The Wind and I
(바람과 나)

performed by
Han Dae-soo (한대수)
lyrics and music by
Han Dae-soo (한대수)
year released
around 1971
album
Han Dae-soo 1, Long Long Road (한대수 1집, 멀고 먼 길), 1974
바람과 나
The Wind and I

끝, 끝없는 바람
Boundless, boundless wind
저 험한 산 위로 나뭇잎 사이 불어가는
Rustling through the trees on a rugged mountain
아 자유의 바람
Ah the wind of freedom
저 언덕 위로 물결같이 춤추던 님
One who danced over the hill like the waters
무명 무실 무감한 님
A nameless, faceless, emotionless one
나도 님과 같은 인생을
I too want such a life for myself
지녀 볼래, 지녀 볼래
As the wind's, as the wind's

물 건너편에
Across the water
황혼에 젖은 산 끝보다도 아름다운
More beautiful than the tip of a mountain in sunset
아 나의 님 바람
Ah the wind, my sweet one
뭇느낌 없이 진행하는 시간 따라
On a journey with time freed from all senses
무명 무실 무감한 님
A nameless, faceless, emotionless one
나도 님과 같은 인생을
I too want such a life for myself
지녀 볼래, 지녀 볼래
As the wind's, as the wind's

* 김민기 버전의 마지막 3행
* last three lines of Kim Min-gi's alternate version:

하늘 위로 구름 따라
High up in the sky chasing clouds
무목 여행하는 그대
Traveling without seeing, my one
인생은 나, 인생은 나
Life is me, life is me
바람과 나

끝, 끝없는 바람
저 험한 산 위로 나뭇잎 사이 불어가는
아 자유의 바람
저 언덕 위로 물결같이 춤추던 님
무명 무실 무감한 님
나도 님과 같은 인생을
지녀 볼래, 지녀 볼래

물 건너편에
황혼에 젖은 산 끝보다도 아름다운
아 나의 님 바람
뭇느낌 없이 진행하는 시간 따라
무명 무실 무감한 님
나도 님과 같은 인생을
지녀 볼래, 지녀 볼래

* 김민기 버전의 마지막 3행

하늘 위로 구름 따라
무목 여행하는 그대
인생은 나, 인생은 나

The Wind and I

Boundless, boundless wind
Rustling through the trees on a rugged mountain
Ah the wind of freedom
One who danced over the hill like the waters
A nameless, faceless, emotionless one
I too want such a life for myself
As the wind's, as the wind's

Across the water
More beautiful than the tip of a mountain in sunset
Ah the wind, my sweet one
On a journey with time freed from all senses
A nameless, faceless, emotionless one
I too want such a life for myself
As the wind's, as the wind's

* last three lines of Kim Min-gi's alternate version:

High up in the sky chasing clouds
Traveling without seeing, my one
Life is me, life is me
original release by Han Dae-soo
a cover version by Kim Min-gi

Together with Gimme Some Water (물 좀 주소), The Wind and I is Han Dae-soo's signature song. In contrast with the loud and direct appeal of the former, this song is the epitome of cool, so to speak, seemingly invoking imageries of transcendental mysticism and Eastern philosophy. 바람 is a word that sees a lot of use in Korean as it is often associated with any inexplicable urge or impulse you might have. 바람이 나다 (to have the wind), for instance, is a common expression for suddenly getting into a romantic affair, and 바람둥이 is someone who habitually does it. So 바람 is nothing new in Korean parlance, but the picture Han paints in this song about the wind probably took everyone by surprise - it is ground-breaking as far as popular music goes. I can't think of any song that went as deep as this in depicting the thirst for freedom and transcendentalism, regardless of genre, country, or time of creation. I never forget how it hooked me head over heels when I first heard it as a teenager. It was a powerful stuff.

A nameless, faceless, emotionless one and on a journey with time freed from all senses sound particularly apt to me, as we, and all life forms for that matter, can never free ourselves from the burdens of existence. What he's singing about may be the kind of an escape, a utopic state we dream about deep down, and on those moments when we feel the weight of life seems just too much. Complementing these great lines, Kim Min-gi (김민기) brings the equally memorable closing line Life is me (인생은 나). Depending on how you take it, it could be a meaningless phrase, or it could come down like the coolest three words of Eastern musing.

It is a remarkable song that shows us how far and how high a folk music can go, and it took a truly free-spirited soul like Han Dae-soo to do it.

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Han Dae-soo (한대수)

Jokingly called the first hippy of Korea, Han Dae-soo is a free-spirited singer-songwriter who spearheaded the fledgling Korean modern-folk movement since the 1970s

Kim Min-gi (김민기)

Singer-songwriter famous for such seminal works of the 70s and 80s as Morning Dew (아침 이슬) and Evergreen (상록수)