Shoulda Loved You Less – English Lyrics

• By: YongYong, LEE HONG GI of FTISLAND
• Album: Shoulda Loved You Less

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw emotions of 'Shoulda Loved You Less' by YongYong and Lee Hong Gi of FTISLAND. This rock ballad offers a poignant narrative of love and regret, making it an excellent song for language learners to explore Korean emotional expressions and poetic lyricism through its powerful vocals and relatable theme.

[English]

실은 나 나밖에 모르는 바보야

근데 네 인생의 찰나를 빛내고 싶어

뜻밖의 최선을 다해버렸지

매번 아주 겁 없이 모든 걸 줬네

그래 좀 대충 사랑할 걸

상처가 나도 깊은 흉터 안 지도록

또 하나, 치사한 생각을 해

마음을 아꼈다면 넌 더 우리와 날 아꼈을까

대충 사랑할 걸 좀 덜어내고

조금 아쉬웁게 딱 그 선까지

오늘날 나 이만치 무너질 줄 알았다면은

이것 봐 지금도 미련의 잔이 흘러넘치잖아

크리스탈 컵 바깥벽을 타고 넘친 거품처럼

내 마음이 과했나 봐 결국 놓쳐서 손을 떠나서

우리처럼 흩어진 깨진 조각에 베인 채

말라 버린 내 심장 유일히 울린 것도

시든 내 정원이 피게 살렸던 것도

오직 너였으니까 함부로 날 읽혔어

나약한 후회지만

대충 사랑할 걸 좀 덜어내고

조금 아쉬웁게 딱 그 선까지

오늘날 나 이만치 무너질 줄 알았다면은

이것 봐 지금도 미련의 잔이 흘러넘치잖아

대충 사랑할 걸

좀 덜어내고

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
바보 babo A1	noun - fool, idiot
인생 insaeng A2	noun - life (human life)
찰나 challa B1	noun - instant, moment, a very short period of time
최선 choeseon A2	noun - one's best, utmost effort
상처 sangcheo A2	noun - wound, injury (physical or emotional hurt)
마음 maeum A1	noun - heart, mind, feeling, spirit
미련 miryeon B2	noun - lingering attachment, regret, reluctance to give up
후회 huhoe B1	noun - regret, remorse
사랑하다 saranghada A1	verb - to love
아끼다 akkida A2	verb - to cherish, to save, to value, to be sparing with
덜어내다 deoreonaeda B1	verb - to reduce, to take away, to lighten (a burden/amount)
무너지다 muneojida B1	verb - to collapse, to fall apart, to crumble (physically or emotionally)
흘러넘치다 heulleoneomchida B1	verb - to overflow, to run over
놓치다 nochida A2	verb - to miss (an opportunity, a person, a target), to let go
살리다 sallida A2	verb - to save (a life), to revive, to make alive, to utilize (a strength)
깊다 gipda A1	adjective - deep (literally and figuratively, e.g., deep wound, deep feeling)
치사하다 chisahada B1	adjective - petty, mean, despicable
아쉽다 aswipda A2	adjective - regrettable, sad (due to lack or missing something), to be a pity
나약하다 nayakhada B2	adjective - weak, feeble, frail
과하다 gwahada B1	adjective - to be excessive, to be too much, to be over the top

Key Grammar Structures

• 뜻밖의 최선을 다해버렸지

  ➔ ~아/어 버리다

  ➔ This grammar pattern "다해버렸지" expresses the completion of an action, often with a nuance of regret, finality, or relief. Here, it implies the action was done completely and perhaps regrettably.

• 그래 좀 대충 사랑할 걸

  ➔ ~을/ㄹ 걸

  ➔ The ending "사랑할 걸" expresses regret about a past action or inaction, meaning "I should have loved carelessly" or "I wish I had loved carelessly."

• 상처가 나도 깊은 흉터 안 지도록

  ➔ ~도록

  ➔ The ending "안 지도록" indicates purpose, extent, or result, meaning "so that," "in order to," or "to the extent that." Here, it specifies the intended outcome: preventing deep scars.

• 마음을 아꼈다면 넌 더 우리와 날 아꼈을까

  ➔ ~았다면

  ➔ The ending "아꼈다면" is a past hypothetical conditional, used to express a condition that was not met in the past, leading to a hypothetical consequence. It means "if (I) had saved my feelings...".

• 오늘날 나 이만치 무너질 줄 알았다면은

  ➔ ~을/ㄹ 줄 알다

  ➔ The phrase "무너질 줄 알았다면은" is used to express knowing how to do something, or knowing/predicting that something will happen. Here, it signifies knowing or being aware of a future event/outcome: 'if I had known I would break down this much'.

• 이것 봐 지금도 미련의 잔이 흘러넘치잖아

  ➔ ~잖아

  ➔ The ending "흘러넘치잖아" is used to confirm something the speaker believes the listener already knows or should know, often with a sense of "you know," "as you can see," or "isn't it obvious?"

• 내 마음이 과했나 봐 결국 놓쳐서 손을 떠나서

  ➔ ~었나 봐

  ➔ The ending "과했나 봐" is used to express conjecture or assumption based on observation or a perceived situation, meaning "it seems that," "it looks like," or "I guess/must have." Here, it indicates a deduction about the speaker's past state.

• 우리처럼 흩어진 깨진 조각에 베인 채

  ➔ ~은 채

  ➔ The pattern "베인 채" indicates that an action is performed or a state exists while another action/state is maintained, meaning "while," "as it is," or "in the state of." Here, it describes being cut while remaining scattered like broken pieces.

• 시든 내 정원이 피게 살렸던 것도

  ➔ ~게 하다

  ➔ The causative expression "피게 살렸던" means "to make someone/something do something" or "to let someone/something do something." Here, it means to cause the withered garden to bloom/revive.

• 오직 너였으니까 함부로 날 읽혔어

  ➔ Passive Voice (~히다/이히리기)

  ➔ "읽혔어" is the passive voice form of "읽다" (to read), meaning "to be read" or "to be revealed/seen through." It indicates that the subject (날, 'me') is acted upon, implying the speaker's true feelings were carelessly exposed.