise. Paradise can be right in front of you.

5. If you want to run, run. But run for a purpose

I refer to the following lyrics:

It’s okay to pause
There’s no need to run without knowing the reason
It’s okay not to have a dream
As long as there are your moments to briefly feel happiness
It’s okay to pause
We now don’t run without knowing the purpose
It’s okay not to have a dream
Every breath you exhale is already in the paradise

Stop runnin’ for nothin’ my friend
Now stop the foolish race
Stop runnin’ for nothin’ my friend
Every breath you exhale is already in the paradise
Stop runnin’ for nothin’ my friend
You don’t have to have a dream that anybody dreams
Stop runnin’ for nothin’ my friend
All languages that make you are already in the paradise

The above lyrics help us distinguish the key difference between the race in 바다 (Sea) and 낙원 (Paradise).

In 바다 (Sea), we saw that BTS was running for a purpose. They had a goal they were committed to and they were chasing it down.

However, the person(s) that the speaker is addressing in 낙원 (Paradise) is running “without knowing the reason” and without a dream. Therefore, the person(s) the speaker is addressing is quite literally “runnin’ for nothin.”

Thus, for anyone who is running because they have been told to run, or because they feel like they must run, BTS says stop.

Stop runnin for nothing my friend. Take a breather to enjoy your life and “feel happiness.”

None of us should be running blindly with all our might without knowing why. If one runs without knowing their purpose, or one keeps running in a direction because someone told them to, one may end up at a destination they never wanted to go.

Worst, one may suddenly collapse halfway or reach the finishing line without ever experiencing any happiness in life.

And when this happens, one can only describe this as a sad and foolish race.

Author’s Thoughts

There are two more things about Namjoon’s comments from his Vlive that I really want to discuss. However, as it didn’t really fit anywhere above, I am discussing them here.

1. Namjoon’s comment that 낙원 (Paradise) is a sad song

Namjoon said: “Paradise is a sad song. If you listen to it, it’s very sad. I think it’s very sad. Because it reflects reality and it’s about hope… Paradise is a sad song…“

Namjoon repeated four times that 낙원 (Paradise) is a sad song, meaning that to Namjoon, this song is really, really really really sad.

This comment feels somewhat surprising because let’s be honest… on face value this song isn’t that sad especially if you compare it to 바다 (Sea), The Truth Untold, Outro: Tear etc. If anything, it contains lots of encouraging and comforting words for ARMY.

I said earlier in this post that I believe Namjoon wanted to specifically name the song 낙원 (Paradise) because it is a hint that allows us to realise the secret meaning of 바다 (Sea) through 1Q84.

What if it is also a hint that allows us to realise the secret meaning of 낙원 (Paradise) through 1Q84?

After all, it takes both titles to be able to unlock the real meaning.

If we assume this proposition is correct, then everything about Namjoon’s comment and the song makes sense.

1. This song is incredibly sad because the real story behind Namjoon’s motivation to write 낙원 (Paradise) is.

It is based on the time when the burden of chasing his dreams got too much and Namjoon found himself in the sea with his breath coming up to his chin, nearly reaching his paradise of dreams.

2. The title 낙원 (Paradise) makes sense because it is based on the same sad meaning from 1Q84.

3. Namjoon’s comment about how the song reflects reality and it’s about hope sounds familiar because it is.

It echoes the lyrics of 바다 (Sea): Where there is hope, there is always despair.

This is also probably why we haven’t seen a full performance of 바다 (Sea) and 낙원 (Paradise) and why BTS always avoid answering questions about why they haven’t performed 낙원 (Paradise).

They are avoiding performing it because these two songs come from a heartbreakingly sad and traumatic place.

2. Namjoon’s careful pronunciation of “Marathon”

Namjoon said: “I wrote the lyrics for “Marathon Marathon”… I said that we have to pronounce “Marathon” like this: “Marathon”.”

I pondered about his comment a lot because… how else would you pronounce Marathon? There was nothing strange about the way he pronounced it.

Thus I did a bit of research and found something that could be interesting. Please be aware though that I think this feels a bit too crazy and I am not entirely convinced myself.

There are two common ways of pronouncing Marathon: The British way (Mara-thn) and the American way (Mara-thorn). Namjoon wanted JK to pronounce “Marathon” the American way.

Another word for sea is “Mere” , which can be pronounced the same way as “Mara” in “Marathon” depending on the language.

“Mara” can also mean sea in Irish and (wait for it…) nightmare in Swedish.

Thus, the possible wordplays could be: Mere-Torn (Torn as in tear). Like the speaker was torn away from the sea.

Or Mara-Torn. Like the speaker was torn away from the nightmare.

Or… it could be a simple as Namjoon liking the American pronunciation better! I honestly speculate this is probably the case, but I thought I will share the observation anyway because of the uncanny connection to sea (again?!) and nightmares. Please take the above with a grain of salt!

Anyway, I really love the way BTS work. They always do things with so much balance. They are the Ying to the Yang for many things.

For example, when the world is plagued with despair and sadness because of the pandemic, BTS brought the joy by releasing a bunch of happy and positive tunes. And when they explored love, they explored the good and the bad.

BTS has done exactly the same with the topic of dreams and has reminded us to dream in balance. We need to make peace with the fact that there are pros and cons to sprinting ahead in the race of life, but most importantly, we need to be aware of the sacrifices that come with each decision, and why we are doing what we are doing.

I like to leave you all with an extract from The Consolations of Philosophy by Alain De Botton to ponder about:

Ancient philosophers had believed that our powers of reason could afford us a happiness and greatness denied to other creatures. Reason allowed us to control our passions and to correct the false notions prompted by our instincts. Reason tempered the wild demands of our bodies and led us to a balanced relationship with our appetites for food and sex. Reason was a sophisticated, almost divine, tool offering us mastery over the world and ourselves.

In the Tusculan Disputations, of which there was a copy in the round library, Cicero had heaped praise upon the benefits of intellectual work:

“There is no occupation so sweet as scholarship; scholarship is the means of making known to us, while still in this world, the infinity of matter, the immense grandeur of Nature, the heavens, the lands and the seas. Scholarship has taught us piety, moderation, greatness of heart; it snatches our souls from darkness and shows them all things, the high and the low, the first, the last and everything in between; scholarship furnishes us with the means of living well and happily; it teaches us how to spend our lives without discontent and without vexation.“

Though he owned a thousand books and had benefited from a fine classical education, this laudation so infuriated Montaigne, it ran so contrary to the spirit of the library beams, that he expressed his indignation with uncharacteristic ferocity:

“Man is a wretched creature … just listen to him bragging … Is this fellow describing the properties of almighty and
everlasting God! In practice, thousands of little women in their villages have lived more gentle, more equable and more constant lives than [Cicero].”

The Roman philosopher [Cicero] had overlooked how violently unhappy most scholars were; he had arrogantly disregarded the appalling troubles for which human beings, alone among all other creatures, had been singled out – troubles which might in dark moments leave us regretting that we had not been born ants or tortoises.

Or goats. I found her [a goat] in the yard of a farm a few kilometres from Montaigne’s château, in the hamlet of Les Gauchers.

She [the goat] had never read the Tusculan Disputations nor Cicero’s On the Laws. And yet she seemed content, nibbling at stray pieces of lettuce, occasionally shaking her head like an elderly woman expressing quiet disagreement. It was not an unenviable existence.

Montaigne was himself struck by, and elaborated upon the advantages of living as an animal rather than as a reasoning human with a large library. Animals knew instinctively how to help themselves when they were sick… Animals also instinctively understood complex ideas without suffering long periods of study. Tunny-fish were spontaneous experts in astrology [and]… understood geometry and arithmetic, too, for they swam
together in groups in the shape of a perfect cube… Dogs had an innate grasp of dialectical logic….

Animals frequently had the upper hand in love as well… And without trying, the humblest farm animal could exceed the philosophical detachment of the wisest sages of antiquity…

It was questionable whether the mind gave us anything to be grateful for:

We have been allotted inconstancy, hesitation, doubt, pain, superstition, worries about what will happen (even after we are dead), ambition, greed, jealousy, envy, unruly, insane and untameable appetites, war, lies, disloyalty, backbiting and curiosity.

The Consolations of Philosophy by Alain De Botton

Paradise exists, but most likely not in the form one is accustomed to describing it.

💜💜 G

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Lyric sources:

Doolset lyrics and Genius lyrics

Please note I made some minor updates where I thought things could be expressed better. These minor updates do not result in any substantial change in meaning.

Disclaimer:

As per my first author’s note, please, no hate!

I do not have a shipping or individual bias, I love all seven members equally and I do not write my blogs because of a particular personal desire for one of them. I reached my conclusion on Joon and Jin being together based on the lyrics, logic and patterns as I have discussed in all my posts (i.e. I did not ship Namjin first, and then started trying to find things to prove my point). I genuinely enjoy all ships because I enjoy watching the different chemistries between the boys.

It does not matter one bit to me if they are straight, gay, intersex, a skrull, a mutant or if they could lay eggs. I love them wholeheartedly (as a sister who would love her younger brothers) for their individual selves.

This theory of 낙원 (Paradise) is based on my interpretations of its lyrics. Please enjoy.