JBarky Reviews Tablo's "Tomorrow (Feat. Taeyang)

Just a word of warning before I begin, besides JBarky’s WTF Moments, most of my other editorials such as music reviews and recaps won’t really have that same sarcastic tone!

Anyways, after writing a review for Tablo’s “Airbag” I’ve been looking for another song that really stuck with me. It seems like Tablo’s “Tomorrow” (Which features Big Bang’s Taeyang) is it! Originally, Airbag stood out a lot more to me. But I was out drinking with friends when this song would be played every 2 hours or so. I realized that I liked it a lot more than my initial hearing. So, I downloaded the song and have been listening more intently.

Here’s the music video:

Sound Review

I will go more in depth about the lyrics in the next section, but the gist of the song is this: Imagine two people that were lovers. The girl has moved on and going on with her life, while the guy is still mourning. He is essentially trapped the past, thinking about the memories of them together.

A bit random, but the album jacket for Tablo’s Fever’s End Part 2 album looks a lot like Dali’s “Swans Reflecting Elephants,” no?

The background music for “Tomorrow” is mainly made up of the piano, bass, and drum beats. The resulting sound is very clean and sad. Whenever Tablo raps the surrounding sound becomes a lot softer, probably so that one can focus on Tablo’s lyrics and his voice.

I was actually surprised at how Tablo’s voice meshes well with Taeyang’s vocals. It is an unlikely mix for me, because usually I would imagine that a lower-pitched rap voice would go well with Taeyang’s relatively higher-pitch. But, the two complement each other very well.

I can definitely appreciate the rhyme scheme that Tablo uses. It is a bit more complicated than your average rap song, and sounds very poetic. Usually with Korean rap, you expect to hear words that end at the end of a phrase. (Example: Ssagaji, Bagji, Ga Hip Hop Baji)

Analysis of Lyrics

The lyrics are split up into two large segments.

The first part basically talks about how he feels trapped, and his world isn’t moving forward. Tablo tells us not to give him the usual words of consolation. But, when he does it makes an interesting rhyme.

It looks something like this:

Stop saying that the sun will rise tomorrow.

The morning will be darker than any night spent with you.

Stop saying that the earth dries up after the rain. (Here he doesn’t repeat it but “Stop Saying” is implied, also this saying means that after hardships things will settle down)

The security will be more suffocating than any worry I had with you.

Tablo tells you to stop saying this (insert consolation), and then he tells you what it would be like for him.

 In the second segment, another similar rhyme scheme:

Stop saying that love will connect to another love. (Stop saying is implied here again)

When I meet that new love, it will be more lonely than breaking up.

Stop saying that time will fix everything. (Stop saying is implied here again)

Every moment to me, will be a lifeless existence.

Basically, it ends up sounding really poetic and has a nice rhythm to it!

The second segment of the lyrics basically talks about how people around him are saying that they are happy he is ok now. But in fact, he is dying inside.

Tablo has always been one of the illest lyricists (I seriously need to think of a word other than this)

As I mentioned above. The lyrics basically describe a man who has lost his lover (Through a breakup), and is trapped in the past. That is the meaning behind the chorus Taeyang continues to sing: “No Tomorrow, I am still stuck at that time. Time has stopped at that moment. For you though it is probably only the past.”

Jbarky’s Translation of Lyrics

(I tried to translate the lyrics into something as poetic as the original, but it still is butchered up, my apologies!)

 Tablo: Love, you don’t have just because you receive it

Time, it doesn’t pass by just because you walk it

Living, just because you breathe doesn’t mean you are alive

Taeyang: No Tomorrow, I am still stuck at that time. Time has stopped at that moment. For you though it is probably only the past

Tablo: The memory that tore my heart, tears apart the calendar. Just like on year everything turns dark, sometimes I even act like I’ve forgotten about you.

My world hasn’t changed, you’re the only thing missing. Everyone tells me that later, I’ll laugh about it when I look back.

Why do they keep talking, I don’t want to hear it, I don’t even have the energy to move my head away from the way it faced you. I remain here.

Stop saying that the sun will rise tomorrow. The morning will be darker than any night spent with you.

Stop saying, that the earth dries up after the rain. (Here he doesn’t repeat it but “Stop Saying” is implied, also this saying means that after hardships things will settle down)

The security will be more suffocating than any worry I had with you.

Everything is wrong, although spring begins for you, my weather never changes. (Basically meaning, he is stuck in fall/winter the cold weathers)

Even if my heart blossoms again, I’ve got no tomorrow.

(Chorus here)

Tablo: Although my smile is empty and dead, people say I look better than I was with you.

They say that they can relax now, (Because they were so worried about Tablo/protagonist) when I feel like I am suffocating, I’m the only one that my smile can’t fool.

I’ve come back to normal bit more, my heart was full of baggage so I let a lot of that go, I am going crazy stop giving me consolation that I can’t even hear.

Stop saying, that love will connect to another love. (Stop saying is implied here again)

When I meet that new love, it will be more lonely than breaking up.

Stop saying, that time will fix everything. (Stop saying is implied here again)

Every moment to me, will be a lifeless existence.

(Then he repeats the following)

Yes, Love, you don’t have just because you receive it

Time, it doesn’t pass by just because you walk it

Living, just because you breathe doesn’t mean you are alive,

Now, I know. But it’s too late. (But it’s too late is also implied here.)

Hope You Enjoyed the Review, Here Is a Live Performance Where the Two Appear Together:

jbarky is a senior editor for soompi.com. You can email him at barkjason@soompi.com, or follow his twitter.com feed at @jjbarky