꿈 (Dreaming)

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of a disoriented internal space, a "faded space out of focus" where a "lost star wanders." This initial imagery sets a tone of confusion and detachment from reality. The narrator expresses a strong aversion to realism, preferring a "fiction" that can't be remembered, and a desire to "never wake me up." This suggests a deliberate escape from a difficult present. The central tension arises from the conflict between wanting to escape reality and the overwhelming nature of internal struggles. The "anxiety turned to dust" is something the narrator "swallows without water," indicating a deep, almost involuntary consumption of distress. This is juxtaposed with the repeated, almost mantra-like declaration, "I'm dreaming, not sleeping," highlighting a state of being awake but mentally absent, trapped in a non-physical space. The most striking craft element is the dramatic shift in the pre-chorus. Initially, the narrator rejects realism, but later pleads, "Wanna feel realistic, have to be realistic," and begs, "Please wake me up." This reversal signals a desperate need to reconnect with the tangible world, even if it's painful. The addition of "overthinking" and "barely breathing" to the chorus in the second half further intensifies the feeling of being overwhelmed, transforming the dream state from an escape into a suffocating experience. These lyrics resonate because they capture the exhausting duality of wanting to escape overwhelming anxiety while simultaneously being unable to bear the state of detachment. The writing effectively uses the metaphor of dreaming not as peaceful rest, but as an active, agonizing state of being "overthinking" and "barely breathing," making the internal struggle palpable and deeply unsettling.