‘Firecrackers and stars’ (폭죽과 별) is a song in Kim Jin-ho’s third official solo album released in 2019.
The singer of group SG Wannabe fame filled this album with 9 tracks that he wrote and composed himself, and which were released as unedited, raw versions of the recordings.
‘Firecrackers’ and ‘Stars’ as metaphors
In his album’s third track Firecrackers and Stars, Kim Jin-ho uses the metaphors to describe how two types of people both shine in their own ways but are not satisfied with where they are and look towards each other in envy.
As you can read in the translations below, the fireworks (a better alternative translation than ‘firecrackers’) want to shine forever and laments falling back down to the ground as dust. But the stars that are in fact shining all the time aren’t as happy as the fireworks expect them to be and actually lament being forgotten that they’re there.
The years that led to the song
The song mirrors Kim Jin-ho’s personal experiences as a singer. Debuting as a member of SG Wannabe in the early 2000’s, Kim Jin-ho quickly rose to stardom with the success of the trio’s songs. After several years of fame, one of the members left the group and started his solo career, only to end his life shortly after in 2011.
SG Wannabe never officially disbanded but haven’t been as active since. It was only years later in 2017 that Kim Jin-ho returned with his first solo album, writing his own songs and coming back to the public with his music.
Kim Jin-ho’s Firecrackers and Stars reminds me of Park Hyo-shin’s Wildflower (link to translated lyrics) that also speaks to the artist’s personal hardships. We’re drawn to listen to every word of the story the singer is trying to tell us – we start by listening and can’t help but find ourselves empathizing with the meaning behind it all.
Note: The translation below is based on my own interpretation of the lyrics and is not an official English translation of the song provided by the artist.
English Lyrics to ‘Firecrackers and Stars’ (폭죽과 별)
I waited for the right person to light me up
Once I soar into the sky and glitter
They would look at me and cheer for me
I liked that feeling and that place that I was in
And now I think I can almost touch the stars around me
I just want to be side by side with those stars
I search for the one who can shoot me back into the sky
While I’m left behind as the fireworks they’ve tamed
I soar back into the sky
They look at me and cheer for me
I fall back to the ground as ashes
They walk over me and leave me
I asked the stars that brief moment in the sky
It must be nice to be shining all the time
The stars said to the fireworks that people tend to forget
If you’re always shining they don’t even know you’re there
When they are lonely or on days they miss someone
Only then they look at the stars sometimes
Unlike big fireworks that shine through their cheers
Stars are just lonely sources of light carved out from silence
I fall back from the sky
They look at me and say it’s over for me
I fall back to the ground as ashes
They walk over me and leave me
The stars would keep lighting up the sky
The fireworks would turn to dust and light the ground
I look at those of us who used to
Wander between the sky and the ground
Related links
Kim Jin-ho on YouTube, Spotify, Instagram
