Gentleman

A huge part of the lyrics for this follow-up single to the international hit ‘Gangnam Style’ is chosen for their sound quality rather than their meanings. In fact, it’s even considered elusive and subversive in Korea.

Allangamolla (the core hook of the song) literally means “I don’t know if you know” in a dialect spoken in the South-Western region in Korea. From the video, you see a Psy who boasts of being a gentleman while he is behaving like anything but that. In addition, Allangamolla is not really a type of language you expect to hear from a gentleman — not even a country gentleman (with all due respect to the dialect). But later in the song, he’s heard singing in a dialect slang from another region. This character is basically a boastful fake gentleman who is a country bumpkin with no integrity — and the dialect is definitely not out of a sense of regional identity.

Repeatedly in the song, you hear Psy saying something that sounds like the name “Maria.” I see a lot of Korean bloggers claim that it is a pun, implying a woman named Maria. In Korean, it is a filler that ends a sentence sometimes like “you know.” If it involves a certain Maria — well, it’s in the ears of the listener.

‘Gentleman’ uses more English, more conscious of the growing global market after the unexpected international popularity of ‘Gangnam Style,’ and a huge part of the words are chosen for their sound quality rather than their meanings. Even for a native Korean, the meanings of the song is not readily clear. Even a lot of the sexual connotations (so blatantly obvious to non-Koreans) pass unnoticed to many unsuspecting Koreans. For example, as Psy shouts “wet Psy,” a bucketful of water pours over him and, when translated into Korean, it really just means that — being soaked. Nothing else. In the same way he sings “mother father gentleman.” Not many Koreans would know that there is a common English expression like 'mother-f***ing.' And the literal translation is of course utterly horrible in any language. But nobody in their right mind actually means it literally as they say it... (hopefully).

It is probably Psy’s sneaky way of being elusive and subversive (which he has a reputation for in Korea) in his conservative home country — dodging criticisms (and even censorship) from the highly restrictive Korean music governing body (yup, such thing still exists in Korea) and the society’s judging eyes. Apparently, this music video is even banned from the national broadcasting company channel in Korea because it shows a scene at the beginning where Psy kicks a traffic cone in the street (‘defacement of the public property’…)

Bo from Tuneslated.com

I love how he is reusing the theme of sarcasm in the follow up to Gangnam Style. I gave a longer explanation here - https://www.facebook.com/michaelflayhartmusic

I don't know if you know why it needs to be hot I don't know if you know why it needs to be clean I don't know if you know, it'll be a problem if you're confused I don't know if you know but we like, we we we like to party

Hey there If I'm going to introduce myself I'm a cool guy with courage, spirit and craziness What you wanna hear, what you wanna do is me Damn! Girl! You so freakin sexy!

Ah Ah Ah Ah I'm a... Ah Ah Ah Ah I'm a... Ah Ah Ah Ah I'm a mother father gentleman

Ah Ah Ah Ah I'm a... Ah Ah Ah Ah I'm a... Ah Ah Ah Ah I'm a mother father gentleman

I'm a, ah I'm a I'm a mother father gentleman I'm a, ah I'm a I'm a mother father gentleman

I'm a, ah I'm a I'm a mother father gentleman I'm a, ah I'm a I'm a mother father gentleman

I'm a, ah I'm a I'm a mother father gentleman I'm a, ah I'm a I'm a mother father gentleman

I don't know if you know why it needs to be smooth I don't know if you know why it needs to be sexy I don't know if you know darling, hurry and come be crazy I don't know if you know, it's crazy, crazy, hurry up

Hey there Your head, waist, legs, calves Good! Feeling feeling? Good! It's soft I'll make you gasp and I'll make you scream Damn! Girl! I'm a party mafia!

Ah Ah Ah Ah I'm a... Ah Ah Ah Ah I'm a... Ah Ah Ah Ah I'm a mother father gentleman

Ah Ah Ah Ah I'm a... Ah Ah Ah Ah I'm a... Ah Ah Ah Ah I'm a mother father gentleman

I'm a, ah I'm a I'm a mother father gentleman I'm a, ah I'm a I'm a mother father gentleman

Gonna make you sweat. Gonna make you wet You know who I am Wet PSY

Gonna make you sweat. Gonna make you wet. You know who I am Wet PSY! Wet PSY! Wet PSY! Wet PSY! PSY! PSY! PSY! Ah I'm a mother father gentleman

I'm a, ah I'm a I'm a mother father gentleman I'm a, ah I'm a, I'm a mother father gentleman

Mother father gentleman

Mother father gentleman

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