IU Shares Personal Stories Behind Her Most Beautiful Original Lyrics
IU is not only an exceptional vocalist, but also a talented lyricist. She shared that she keeps a diary where she writes down her innermost thoughts – which later serve as inspiration to her most beautiful songs. Here are 5 of IU’s timeless songs with her original words that will touch your heart.
1. “Through the Night”
IU explained that this song was written literally through the night she couldn’t fall asleep. She has openly shared her history with insomnia and pointed out that because she suffers sleeplessness, she believes in the good intentions behind wishing a good night’s sleep. The song “Through the Night”, according to IU, is meant to be the most genuine kind of confession to a loved one.
2. “Voice Mail”
On Picnic Live, IU explained that the lyrics to “Voice Mail” are based on her very personal experience. IU wrote the words to this song after she had experienced a crush that didn’t end well or her, in her pre-debut life. IU commented, “The words to this song alway break my heart because they are based on my own story.”
3. “Glasses”
This song, according to IU, came from a conversation she had with her mother who had received lasik eye surgery to fix vision. Once her 20/20 vision was restored, IU’s mother told IU that she may have liked life better when things were slightly blurry. Inspired by this thought, IU wrote the words to “Glasses” which suggest that sometimes ignorance is bliss and not seeing everything is better than seeing everything.
4. “Heart”
IU wrote this song in hopes of becoming a person who is being described in the song. Parts like “Even when everything else in the world dies, gets reborn, and becomes old again, this heart will remain unwrinkled and alive right here” might convey how IU feels about her relationship to her fans. The emotional lyrics, about unconditional love that wants nothing in return, really complement the soft, almost saddening vibe of the song.
5. “BBIBBI”
IU shared that she initially planned this song to be a gift to the fans in celebration of her 10 year anniversary. IU commented that the lyrics to “BBIBBI” started out to be about how to keep a healthy distance in a relationship – like between an idol and her fans. Eventually, however, the song was edited to be about relationships in general – not specifically about her fans. Still, “BBIBBI” became one of IU’s hottest hit songs with its catchy melody, cute choreography, and sassy lyrics.
