Welcome back everyone to the Best of Me!
I am absolutely in love with this posts’ photo of the boys. 🥰 What about you?
Anyway, I hope you guys are having a wonderful day! Without further ado, let’s get analysing!
Assumed Knowledge & Assumptions
I have written this post assuming you know:
- my theory, that all of the songs in LY albums are connected and reveal storylines when read in a specific order; and
- Joon, Yoongi and Hobi’s stories discussed in my blog so far.
New Readers
Hello there and welcome to my blog! I’m sorry to say that if you haven’t read any of the above posts… I may lose you in the detail as my lyrical analyses are built on existing knowledge!
This is simply because all of the songs are interconnected and need to be read in a specific order for it to make sense, just like a book.
If you’re wondering where to start, please start here.
Please also note the assumptions I apply when I analyse songs.
Enjoy! 😊
1. About the Best of Me
As always, let’s first discuss the authors behind the Best of Me and what Namjoon has to say about this song in his Vlive.
Namjoon said the following in his Vlive from 14.36 onward:
“We got samples from the Chainsmokers, then Pdogg did the producing, then I got it so I can work on the melody and the lyrics… It was really fun writing the lyrics. I wrote the lyrics of “Best of Me” except the rap line…
…I finished the lyrics in one sitting. I wrote it down at once thinking about the post “Warm wave” I left on our fan cafe.”
I did a bit of digging to find this “Warm wave” fan cafe post and found the following translated version posted on 8 July 2017:
On face value, this fan cafe post appears to have been written to ARMY.
This is further supported by the following interview:
However… I do find it strange why BTS didn’t simply make it clear that it is a fan song like they did for Magic Shop. Why say that the lyrics are “basically” for ARMY instead of just saying they are for ARMY? Why not say it in your Vlive and promotions that it is fan song? Why wouldn’t you if it was truly written for ARMY only? Surely it would be very beneficial to say a song is a fan song if it was one?
Hence, although I believe this song was written with ARMY in mind, given Namjoon’s (and BTS’) love for multiple meanings, I believe it is still very applicable to all three Hers.
Hence, I’m going to refer to the person(s) the speaker(s) are speaking to as “Her” and “She”, and the speaker as “the speaker” using the pronouns “they/them” for the non-rap line parts.
Please free to interpret who you want “Her” to be so that the lyrics are more meaningful to you!
1. Reconciliation
When you say that you love me
I walk on the sky
Tell me about forever, just one more time
When you say that you love me
All I need is that one sentence
that you will never change, just one more time
You feel like the entire universe to me
Hold me so tight and strong that it hurts
That something that we shared together
And you can’t make it nothing
I hope you won’t forget
that you’re my…
Day by day
Summer and winter
Though you might not know
You got the best of me
You got the best of me
So please just don’t leave me
You got the best of me
In the above lyrics, the speaker reveals to Her how much they love Her. The speaker feels like they are in the clouds every time She tells them that She loves them, and they wish dearly that this love is forever.
We have previously touched on Namjoon’s wordplay of “universe” in I Need U Part 2 (that he thinks of “universe” as You-niverse, a universe made of “You”), and we can see that Namjoon has used the same concept again in the above lyrics. The speaker in the above lyrics expresses that they feel like their world and universe is made of Her, “you feel like the entire (yo)universe to me.”
The speaker pleads to Her to remember the moments they have shared and how special their connections is, “that something that we shared together… you can’t make it nothing,” and begs Her “please… don’t leave me.”
In the Best of Me, the speaker is trying to reconcile with Her.
They are trying to convince Her that because they are now aware of what they need to work on themselves, they will be able to do better and be their best genuine selves for Her.
2. Namjoon’s Sea
I refer to the following lyrics:
Though even I haven’t seen the end of me,
If it exists, wouldn’t it be you
I wanted to be gentle waves,
But why didn’t I know that you are the sea
What would I do when I’m already speaking in your language
and breathing your breath
I’ll be you, you who’s holding me
I kiss your sword
Namjoon says to Her: “though even I haven’t seen the end of me, if it exists, wouldn’t it be you(?)”
This is a call back to Outro: Her where Namjoon says to Her “you’re my beginning and my end.” We can see that despite everything that had happened throughout the Love Yourself albums, She remains as someone very influential in Namjoon’s life who will always be his downfall and the end of him.
This is also consistent with what we saw in Outro: Tear where we observed that Namjoon’s lover remained very present in Namjoon’s life even after they broke up.
Namjoon uses the metaphor of the sea to describe Her as a powerful entity that has influence over the lives of living creatures that live underneath its waves. A cold fierce wave from the sea can cause anger, destruction and chaos, while a warm gentle wave can feel comforting, kind and safe.
Namjoon originally thought that between him and Her, he was the sea. He thought that he was the one with the power and ability to influence Her, and the one that had the power to be kind and make Her happy, “I wanted to be gentle waves.”
However, Namjoon realises in the above lyrics that it was in fact, the other way round. It was Her who was the sea. It was Her whose “existence… is much bigger than me and who is creating me.”
Her influence on Namjoon is so profound that Namjoon started “speaking in your language” and breathing Her air over the years. Because of this deep connection, Namjoon believes that he and She are communicating, living and breathing as one, “I’ll be you.”
The lyrics then state, “you who is holding me.”
This imagery tells us very plainly that She is holding (hugging) Namjoon.
This implies that She did not leave Namjoon and agreed to reconcile with him.
2a. Her sword
I found the lyrics “I kiss your sword” to be extremely random. A sword isn’t exactly the most obvious object to think about when you’re writing about sea and waves, nor is it poetic in the context of the above lyrics.
It is also not an obvious object in the context of all of the themes and symbolism we have already seen: Angel, devil, monster, ice, tear, fear, heaven, desert, magic shop, galaxy, etc. It is not symbolic to ARMY either, ARMY’s symbol is a shield.
The action of kissing someone’s sword traditionally represents the act of swearing one’s allegiance and loyalty to the person with the sword. In this same context, the person with the sword is traditionally associated with royalty such as kings, queens, princes and princesses.
There is one major theme/reference that we have yet to discuss, that I promised all the way back in Serendipity we will explore fully one day.
That, is The Little Prince.
And as I will soon do… I will illustrate why I believe Namjoon was particularly inspired by The Little Prince when he was writing lyrics about his relationship with his lover.
3. Yoongi’s plea
I refer to the following lyrics:
So take my hand right now
Even I don’t believe that I’m like this
I’ve said this to myself thousands of times
“Don’t leave me”
You got the best of me
You got the best of me
It’s not really important whether it’s a dream or reality
As long as you are by my side
Thanks
Yoongi asks Her to “take my hand right now” and tells Her that “even I don’t believe that I’m like this.” The “this” Yoongi is referring to is his “worst” self: The one that was fake, violent (in the mind), resentful, angry and in pain.
Yoongi knows that he is much better than that (“I’ve said this to myself thousands of times”), and promises Her that since learning the importance of loving himself, he will be able to do better and that She will have the best of him (“you got the best of me” ).
The lyrics “Don’t leave me” per doolset lyrics have the nuance of “Don’t leave me even if everyone else leaves me,” or “Don’t leave me although everyone else has left me.” This, and the lyrics “it’s not really important… as long as you are by my side,” reinforces Yoongi’s deep love for Her and his hope and wish that She will continue to love him.
Yoongi then ends his verse thanking Her, “thanks.”
Similarly with Namjoon, this implies that She agreed not to leave Yoongi’s side.
4. Hobi’s wish
I refer to the following lyrics:
Just have confidence in me
because that’s all I have wished for
Though there are no rules for us,
There’s a way to love
Who got the best of me?
Who got the best of me?
No ones knows but I know me
You’re the best master of mine
We saw in I’m Fine that Hobi grew to have confidence that he will be able to overcome all of his pains without Her. Now, in Best of Me, we see Hobi telling Her that he wishes Her to do the same and to “have confidence in me.”
Hobi tells Her that “there’s a way to love” “though there are no rules for us.” At first glance, I found these lyrics incredibly ironic given the strict rules Korean Idols have to abide by with respect to romantic relationships.
However, in the context of Idol-Fan love (as distinct from romantic love), the love between fans and idols really knows no boundaries.
Because Hobi isn’t speaking to a singular Her and the fandom is made up of a mix of OT7 and solo stans who may or may not care about Hobi, he asks the crowd “who got the best of me? Who got the best of me? No one knows...”
So even if he will never know how many ARMYs will/have benefited from his best self, Hobi understands that it doesn’t matter as long as he knows he is being his best self for Her, “I know me.”
Hobi then finishes his verse with “you’re the best master of mine.“
In other words, similarly with Namjoon, Hobi acknowledges that Her existence is much bigger than him and that She will continue to be a big influence in his life till the very end.
5. Promise me
I refer to the following lyrics:
I was raining on the inside
I was snowing on the inside
Stop all the unhappiness
and bring me the heaven
Don’t say it too easily
There’s no me without you
You’re my best of me
The best of me
You’re my saviour, you’re my window
You’re everything I need
You got the best of me
I need you
So please just don’t leave me
You got the best of me
When you say that you love me
I walk on the sky
Tell me about forever, just one more time
When you say that you love me
All I need is that one sentence
that you will never change, just one more time
As we saw from my previous blogs, Namjoon, Yoongi and Hobi were all pretending to be happy and fine when they were not. In the above lyrics, the speaker reveals to Her (unsurprisingly to us) that “I was raining on the side… snowing on the inside.”
The above lyrics once again reiterate the speaker’s excessive love for Her, and the power and influence She has over their lives. She has the power to stop all the unhappiness and make them feel like they are in heaven. She is the reason for their existence. She is their saviour, their window, their escape and everything they need; and She should never carelessly make a promise because a broken promise can cause them unimaginable pain.
Hence, after promising Her that they will do better and convincing Her to stay because She has “got the best of me,” the speaker asks Her to promise them back that She will never leave them again:
Tell me that this is forever. Tell me that you will never change. Let me hear you promise this one more time.
And if you say it, don’t say it too easily.
Please mean it.
Author’s Thoughts
Gosh, emotions from true love are definitely intense huh? Happily though, it seems like all of our speakers have thankfully reconciled with their respective Hers! 😉 It is actually a happy ending!!
This now closes out the last part of the Smeraldo flower concept, which we discussed here is about exploring the concept of giving and receiving a second chance at love.
Anyway, if you haven’t watched the boy’s performance of Best of Me before, please do yourself a favour and watch it down below!
I am an OT7, my love for the boys is truly platonic and I honestly don’t thirst for them. But my goodness is this video an exception. I become the biggest Suga wife when I watch this particular video. Just look at Yoongi’s swag when he drawls “You got the best of me” at 1.29. Oh. My. Sweet. Geezes. I’m pretty sure I just ovulated. Twice.
Till next time!
💜 G
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Lyric sources:
Doolset lyrics and Genius lyrics
Please note I made some minor updates where I thought things could be expressed better. These minor updates do not result in any substantial change in meaning.
Disclaimer:
As per my first author’s note, please, no hate!
I do not have a shipping or individual bias, I love all seven members equally and I do not write my blogs because of a particular personal desire for one of them. I reached my conclusion on Joon and Jin being together based on the lyrics, logic and patterns as I have discussed in all my posts (i.e. I did not ship Namjin first, and then started trying to find things to prove my point). I genuinely enjoy all ships because I enjoy watching the different chemistries between the boys.
It does not matter one bit to me if they are straight, gay, intersex, a skrull, a mutant or if they could lay eggs. I love them wholeheartedly (as a sister who would love her younger brothers) for their individual selves.
This theory of Best of Me is based on my interpretations of its lyrics. Please enjoy.