“Soyong” is gagok, a music genre developed by jungin, the ‘under’ noble class formed by the illegitimate children of the nobility in the late Joseon Dynasty. Their social class confined their entry into higher social status. Most of gagok songs thus ponder the jungin’s impossible dreams and were arranged and evolved to portray them. The lyrics of “Soyong” are one of the most honest and blunt lyrics in gagok.

In our reinterpretation of “Soyong,” we conjure up the old words of the lyrics and chant them rhythmically along the original tune of the song. Jungin’s sarcasm, inherent in the original song, dances over this repeating rhythm of the words and melody.

The following is what the lyrics of the song mean:

A pot that boils without firewood.
A horse which gets fat without having food.
A maid who works diligently and can dance charmingly.
Wine that never stops springing from an empty kettle.
A cow which gives a loaf of meat, while alive.
With these five, I will ask for nothing in my life.