Timeless by Drunken Tiger – Unraveling the Legacy of Hip-Hop’s Eternal Spirit
Lyrics
Tiger, Tiger drop, dropping topics
Toxicate, toxicated
Tiger, Tiger, Tiger, drop, dropping topics
Tiger, drop, drop, drop, dropping topics
Toxicated, Tiger dropping topics (yo)
1990년 거꾸로 시간 가는 반주
Play button에 청춘 벤자민의 단추
시대는 황금기 두세 번 생각하는 말투
It’s timeless 죽지 않는 영혼에 불타는
Drunken Tiger 랍티미스트의 리듬 안개치는
(바다) 바다 바람이 갈라지는 time travel
어차피 다 똑같애 두 눈 감고 갈 때에는
죽을 땐 빌린 이 몸 흙이 되는 time table
꿈에 한가운데는 폭풍의 눈 아직 괴로운
주위를 맴돌지만 닿게 돼있어 나의 aim
나의 태몽처럼 포효하는 나의 이름
I’ma stick ’em in their eyes so they can see where I’m coming from
It’s timeless (timeless), it’s timeless (timeless)
It’s timeless (timeless), it’s timeless (timeless)
It’s timeless (timeless), it’s timeless (timeless)
It’s timeless (timeless), it’s timeless (timeless) (yo)
하나 둘 (셋) 거꾸로 돌아가는 반주
Play button에 마술 같은 벤자민의 단추
산천을 화폭에 담은 화가에 나누기
계산이 필요 없는 정선의 산수
주변에 나무 이제 본모습을 감춘
산은 산 물물 아닌 사대강의 정치
천지 오늘도 맑은 미세먼지
연기 아니 땐 굴뚝 밑에 번진
뜬소문 부러져버린 노랑 연필 yeah
시간이 말해줄 원인 결과의 법칙
(RM) 두세 번 생각하는 말투
Play button에 마술 같은 벤자민에 단추
It’s timeless (timeless), it’s timeless (timeless)
It’s timeless (timeless), it’s timeless (timeless)
It’s timeless (timeless), it’s timeless (timeless)
It’s timeless (timeless), RM, it’s timeless
눌러 벤자민의 단추 with DT의 엄지손가락
혀를 지나 목구멍으로 넘어가는 순간
I remember 6번 줄 없는 통기타
이젠 너무 많이 특별해진 eight forty-five
Yeah remember 예술이 그런 거지 뭐
아무 의미 없는 시간에 생명을 불어넣는 거
좋건 싫건 당신의 삶은 전시됐지만
누군가에겐 평생을 함께할 곡이겠지 아마
누구의 술잔 누구의 편의점
누구의 노스페이스 지금은 팔고 없지만
You got what I’m sayin’
Your whole life was a damn concert
그리고 좋건 싫건 you raised another monster
This album be the last, but it will forever last
Things gon’ be a past, but fest post to be fast
Hope it for the best, but see you already blessed
All you spit was blast, so don’t you worry dad
You ain’t dead (it’s timeless, timeless)
It’s timeless (timeless)
It’s timeless (timeless), it’s timeless (timeless)
It’s timeless (timeless), it’s timeless (timeless)
It’s timeless (timeless), it’s toxicated (timeless)
Yeah, you know that time will tell
Lay low, just feel the vibe, yeah, RM, JK
Some things just never change
W-w-what? (what?)
In the pantheon of hip-hop, certain tracks stand as eternal monoliths to the genre’s spirit and evolution. ‘Timeless,’ a masterful concoction from the iconic Korean hip-hop group Drunken Tiger, is one such anthem—a testament to the unending and ever-evolving narrative of cultural expression.
To distill the essence of ‘Timeless’ is an exercise of peering through the veils of metaphor, historical reference, and raw energy. This track, featuring artist RM, dances through the ages, intwining a commentary on life’s cycle, the inevitability of change, and the indelible mark of art on humanity’s collective consciousness.
The Visceral Beat of ’90s Nostalgia
With an opening that evokes the reversed temporal rhythms of the 1990s, ‘Timeless’ serves as a salute to an era where many argue hip-hop found its golden stride. This throwback is more than mere nostalgia; it’s a reminder of hip-hop’s enduring relevance, a sonic time machine that reaffirms the genre’s foundation.
The reference to the ‘the play button of youth’ invokes an almost Benjamin Button-like regression, a journey backwards to youth and the golden age, pivotal to understanding the track’s overarching narrative—one that explores the notion that despite the shifts in time, the core heartbeat of hip-hop remains immutable.
Through the Mists of Time: A Metaphysical Voyage
Time travel and the imagery of mist-parting seas craft a surreal landscape in which ‘Timeless’ situates its listeners. This dimension both drowns and parts, leading to the core of the poetic vision—our return to the earth upon death is the only guaranteed itinerary in our life’s voyage
The tumult within the eye of the storm represents the internal conflicts and external pressures artists face, yet through the chaos, the ‘aim’ or purpose of an artist remains clear. The sense of legacy is ever-present, the roar of a name making itself known—a battle cry of artistic purpose that cannot be silenced or overlooked.
The Environmental Echoes in ‘Timeless’
Deploying environmental motifs, the song paints a scene where mountains and rivers are shrouded by political forces, referencing Korea’s controversial Four Major Rivers Project. This intertwines the passage of time with societal and ecological commentary, suggesting that art—and hip-hop specifically—must also be a voice for such enduring concerns.
The purity of nature, sullied by pollution and politics, finds an allegorical parallel in the essence of hip-hop, traditionally a raw and pure form of expression now confronted by the sometimes toxic smog of commercial forces and sociopolitical issues.
Decoding the Hidden Meaning Behind RM’s Verses
The intersection of Drunken Tiger’s historic voice with RM’s modern pen delivers an intergenerational dialogue. RM touches on the transformation from instrument to artifact, from six-string guitars to the iconic ‘eight forty-five’—a symbol of glory days turned to timeless relics.
He muses on the act of infusing life into ‘meaningless’ time, and the notion that one’s life—no matter the personal assessment—is subject to public exhibition and could be the soundtrack to another’s existence. This acknowledgment of art’s immortality and its impact is what solidifies not only Drunken Tiger’s but also RM’s own musical journey.
Memorable Lines That Echo Beyond the Beat
‘Your whole life was a damn concert’—a single line intricately woven into ‘Timeless’ that encapsulates the theme of perpetual performance, viewed under the lens of admiration and the weight of expectation. It questions the price of pouring one’s soul into a public spectacle and the legacy it leaves behind.
As the song approaches its finale, it assures the artist—and the listener—that legacy will persist. The lyrics, ‘This album be the last, but it will forever last’, confront the dichotomy of finality and eternity. In the fabric of hip-hop, Drunken Tiger has woven a thread that will continue to resonate, irrespective of time’s relentless march.
