Lyrics are beautiful. Like a poem, they are a form of art conveyed through words. As a Sone, after you begin listening to a few of SNSD’s ballads, you come to realize that they are often sung not only as “ear candy”, but they also carry deeper meanings. When a girl sings her line, they are not simply uttering a sentence or a string of words. No, if that was the case, they wouldn’t have cried during performances of various songs. The words they sing carry meaning and emotions that can only come from the heart.

Born to be a Lady: The last song on SNSD’s first Japanese album. I feel like this song rivals Complete and Forever when it comes to describing the Soshibond and the connection between Soshi and Sone. Not only do these lyrics share with us how the girls cherish these special bonds, but we are also learning from them at the same time. The reason why SNSD and Sones are able to have such a tight-knit bond is because we are constantly helping each other in many different ways. Over the last four years, we have inspired, supported and encouraged one another to be better people. To love and to be thankful for everything the world has given us

「きっと誰もが希望を探して　全ての過去を旅した」

The leader opens up the song with a line full of thought and wisdom. Surely everyone has traveled through their lives searching for what they want. Nine girls who started out on different paths somehow miraculously met up in the middle with one dream in mind. Some people spent their entire lifetime looking for what they want, but sadly, they are never able to find it. Four years ago, SNSD was formed, allowing nine fortunate girls to finally realize their dreams. Had SNSD never been, perhaps they would still be searching, even today.

「小さなてのひら　集めた種から　花束になるように」

Like seeds gathered by tiny hands, becoming beautiful flowers. A perfect metaphor to describe SNSD. Think back to four years ago when they girls debuted, no one thought of them as “special”. No, they were simply just another overpopulated girl group. Big deal. Fast forward to the present, and look at them again. They are Asia’s number one girl group. Like tiny seeds, the girls have bloomed into gorgeous flowers. But how on earth did that even happen? It was all thanks to the fans. That’s right, a tiny group of people believed in these nine girls, and they supported the girls through everything. It was through the nurturing and caring hands of Sones that SNSD was able to bloom. They took care of the Soshi-garden, and nine flowers sprouted, granting Sones from around the world the chance to step into an experience that will last a lifetime.

「まだ答えはみつからなくて」

But maybe no one’s found the answer yet. Could this be a reply to Taeyeon’s opening line? But how does that make sense? The “answer” was found when Girls’ Generation was formed, was it not? No. No one’s found the answer because there isn’t a definite one. Success is a journey, not a destination. Through our lives, we are always searching for something, and when we acquire it, we look for ways to preserve it and so on. The girls are always searching because it is what fuels them, what motivates them. It’s the driving force that pushes them to constantly improve themselves as they continue to amaze us. From the time they debuted up to now, through hard work and perseverance, they have paved their road for success. And as SNSD continue down this path together, they will always be learning. Learning from their mistakes. Learning from each other.

「Maybe I know, you know」

Born to be a lady

Jessica attempts to guess at the answer they are searching for. Maybe the nine girls were simply born to be ladies. Maybe it’s just as elementary as that. Nothing grand or expensive, just ladies. Ladies who are strong, loving, and honest. Maybe that’s all there is to it. That could very well be the key to the success they have earned over the years: by just being themselves. Each and every member has sprung from girl to lady in the past four years, ladies who understand the meaning of family and value it above all else in the world.

「花が香るのは

鳥が歌うのは

風が光るのは

月が巡ってくのは

こうやって君に愛を伝えるのは

いつか君から愛すため」

Six different girls sing the chorus as they convey to us that in the world, millions of good things happen in nature which can ultimately teach us to love and reciprocate this positive feeling to the people around us. The reason why flowers smell sweet, the reason why birds sing, the reason why the wind shines and the moon revolves. All this is so we can learn to understand that the world and everything little thing around is truly beautiful. That’s what the girls want to tell us. Appreciate all that we have and embrace life. And be thankful for being able to admire this beauty so you can one day love the world back for all that it has given you.

The entity of the chorus can be used to sum up the wonderful Soshibond. The reason why so many good things happen around the girls. The reason why Taeyeon conveys her love to her sisters through the little joys in life. All this is so they can love someone someday. So her members can grow up and walk confidently towards their bright futures. So they can grow up and pass on this kindness that they have acquired to inspire friends, family and Sones from all around the world.

「The hope is LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE  / The hope is LOVE」

No explanation is needed to understand what SNSD is singing. Love is the universal language of the world. If every person found a little room in their hearts to accept differences and to embrace one another, there would be no need for guns and war. Just think about how many people SNSD has brought together over the course of four, quick years. People from all the different corners of the world have gathered together to love nine amazing girls. Through loving SNSD, Sones put aside each other’s differences because honestly, the millions of fans are all in it for the girls. We are all supporting the same cause, and through the unconditional love we give the girls, we are learning to love one another. That’s right, the hope is love. The hope is SNSD.

「LOVE LOVE LOVE is all」

「本当に大事なモノは見えなくて　触れることもできない

そんなモノだから　大きくて重くても楽に持って歩ける」

If you look around you, it’s the blatant truth. The things that are truly important can’t be seen or touched. That’s why no matter how great or heavy they are, you can walk easily carrying them. Instead, they are felt by and come from the heart. In society today, money seems to take up a great portion of our lives. Sure, without it, we wouldn’t be able to keep up, but it is important not to base the entity of our lives on materialism. Instead, we should value the meaning of family, friendship and love above all else. Without those things inside our lives, all the money in the world would be rendered completely worthless.

Just think of the Soshibond. If we were to materialize it, it would be HUGE. But because it can’t be represented as something the girls can hold and see, SNSD could be dispersed to nine different parts of the world, but the bond between them would still be ironclad. When Soshi sings this part to Sones, they are trying to tell us that every one of us is capable of creating something like their Soshibond. All we need to understand is that friendship and family can and should be the most important things that exist inside each and every one of our lives.

「何も聞こえない夜だって / Promise I’m here, you hear?」

Even on nights when you can’t hear anything. Even when you feel like you’re all alone and no one understands how you feel, have courage because Soshi and Sones are here for each other. It’s almost as if SNSD is trying to say “thank you for always being here for us. Now let us return the favor” to the fans because since debut, they have always supported the nine girls. Sones have never deserted SNSD, even in their darkest hour, so SNSD just wants to let the fans know that “hey, even if you feel trapped in darkness, don’t worry. We are here for you. ”After all, we are all in this together.

Born to be part of the world

  「花が枯れるのは

羽が落ちるのは

風に向かうのは

夜が巡ってくのは

こうやって君が強くなっていくのは

いつか誰かを守るため」

The reason the flowers wither, the reason the feathers fall, the reason one faces into the wind and the night surrounds you. The reason why bad things happen and good things come to an end. It’s to teach us to accept everything that comes into our lives and instead of fearing it, embrace it. SNSD reaches out to their Sones through this part of the song as they give us courage to face defeat and learn from it in order for us to become stronger and better people. So we can protect someone someday.

The girls have been through countless hardships during their career, but every single time, they have been able to pick up from where they left off and start anew. From inside the amazing Soshibond, courage and support are things that flow to and from every member like the blood in our veins. Whenever one girl feels like she’s reached a dead end, her eight sisters are always there for her, guiding her back on track again. Honestly there is no feeling of jealousy between the girls. They want all nine to succeed, and that’s what has kept the soshi-flame shining bright for four whole years. Through the inspiration that the girls have given us, Sones learn that failure isn’t something to be afraid of; because success is measured by the number of times we are able to rise after being defeated. And we are able to grow stronger as we overcome every hurdle that stands in our way.

The hope is LOVE.

「ああ　今は何のチカラも持っていないtiny girlでも / いつか強くなれますように」

Ah even if right now you’re a tiny girl without any power. Hopefully someday you can become strong. Nothing in the world is created the way we want. Every person needs to work and endure hardships in order to attain a certain goal or to be where they want to in life. Every person starts off small, but we are able grow as we deal with everything and anything that comes at us in life. This part of the song is significant to SNSD from debut to present. Think, in the beginning, they were nothing more than another innocent-imaged girl group. They were simply tiny girls without any power. No one really took them seriously, but now look at where they are standing. SNSD knows the true meaning of “hard work leads to success” because despite all the controversy and criticism, they didn’t give in to any of it. No, they just kept doing their thing because all nine of them had a dream. A dream that nothing in the world would stop them from realizing. And four years later, through sweat, tears and countless hours in the practice room, SNSD go from powerless tiny girls to nine ladies who are capable of commanding an entire nation and more. How they were able to come so far in such a short period of time is truly phenomenal.

「ああ　今は小さな夢もすぐには叶えられないけど / きっといつかは」

Ah although right now even the smallest dreams can’t be granted right away. Surely they will in time. Everyone has or should have a dream. Dreams motivate us to thrive and be better, and through SNSD, Sones are fueled with inspiration that come from nine wonderful ladies. We learn that even the smallest wishes can be granted as long as we remain hopeful. All the good things in the world cannot be rushed. Patience makes the prospect of acquiring something even more exciting. But through this prolonged period of time, what’s important is that we never lose sight of our dreams. Soshi is the best example I can think of. They didn’t enter the industry with booming popularity, but the girls held on to their dreams, and with time, they were surely granted. By understanding the Soshi timeline, Sones are encouraged to hold fast to their own dreams too. In the end, SNSD simply becomes a symbol of hope. A symbol that constantly reminds fans that if you have a dream, have strength to pursue it and it will definitely come true one day.

「The hope is LOVE LOVE LOVE Oh」 x2

「花が香るのは

鳥が歌うのは

風が光るのは

月が巡ってくのは

こうやって君に愛を伝えるのは

いつか君から愛すため」

The reason why flowers smell sweet, the reason why the birds sing, the reason why the wind shines and the moon revolves. The reason why Soshi conveys their love to us like this, it’s all so Sones can love someone someday. It’s so that we can always find hope in this vast world.  And hope can spring from anything that we touch. For Sones, our hopes spring from SNSD. We pray for their good fortune and health, and we hope that they will always and forever be the nine amazing girls they are. We hope that they will continue to walk towards their bright futures as they teach and motivate us through every little word and action. We hope that in the years to come, SNSD will continue to convey their love to us so that we can build towards a better tomorrow and love someone someday.

「The hope is LOVE LOVE LOVE Oh」 x6

Oh you girls are nine ladies~

Happy fourth anniversary Girls’ Generation!!!

Thank you for always being the angels

who bring sunshine on rainy days,

who bring smiles to a saddened heart,

who bring out the best in every Sone.

Thank you for four years of pure laughter, inspiration, encouragement and admiration.

–

cr: FrozenArctic@SNSDKorean

images: as tagged.

video: geexmish1@youtube

lyrics and translations: snsdlyrics@wordpress