A Korean indie ballad about leaving someone with the gentlest possible apology.
Most breakup songs are about the pain of being left.
This one sits in the quieter, more complicated guilt of being the one who has to go.
Lyric guide
The Salmon That Has Yet To Be
A Korean indie ballad about leaving someone with the gentlest possible apology.
person
Curated by Ethan Walker
LyroVerse team
Quick meaning
A fast read before the full lyric
Editor's note
NELL's quiet goodbye in The Salmon That Has Yet To Be
A Korean indie ballad about leaving someone with the gentlest possible apology.
"na cham mianhajiman cham antajjabjiman"
Most breakup songs are about the pain of being left. This one sits in the quieter, more complicated guilt of being the one who has to go. The title's salmon, swimming upstream against its own nature, frames the whole uneasy push.
The phrase "na cham mianhajiman cham antajjabjiman", "I'm really sorry, but I really can't help it", doesn't ask for forgiveness. It just states the fact of the apology and the inability to change course. The repetition of "geureohge nan", "that's just how I am", feels less like an excuse and more like someone finally naming a shape they've always been.
It's the sound of someone apologizing for something they know they'll do anyway. The words hold the contradiction without trying to solve it.
The way the vocal line curls around "hanbeonman chamajwo", "just understand me once", has a tired, almost whispered insistence.
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Listen for
What to keep in your ear
the pull of "na cham mianhajiman cham antajjabjiman"
the pull of "geureohge nan"
the pull of "hanbeonman chamajwo"
Lyrics
The Salmon That Has Yet To Be
The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.
na neoreul tteonalkke
nareul wihaeseo
neoreul beorilkke
neo jom himdeulgetjiman
jom apeugetjiman
hanbeonman chamajwo
geureohge nan
geureohge nan
na ije byeonhalkke
nareul wihaeseo
neoreul tteonalkke
na cham mianhajiman
cham antajjabjiman
hanbeonman chamajwo
geureohge nan
geureohge nan
jogeumssik nan
jogeumssik nan
meoreojilkke
areumdaun maeumuro saranghaetjiman
geojiseobseo simjanguro saranghaetjiman
modeungeda naetteutgwaneun bandaeromanga
modeungeda naetteutgwaneun bandaeromanga
meoreojilkke
Quick answers
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What is "The Salmon That Has Yet To Be" by NELL about?
A Korean indie ballad about leaving someone with the gentlest possible apology. Most breakup songs are about the pain of being left. This one sits in the quieter, more complicated guilt of being the one who has to go.
Who performs "The Salmon That Has Yet To Be"?
NELL performs "The Salmon That Has Yet To Be", and this lyric page sits inside the NELL catalog on LyroVerse.
Does LyroVerse have an editor's note for "The Salmon That Has Yet To Be"?
Yes. The page carries the LyroVerse editor's note "NELL's quiet goodbye in The Salmon That Has Yet To Be", followed by the full lyric and related songs.
Are there related songs to explore after "The Salmon That Has Yet To Be"?
Yes. The related section below points to Crash and The Great Escape with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by NELL?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through NELL's lyric pages.
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