An Album You Must Listen If You Are Interested in Korean Music – 1

< 유재하 – 사랑하기 때문에 >

< Yoo Jae-ha – Because I love you >

You Jae-ha is a singer-songwriter who died in a car accident at age 25 after releasing his first and only album in 1987. The album talks about his lover and him.

Track List

1 “우리들의 사랑 (Our love)” 5:01

2 “그대 내 품에 (You in my mind)” 5:58

3 “텅빈 오늘밤 (Empty tonight)” 5:22

4 “내 마음에 비친 내 모습 (My reflection in my mind)” 4:53

5 “Minuet (경음악/Instrumental)” 2:48

6 “가리워진 길 (Blocked road)” 3:17

7 “지난 날 (Screened road)” 5:14

8 “우울한 편지 (Gloomy letter)” 5:02

9 “사랑하기 때문에 (Because I love you)” 6:20

유재하 is often regarded as the father of Korean ballad. Although he released only one album his music brought about a big change in the Korean music industry. His album is always at the No.1 among the best Korean albums of all time. 

His songs are a mixture of ballad, pop, and classical music. Because no other albums in this era had tried his approach to music, it didn’t receive much attention when first released. It gained popularity and recognition after his sudden death.

In 1989, two years after his death, the Yoo Jae-ha Music Contest was established. The contest has produced numerous talented musicians that play active parts in the Korean music industry until today, including Yoo Hee-yeol, the founder of Antenna Music, and Bang Si-hyuk, the founder of Big Hit Music and Hybe Corporation.

사랑하기 때문에 (Because I love you) Lyrics

처음 느낀 그대 눈빛은 혼자만의 오해였던가요
Your eyes that I felt for the first time, was it my misunderstanding

해맑은 미소로 나를 바보로 만들었소
You made a fool of me with your bright smile

내 곁을 떠나가던 날, 가슴에 품었던 분홍빛의 수많은 추억들이 푸르게 바래졌소
The day you left me, so many pink memories in my heart have faded blue

어제는 떠난 그대를 잊지 못하는 내가 미웠죠
Yesterday, I hated myself for not being able to forget you who left me

하지만 이제 깨달아요 그대만의 나였음을
But now I realize that I was the only one for you

다시 돌아온 그대 위해 내 모든 것 드릴테요
I will giving you everything for you who came back

우리 이대로 영원히 헤어지지 않으리
We will not be apart forever from now on

나 오직 그대만을 사랑하기 때문에
Because I only love you