Golden – English Lyrics

• By: HUNTR/X, EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI
• Album: KPop Demon Hunters (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film)

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the radiant sounds of “Golden” by HUNTR/X, EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and REI AMI, a standout track from the animated series KPop Demon Hunters. This empowering K-pop anthem blends Korean and English lyrics, offering a vibrant lesson in self-acceptance and resilience, and showcasing how music can transform personal struggles into moments of triumph .

[English]

I was a ghost, I was alone. (Hah)

어두워진 (Hah) 계속해

Given the throne, I didn't know (Hah)

how to believe.

I was the queen that I'm meant to be.

I lived two lives, tried to play both sides.

But I couldn't find my own place.

Called a problem child 'cause I got too wild.

But now that's how I'm getting paid.

끝없이 on stage.

I'm done hiding. Now I'm shining

like I'm born to be.

We're dreaming hard, we came so far.

Now I believe.

We're going up, up, up, it's our moment.

You know together we're glowing.

Gonna be, gonna be golden.

Oh, up, up, up with our voices.

영원히 깨질 수 없는.

Gonna be, gonna be golden.

Oh, I'm done hiding, now I'm shining

like I'm born to be.

Oh, our time, no fears, no lies.

That's who we're born to be.

Waited so long to break these walls down.

To wake up and feel like me.

Put these patterns all in the past now.

And finally live like the girl they all see.

No more hiding, I'll be shining

like I'm born to be.

'Cause we are hunters, voices strong.

And I know I believe.

We're going up, up, up, it's our moment.

You know together we're glowing.

Gonna be, gonna be golden.

Oh, up, up, up with our voices.

영원히 깨질 수 없는.

Gonna be, gonna be golden.

Oh, I'm done hiding, now I'm shining

like I'm born to be.

Oh, our time, no fears, no lies.

That's who we're born to be.

You know we're gonna be, gonna be golden.

We're gonna be, gonna be.

Born to be, born to be glowin'.

밝게 빛나는 우린.

You know that it's our time, no fears, no lies.

That's who we're born to be.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
ghost /ɡoʊst/ B1	noun - the spirit of a dead person, sometimes represented as a pale, transparent image of a human being that is seen or heard.
alone /əˈloʊn/ A2	adjective - without other people; by oneself.
throne /θroʊn/ B2	noun - a special chair used by a king or queen.
believe /bɪˈliːv/ A1	verb - to accept that something is true, especially without proof.
queen /kwiːn/ A1	noun - a female ruler of a country.
lives /laɪvz/ A1	noun - the period between birth and death, or the existence of an individual (plural of 'life').
wild /waɪld/ A2	adjective - uncontrolled, not domesticated or cultivated.
hiding /ˈhaɪdɪŋ/ A2	verb - the act of putting something or oneself in a place where it cannot be seen or found (gerund/present participle of 'hide'). noun - a place where someone or something is hidden (gerund as noun).
shining /ˈʃaɪnɪŋ/ A2	verb - emitting or reflecting light; glowing brightly (gerund/present participle of 'shine'). adjective - emitting a steady light; bright; excellent.
born /bɔːrn/ A1	verb - brought into existence by birth (past participle of 'bear').
dreaming /ˈdriːmɪŋ/ A2	verb - having a series of thoughts, images, or sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep (gerund/present participle of 'dream'). noun - the activity of having dreams (gerund as noun).
moment /ˈmoʊmənt/ A1	noun - a very brief period of time.
glowing /ˈɡloʊɪŋ/ B1	verb - emitting a steady light without flame; showing pleasure or satisfaction (gerund/present participle of 'glow'). adjective - emitting a steady light; expressing great satisfaction or pleasure.
golden /ˈɡoʊldən/ B1	adjective - made of or colored like gold; very valuable or special.
voices /ˈvɔɪsɪz/ A2	noun - the sounds produced in a person's or animal's larynx and uttered through the mouth, as speech or song (plural of 'voice').
fears /fɪərz/ A2	noun - an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm (plural of 'fear').
lies /laɪz/ A2	noun - false statements made with intent to deceive (plural of 'lie'). verb - to be in a flat or horizontal position on a surface (third person singular present of 'lie').
break /breɪk/ A1	verb - to separate into pieces as a result of a blow, shock, or strain. noun - a pause in work or during an activity or event.
walls /wɔːlz/ A1	noun - a continuous vertical brick or stone structure that encloses or divides an area of land (plural of 'wall').
patterns /ˈpætərnz/ B1	noun - a repeated decorative design; a regular and comprehensible arrangement or sequence (plural of 'pattern').

Key Grammar Structures

• I was the queen that I'm meant to be.

  ➔ Relative clause + "be meant to be"

  ➔ The phrase "that I'm meant to be" is a relative clause modifying "queen", indicating a destined role. "meant to be" uses the passive voice to express destiny or purpose.

• how to believe.

  ➔ Question word + to-infinitive (noun phrase)

  ➔ The structure "how to believe" functions as a noun phrase, meaning "the way to believe" or "the knowledge of how to believe".

• Called a problem child 'cause I got too wild.

  ➔ Reduced passive clause + "get + adjective" + informal conjunction

  ➔ "Called" implies "I was called" (reduced passive). "got too wild" uses "get" to mean "become" (a change of state). "'cause" is an informal abbreviation for "because".

• I'm done hiding.

  ➔ "Be done + gerund" (idiomatic expression)

  ➔ The expression "I'm done hiding" means "I have finished hiding" or "I will no longer hide".

• Now I'm shining like I'm born to be.

  ➔ Present Continuous + "like" (conjunction) + "be born to be"

  ➔ "I'm shining" describes an ongoing action. "like I'm born to be" uses "like" as a conjunction meaning "as if", emphasizing a natural or destined state.

• We're going up, up, up, it's our moment.

  ➔ Present Continuous for future plans/trends

  ➔ "We're going up" is used here to indicate a strong ongoing trend or a definite future progression, emphasizing the momentum of their success.

• Waited so long to break these walls down.

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose + "so long" (duration)

  ➔ "to break these walls down" is an infinitive phrase indicating the purpose or reason for "waited so long". "so long" emphasizes the extended duration.

• 영원히 깨질 수 없는.

  ➔ Korean grammar: "-(으)ㄹ 수 없다" (cannot be) + "-는" (present participial adjective)

  ➔ "깨질 수 없는" means "cannot be broken" or "unbreakable". "-(으)ㄹ 수 없다" expresses inability or impossibility, and "-는" turns the verb phrase into an adjective modifying a subsequent (implied) noun.

• 밝게 빛나는 우린.

  ➔ Korean grammar: "-는" (present participial adjective) modifying a pronoun/noun

  ➔ "빛나는" is the present participial adjective form of the verb "빛나다" (to shine). It modifies "우린" (short for 우리+는, meaning "we/us" with topic marker), translating to "we who are shining brightly" or "our brightly shining selves".

• You know that it's our time, no fears, no lies.

  ➔ Optional "that" in a noun clause + ellipsis/parallel structure ("no X, no Y")

  ➔ The word "that" introducing a noun clause (here, the object of "know") is often optional in informal English. "no fears, no lies" uses ellipsis, implying "there are no fears, there are no lies", creating a concise parallel structure.