Welcome back my lovely readers,
Today we are going to explore DNA, the second song in Part 1 of Love Yourself: 結 Answer after Serendipity.
I am going to split this analysis into two parts as there are so many things to discuss and I don’t want to detract from the main story in DNA.
In Part 1, we will:
- discuss the meaning behind the title DNA; and
- deeply explore the relationship between Namjoon and his lover.
In Part 2, we will discuss two very separate, but very important topics:
- DNA from Yoongi’s perspective (as Yoongi is an accredited BTS author of this song); and
- the significance of the Antithesis I’ve observed from analysing DNA.
Here are the list of assumptions I apply when I’m analysing the lyrics.
If you wish to skip to my final interpretation of this song, please click here.
Assumed Knowledge
I have written this post assuming you understand:
- my theory that the LY albums is a puzzle and that all the songs in LY albums are all connected and reveal a story line when read in a specific order.
You may still continue to read my analysis of DNA without understanding this. However you may not fully appreciate the effort I believe BTS went through to communicate this story with us.
New Readers, please start here. - that Namjoon believes in destiny and that he and his lover were destined to meet.
This was explained in my analysis of Serendipity - the Angel/Devil dichotomy where Namjoon’s lover is metaphorically associated with the Angel and Namjoon, the Devil.
This was explained in my analysis of Serendipity and 보조개 (Dimple). - the significance of Namjoon and Yoongi assigning the pronoun “Her” to his lover and BTS respectively. Thus, when “Her” is referred to in the lyrics (and by extension, “woman”, “she”, “girl”, etc), it could either be referring to Namjoon’s lover or the BTS Members.
This was explained in my analysis Who is “Her”?. - the significance of analysing DNA from Namjoon’s and Yoongi’s point of view.
Namjoon and Yoongi are both accredited BTS authors of this song. This is an important point because it means that the lyrics and melody were composed from both of their perspectives.
All good? Alrighty, let’s get it!
1. “Her”
“Every time I see her, I freak out”
Considering:
- the song order (i.e. that DNA is sandwiched between Serendipity and 보조개 (Dimple));
- what we know about “Her”; and
- the fact that Namjoon said this in an interview:
“DNA” is about the expression of a young, passionate love.
DNA is about Namjoon’s relationship with his lover.
This song could also be interpreted to be about the BTS members as Yoongi is an accredited author of this song. However, as above, we will discuss this separately in Part 2.
2. The Curious Title of DNA
When I started analysing the lyrics of DNA, I was surprised by the lack of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) references in the lyrics.
One would think if you were writing a song (and story) inspired by Deoxyribonucleic Acid, you would use imagery associated with blood, genetics or something biochemistry related.
The definition of Deoxyribonucleic Acid is:
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA): (biochemistry) a long linear polymer found in the nucleus of a cell and formed from nucleotides and shaped like a double helix; associated with the transmission of genetic information
Considering the definition above, I could only identify one obvious Deoxyribonucleic Acid-related reference in the song:
“The DNA in my blood vessels tell me”
I didn’t include the reference to the line “Our meeting is like a mathematical formula” because Deoxyribonucleic Acid is related to biochemistry, not physics.
A more appropriate biochemistry version of the line “Our meeting is like a mathematical formula” could be “Our meeting was like a chemical reaction“.
The reason I find this puzzling is because, as per my assumptions, I assume that Namjoon and Yoongi are lyrical geniuses.
I’m not a biochemist, but a quick Google showed me that there is a wealth of biochemistry puns and imagery out there at one’s disposal… so if the song was truly inspired about Deoxyribonucleic Acid, why haven’t they used any?
The lack of Deoxyribonucleic Acid related imagery in the lyrics suggested to me that there is more meaning to the song title DNA than meets the eye.
3. Discovering the deeper meaning behind DNA
3a. The Angel and Devil Dichotomy
We have previously explored the wonderful Angel/Devil dichotomy in Serendipity and 보조개 (Dimple).
This religious and spiritual association is present (and hinted at) in the lyrics of DNA:
“Commandments of religion, providence of the universe”
“We’re totally different, baby”
“From the day of the universe’ creation and beyond”
Given that:
- this song is about the Namjoon who is like a Devil and his lover, who is like an Angel;
- there is religious imagery relating to the creation of the Universe by God, and by extension Angels and the Devil; and
- this song is sandwiched between Serendipity – which is Angel-like, and 보조개 (Dimple) – which is Devil-like…
It occurred to me that there is a very real possibility that the title DNA may actually stand for Devil N Angel.
If it does stand for Devil N Angel, then we can infer from the title that the song (and its story) is about two very different people, one who is metaphorically like an Angel, and the other like a Devil.
3b. Lyrics inspired from Literature
Still, I couldn’t get rid of a feeling that I was still missing something big. Hence, I started researching to try and understand Namjoon better because… if anyone was going to make things cryptic, it would be him.
I came across this article: “9 BTS Songs that Drew Inspiration From Literature”.
The book that caught my eye was Kafka on the Shore:
The reason why Kafka on the Shore caught my eye is because of the picture of the cat. In Serendipity, we discussed the Calico Cat at length. To me, this looked like it could be a clue.
(For those who are thinking “but Kafka on the Shore is meant to be the inspiration behind Butterfly!”, I understand, but please give me a chance to explain my position in the next section. 🙂 )
Reading Kafka on the Shore
This is a short extract of what the book is about:
Kafka on the Shore, a tour de force of metaphysical reality, is powered by two remarkable characters: a teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, who runs away from home either to escape a gruesome oedipal prophecy or to search for his long-missing mother and sister; and an aging simpleton called Nakata, who never recovered from a wartime affliction and now is drawn toward Kafka for reasons that, like the most basic activities of daily life, he cannot fathom. Their odyssey, as mysterious to them as it is to us, is enriched throughout by vivid accomplices and mesmerizing events. Cats and people carry on conversations, a ghostlike pimp employs a Hegel-quoting prostitute, a forest harbors soldiers apparently unaged since World War II, and rainstorms of fish (and worse) fall from the sky.
Suspecting misdirection
The article “9 BTS Songs that Drew Inspiration From Literature” talks about how the lyrics for BTS’ “Butterfly” was inspired by Kafka on the Shore.
Now, disclaimer, I personally haven’t analysed the lyrics of “Butterfly” in depth, but I did find it strange that for all the weird and wonderful things and objects that appear in Kafka on the Shore (and trust me, there are plenty), that BTS would choose to focus on the Butterfly.
Sure, the imagery of a butterfly appears four times in the book, but in my humble opinion, it is just not a significant pervasive underlying symbol, concept or object in the book.
Let me put it this way, not many people who read Kafka on the Shore (independently and without knowledge of BTS’ “Butterfly”) would finish the book and reflect deeply on butterflies.
It is for this reason why literature guides for Kafka on the Shore from dedicated literature websites (e.g. LitCharts, Super Summary, Course Hero, etc), do not mention or focus on butterflies.
In addition, given my personal view (discussed in Serendipity) that:
- there is, in my humble opinion, a complete disconnect between the lyrics of Serendipity and The Little Prince; and
- I think The Little Prince fits another BTS song’s lyrics much much better;
I considered the possibility that the concepts and themes discussed in Kafka on the Shore that are supposedly related to Butterfly would instead, fit DNA better.
I read it, and it sure does.
If you want to read Kafka on the Shore, I have a copy of it here.
4. Kafka on the Shore – Of Destiny, Fate and Prophecies
The (I daresay) pervasive underlying theme explored in Kafka on the Shore is the concept of Destiny, Fate and Prophecies.
These themes explored in Kafka on the Shore are beautifully summarised in this Litcharts analysis.
I absolutely recommend everyone to read the Litcharts analysis in conjunction with my post as it is excellent. However, for the sake of keeping this post as short as possible, I’ve:
- only quoted specific paragraphs in my post that are of particular significance; and
- highlighted the key points I want to emphasise in bold.
In Kafka on the Shore:
“Some characters… feel as if the world and their own futures must be governed by inescapable prophecies. Meanwhile, other characters feel that they are destined to carry out special missions, or fall in love or die at specific moments…
Litcharts
Whether or not “fate” truly exists, belief in fate drives the characters in Kafka in the Shore to behave in such ways that render the question irrelevant, as they ultimately fulfill their own imagined prophecies.
Thus, Murakami shows that belief in fate is what makes fate real, and prophecies self-fulfilling.
… Miss Saeki believes that she and her childhood sweetheart were destined to be together—so much so that she was never able to recover from his premature death. She is drawn to Kafka because he seems to her to be a reincarnation of her boyfriend, and begins a relationship with him….
This belief leads them to live fearlessly… characters are reckless and take unnecessary risks…“
This is significant as the lyrics of DNA (and Serendipity!) are heavily focused on the themes of destiny and fate:
“The evidence of destiny given to me”
“My hand reaching out to you is my chosen fate”
“Don’t worry, love
None of this is a coincidence…
Because we’re the two who found our destiny“
“This is inevitable, I love us”
“Because it’s not a coincidence
La la la la la
la la la la la
Because it is not a coincidence”
In addition, the lyrics of DNA contain religious spiritual imagery that have associations to religious prophecies:
“Commandments of religion, providence of the universe”
This line has associations to things like the 10 Commandments in Christianity and religious prophecies discussed in the Bible, Quran, etc.
For the reasons above, I believe Namjoon was inspired by the concepts of Destiny, Fate and Prophecies explored in Kafka on the Shore when he was writing DNA.
This is significant as it means the concepts in DNA are likely to mirror Kafka on the Shore.
We can also infer through the repetition of lyrics associated with fate and destiny (e.g. “My hand reaching out to you is my chosen fate”) that Namjoon is a strong believer in fate.
4a. The relationship between Destiny, Fate, Prophecies and DNA
DNA in Kafka on the Shore
You’re probably wondering… but how are Destiny, Fate and Prophecies in Kafka on the Shore related to DNA?
I refer to a paragraph in Kafka on the Shore which I feel describes the connection between Destiny, Fate, Prophecies and DNA very nicely:
“But was it? You killed the person who’s your father, violated your mother and now your sister. You thought you would put an end to the curse your father laid on you, so you did everything that was prophesied about you… That curse is branded on your soul even deeper than before… that curse is part of your DNA...”
Kafka on the Shore
A prevailing concept in Kafka on the Shore is that you cannot run away from your destiny because it is part of your DNA.
The Inescapable Fate of Two Lovers
“From the day of the universe’s creation and beyond
Through the infinite centuries and behind
In the previous life and maybe next too
We’re eternally together”
Namjoon states in an interview:
“DNA” is about the expression of a young, passionate love. The lyrics are like, “The two of us our connected fatefully from the start, our DNA was just the one thing.”
As per Serendipity, Namjoon believes that he and his lover were destined to meet each other.
Reading the lyrics of DNA in the context of Kafka on the Shore conveys Namjoon’s belief that their destiny to meet each other is so deeply branded onto their souls it is part of their DNA.
It is part of their DNA so much so that even if they die “through the infinite centuries and behind, in the previous life and maybe next too“, they will still always find each other and be “eternally together“.
Namjoon’s connection with his lover is so deep that Namjoon akin it to that of a prophecy.
He prophesies that from the beginning of time, from the day of the universe’s creation, it was always their destiny to meet and fall in love. Similarly to Kafka, this destiny runs deep in their DNA.
This unshakeable belief in fate leads Namjoon and his lover to be reckless, irrational, and to take risks; such as choosing to continue their forbidden relationship despite their fears and potentially devastating consequences. Their choices and actions are what ultimately makes their prophecies self-fulfilling.
This also means that no matter what they do, even if they try to leave each other or die, it doesn’t matter because they would have simply done what they were always fated to do in order for fate to bring them back together again.
And, because of the prophecy embedded in their DNA and their metaphorical immortality (through their association with the Angel and Devil);
Namjoon believes that he and his lover will always end up finding each other even after death, meaning that their love transcends time and space, and is forever eternal.
5. Greek Mythology and Soulmates
BTS love Greek Mythology (as do I!) and I am therefore always on a look out for Greek Mythology related references.
I refer to the first verse of DNA:
“At first sight, I could recognise you
As if we were calling for each other
The DNA in my blood vessels tell me
That it’s you I was looking all over for“
The first three words of DNA tell us that it was love at first sight.
The above verse is also a direct reference to the Greek Mythology about Soulmates.
According to Greek Mythology:
…humans were originally created with four arms, four legs and a head with two faces. Fearing their power, Zeus split them into two separate parts, condemning them to spend their lives in search of their other halves.
So, humans went from double face and double sex creatures with eight limbs, to single faced ones of a single sex, with two arms and two legs. And they forever longed for their soul and physical other half. Their physical nature would feel a burning desire to be completed with the physical nature of the other sex, and their soul alike would yearn for their soul’s other half be complete, their soulmate. And according to the myth, when these two halves find each other, there will be a silent understanding of one another, they will feel joined and exist with each other in unison and will know no greater joy than that.
By referencing this story about Soulmates, Namjoon is revealing to us that within the first second of meeting each other, he and his lover, in silence, immediately recognised and understood each other.
They knew immediately that they found their other half.
Ever since then up to the story point in DNA, they have existed with each other in unison and have known no greater joy than that.
In other words, Namjoon and his lover aren’t just lovers.
They are soulmates.
Author’s Summary
In summary, I believe the story behind DNA is:
DNA is not about, nor was it inspired by Deoxyribonucleic Acid. It was inspired by themes and concepts discussed in Kafka on the Shore and could stand for Devil N Angel.
When Namjoon met his lover, who he describes as his soulmate, it was love at first sight.
Similarly to Kafka, Namjoon believes he and his lover’s destiny to meet each other is embedded deeply into their souls and DNA. This means no matter what happens, even if they die, fate will always bring them back together.
Their love and connection is so strong, it transcends time and space and is thus, eternal.
Author’s Note:
I genuinely think I need therapy after this. My god what a love story. My heart is so full yet so broken at the same time… To me, love is love. Love is love.
Anyways, there was another point I wanted to make, but I didn’t end up putting in my main post because it just felt so insignificant after all that we discussed.
I refer to the following verse:
“Every time I see her, I freak out
Surprisingly, I keep gasping and it’s weird,
maybe
This is the emotion they call love
Because from the very beginning, my heart runs to you”
I’m just going to say one word: Penicillin. 😉
If that comment made no sense to you, please kindly read my analysis of Serendipity and 보조개 (Dimple) 😄
Now please hang tight as I try and finish Part 2 😊
x G
Lyric Sources: DNA
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 analyse songs with consideration to the author’s perspective (and Namjoon just happens to be the main author of most songs).
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 DNA is based on my interpretations of its lyrics. Please enjoy.