“Gangnam Style,” by South Korean rapper PSY, is now number two on the music charts in America after only being released on July 15th of this year. The song and music video has become the new “Macarena” of 2012 leaving nearly every radio station playing it almost 20 times a day. The video has been viewed over 117 million times since July with the first 100 million over 51 days. But what’s the meaning behind “Gangnam Style?”
Gangnam is a very wealthy neighborhood where people go to party in the South Korean city of Seoul. In the song, PSY describes the type of guy he is and the type of girl he wants. The chorus to the song “Oppan Gangnam Style” roughly means “your man has Gangnam style”. The signature move “the horse-riding-dance” has just been associated with the wealthy, into a hilarious arm-flapping dance move. Here is an English translation of the song:
Oppa is Gangnam style
Gangnam style
A girl who is warm and humane during the day
A classy girl who know how to enjoy the freedom of a cup of coffee
A girl whose heart gets hotter when night comes
A girl with that kind of twist
I’m a guy
A guy who is as warm as you during the day
A guy who one-shots his coffee before it even cools down
A guy whose heart bursts when night comes
That kind of guy
Beautiful, loveable
Yes you, hey, yes you, hey
Beautiful, loveable
Yes you, hey, yes you, hey
Now let’s go until the end
Oppa is Gangnam style, Gangnam style
Oppa is Gangnam style, Gangnam style
Oppa is Gangnam style
Eh- Sexy Lady, Oppa is Gangnam style
Eh- Sexy Lady oh oh oh oh
A girl who looks quiet but plays when she plays
A girl who puts her hair down when the right time comes
A girl who covers herself but is more sexy than a girl who bares it all
A sensable girl like that
I’m a guy
A guy who seems calm but plays when he plays
A guy who goes completely crazy when the right time comes
A guy who has bulging ideas rather than muscles
That kind of guy
Beautiful, loveable
Yes you, hey, yes you, hey
Beautiful, loveable
Yes you, hey, yes you, hey
Now let’s go until the end
Oppa is Gangnam style, Gangnam style
Oppa is Gangnam style, Gangnam style
Oppa is Gangnam style
Eh- Sexy Lady, Oppa is Gangnam style
Eh- Sexy Lady oh oh oh oh
On top of the running man is the flying man, baby baby
I’m a man who knows a thing or two
On top of the running man is the flying man, baby baby
I’m a man who knows a thing or two
You know what I’m saying
Oppa is Gangnam style
Eh- Sexy Lady, Oppa is Gangnam style
Eh- Sexy Lady oh oh oh oh
Translation from: www.kpoplyrics.net
