[Korean Culture & Language] Envy None

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Chang Kiha, a singer-songwriter, released his debut solo album 공중부양 (Levitation) on February 22, 2022. It was Chang’s very first solo album following the breakup of 장기하와 얼굴들(Kiha & The Faces), an indie rock band in which Chang was the lead vocalist, in 2018. 


‘부럽지가 않아(Envy None)’ is one of the most famous tracks from the 공중부양 (Levitation) album.

‘부러워하다’ means ‘to be jealous’. So, ‘부럽지가 않아’ means ‘I’m not jealous’.

Chang stated that he wrote the song because a lot of hip-hop artists brag. He wondered what could possibly be superior to bragging. He concluded that not being jealous or feeling envious of the bragging would be the most superior of all. 

There’s an expression in Korea ‘부러우면 지는거다’. It means ‘You lose if you are jealous’. It’s similar to the expression "envy is ignorance and imitation is suicide" by Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American transcendentalist philosopher. 


The lyrics of ‘부럽지가 않아’ are as below:

너한테 십만원이 있고 나한테 백만원이 있어
Let’s say you have $100 and I have $1,000.

그러면 상당히 너는 내가 부럽겠지
Then you might be envious of me.

짜증나겠지
You might feel frustrated.

근데 입장을 한번 바꿔서 우리가 생각을 해보자고
But try and put yourself in my shoes.

나는 과연 네 덕분에 행복할까
Would it make me happy that you have less?

내가 더 많이 가져서 만족할까
Would I feel satisfied because I have more?

아니지, 세상에는 천만원을 가진 놈도 있지
No, I’m sure someone out there has $10,000.

난 그놈을 부러워하는 거야
I’d be envious of them.

짜증나는 거야
It’s frustrating.

누가 더 짜증날까
Who could possibly be more frustrated?

널까 날까 몰라 나는
You? Me? I don’t know.

근데 세상에는 말이야 부러움이란 거를 모르는 놈도 있거든
But, guess what? Some folks have no idea what it means to be envious.

그게 누구냐면 바로 나야
Do you know who that is? It’s me.

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