“I am the Moon, and ARMY is the Earth”
“The real beautiful one is you”
The star where flowers bloom and the sky is blue, The real beautiful one is you
During BTS’s radio interview with SiriusXM, Jin explained the inspiration behind his solo track Moon: “This song is about how the moon views the earth. I am the Moon, and ARMY is my Earth. Moon is much brighter than my previous songs because it holds a lot of love for our fans.”
When I think of Jin’s solo songs, my mind goes to Epiphany, as this was the first song by BTS that I had ever purchased digitally. It was such a beautiful anthem about self-love, with lyrics like I’m the one I should love in this world that I really needed to hear at that point in my life. I can understand why Jin clarified that Moon was more upbeat, as his solo songs so far had a more melancholic and longing vibe to them.
You are my earth, To you I’m just a moon
Is there a special significance to this imagery that Jin has used? The Moon’s rotation is synchronized with the Earth in a way. Jin seems to use this comparison to express that his love ‘follows’ their fans (ARMY), as he is able to do what he loves due to their support.
You, who shines with your existence itself
Can I protect that side?
He sees the fans as something precious to him. In a way, Moon is a touching love letter.
Everyone says I’m beautiful but my sea is all black
I wanted to point out this particular lyric as this really shifted the initial narrative I had of this song. Despite its upbeat sound, this lyric struck a chord with me as I felt that it touched on something deeper.
Following from the moon and earth imagery, it should be noted that only one hemisphere of the moon faces us — the other faces away. The Moon shows the same ‘face’ to the Earth at all times. The lunar far side of the moon, also known as the dark side, has only been photographed from spacecraft.
Is the ‘sea’ referring to the feelings and emotions that Jin tries not to show? RM shared in his livestream of the behind-the-scenes of MOTS:7 that this song showcases a different side to Jin. In episode 4 of their Burn the Stage documentary series, Jin shared that although he tries to be cheerful for the guys, he too deals with his own darkness. It makes me wonder about the way Jin may have viewed himself, as he did share during BTS Festa 2019 that he was only able to change who he was during their ‘Fire’ era.
You are my earth, To you I’m just a moon
It is interesting to note that Jin seems to downplay his importance, he sings that he’s just a moon? But according to NASA Science, the Moon makes Earth a more livable planet by moderating our home planet’s wobble on its axis. And in layman terms, that very action contributes to the Earth being able to have a relatively stable climate. It also causes tides, creating a rhythm that has guided people for thousands of years. As Jin treasures the love and support he receives from the ARMY, ARMY too treasures his love and support just as much.
The following chorus is repeated thrice throughout the track:
I suddenly think: ‘Are you looking at me right now too?’
Wouldn’t even my painful wounds be found out by you?
I’ll orbit your surroundings
I’ll be by your side
I’ll become your light
All for you
Jin affirms that he will be by the listeners’ sides to provide comfort through music. He vows to show the best of him. However, he still seems to be trying his best to conceal his own struggles (Wouldn’t even my painful wounds be found out by you?). Especially when it comes to naturally cheerful entertainers like Jin, we sometimes forget that they too have their own share of difficulties despite being easy-going in nature.
I didn’t even have a name before I met you
You gave me love, And now you’ve become my reason
This particular lyric was very heartfelt. It takes me back to their early days: when they were excitedly counting down to their debut, yet terrified if they would ever make it as artists. BTS has always been outspoken about their appreciation for the ARMY, and this lyric encompasses that love.
Even in the bright day, Even in the dark night, You who protects my side
This reminds me of the time when Suga spoke out about the prejudice that fans of idols face. He commented, “They are often belittled for being idol fans. But they’re actually really extraordinary people.” He also praised the ARMY, saying, “Honestly, it’s not easy to do such things just because you like someone.”
Regardless of different languages or nationalities, one thing I noticed in common with ARMY’s is that a majority of us often say that we found BTS when we needed comfort. Some may have been going through a tough time in their lives, and BTS provided them a ‘safe space’ to turn to. RM shared during the livestream on the behind-the-scenes of MOTS: 7 that he does notice fans posting about their sadness or rough times on WeVerse (a fan community platform). This particular lyric in Moon acknowledges their truth: Even when you’re sad, Even when you’re hurt, You who just illuminates me. Their message allows fans to feel comfortable enough to come as they are, and yet still mean as much despite what they may be facing.
In the full moon night, Is it okay if I open both my eyes and collect you [in them]?
The surface of our eyeballs are able to reflect what is in front of us. When we close our eyes, the reflection ‘disappears’. I found this lyric to be touching, as Jin wishes if he could just “collect” these memories and the love he feels — hoping they would never fade away.
I’ll be by your side in the dark night, So that it’s much brighter, I’ll protect your side
Rather than just through words of gratitude, Jin vows to show his appreciation through his actions. A lyric in their song Louder Than Bombs says: I want to tell you, that darkness exists everywhere. Don’t be afraid of it. Whatever night may swallow me, I won’t give up. We’ll shine. As we go through times of uncertainty, Jin reminds us that we will get through this — together. After all, alone we can do so little.
But together?
We can do so much.
Lyrics translation in this article are credited to @STUDIO_0613 Twitter account
- If you are interested to read more, Twitter user @ColinSH3 explains more on the significance of Moon and the greater depth it lyrically holds to Korean ARMYs!
