K-Pop Lyrics Explained: What Does The Rose's 'Childhood' Really Mean?

The Rose's Twitter

Welcome to the 24th article of our series, "K-Pop Lyrics Explained" where we analyze the lyrics to some of your favourite songs. From new releases to old classics, OSTs to non-Korean songs, we have all bases covered. If you'd like to request a song to be featured in this series, leave a comment down below!

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This week, we're diving into a song that has been hitting us right in the feels all week, The Rose's 'Childhood'. 'Childhood' is the pre-release single from the group's upcoming first full-length album, "HEAL" and just like the title suggests, it explores a prelapsarian purity in a post-lapsarian world. This is the kind of song that makes us wonder how such incredible artists fatefully came together to create an even more phenomenal group. The Rose is a blessing to this world, a gift of the muses to us mere mortals, and we could not be more thankful for them.

'Childhood' starts off with a sketch of life, as it was then, on the dark canvas of present time. A world that once seemed to rest in the palm of our hands is now far gone because we, as humans, have let it revolve away. We are so taken up by the harsh realities of life that it is virtually impossible to think back to a time when we felt like we were on top of the world. Dreams, especially those that we see with our eyes open, have become so chimeric that it is simply easier to not give in to our fantasies, lest our imagination takes flight again. However, even during times as bleak as these, The Rose insists that we soothe our inner child, console and heal them, and the time to do that is now. We pray not for oblivion but for a return of innocence.

The Rose's Twitter

While this is an incredibly sublime and universally resonant message, it certainly holds special significance for the band itself. The Rose has been through hell and high water to get to where they are now. However, even when they were at their worst, one thing remained constant: The Rose's desire to bloom for their fans, Black Rose. Their passion, perseverance, and persistence eventually paid off, and the group was able to start anew, not only in their careers but also on a deeper level. With DoJoon, HaJoon, and JaeHyeong completing their mandatory military service and returning after a period of what we can only imagine as being heart-rending uncertainty and joining WooSung as he worked tirelessly towards establishing a firm foundation for the group, The Rose became one again, ready to offer themselves to the same dream that kept the fire inside them alive.

The Rose's Twitter

The poster for 'Childhood' thus pictures the members waist-deep in water, as if washing away their regrets, pains, and sorrows, to be reborn. Similarly, the music video posits a sense of freedom, individuality, and connection - a stripping away of inhibitions that hold us back and embracing pure love and self-expression. This is The Rose reclaiming their art and, perhaps, even their own selves, and all of us have something to learn here.

What did you think of The Rose's 'Childhood'? Share your thoughts with Kpopmap in the comments section down below!