JoyRide — CORTIS: meaning, key lines and pronunciation
What does “JoyRide” by CORTIS mean?
“JoyRide” by CORTIS is about busting out of a cramped, sleepless indoor grind and taking off on a ride just for the thrill of it. They are worn down, pale and red-eyed, until they load up on cola, ditch the map and hit the road.
What the song is about
Along the way they shrug off their old good-kid image and treat a storm as a reason to dance in their own style, going wild without apology.
CORTIS performs at 2026 MAMA
Sat, Nov 21 · Kyocera Dome Osaka. Every performer’s songs, day by day, with English translation and meaning.
2026 MAMA performers’ songs →Key lines
4 lines from the song in Korean, with how they sound and what they mean. The full line-by-line breakdown lives in the app.
갇혀 이 건물 속에 밤새Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): ga·cheo i geon·mul so·ge bam·sae
Meaning: Trapped inside this building all night
Words in this line- 갇혀ga·cheotrapped
- 이ithis
- 건물geon·mulbuilding
- 속에so·geinside
- 밤새bam·saeall night
Word for word: Locked this building inside night-through.
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 갇혀 alone is 'locked in', 속에 is 'inside' and 밤새 is 'night-through'. Korean drops the subject, so the literal version sounds like a fragment, while the natural meaning is a full 'I've been stuck here all night'. 밤새 has no exact English twin and just means 'until morning'.
Bloodshot eyes tonight, 도망가 여길 벗어나Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): Bloodshot eyes tonight, do·mang·ga yeo·gil beo·seo·na
Meaning: Bloodshot eyes tonight, run away, get out of here
Words in this line- 도망가do·mang·garun away
- 여길yeo·gilthis place
- 벗어나beo·seo·naget out
Word for word: Bloodshot eyes tonight, run this-place-from get-off.
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 도망가 is 'run away', 여길 is 'this place' and 벗어나 is 'get free of'. Korean puts the 'from where' (여길) before the verbs, so the literal version sounds like 'run this-place-from'. Together it is one urgent impulse to flee and break out.
Driving so fast, 가로질러 긴 밤Listen from this lineRomanization (as sung): Driving so fast, ga·ro·jil·leo gin bam
Meaning: Driving so fast, cutting across the long night
Words in this line- 가로질러ga·ro·jil·leocutting across
- 긴ginlong
- 밤bamnight
Word for word: Driving so fast, crossing-over long night.
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 가로질러 means 'crossing over' or 'cutting across', 긴 is 'long' and 밤 is 'night'. Literally the night is a road being cut across. The real image is a car tearing through a night that feels endless.
이 자릴 떠 지도는 집어치워 'cause we're on a joyrideListen to the first verse — freeRomanization (as sung): i ja·ril tteo ji·do·neun ji·beo·chi·wo 'cause we're on a joyride
Meaning: Let's leave this place, toss the map, 'cause we're on a joyride
Words in this line- 이ithis
- 자릴ja·rilplace
- 떠tteoleave
- 지도는ji·do·neunthe map
- 집어치워ji·beo·chi·wotoss aside
Word for word: This place leaving, map-as-for pick-up-and-clear-away, because we're on a joyride
Why it doesn't translate word for word: 집어 means 'pick up' and 치워 means 'clear away', but 집어치우다 together means 'drop it, forget it'. So the clumsy 'pick up and clear away the map' means 'forget the map'. The particle 는 only marks the map as the topic, and 떠 ('leaving') links the actions, giving 'let's get out of here'.
Lyrics © their rights holders. “JoyRide” — CORTIS. Quoted for commentary and learning.
Song facts
- Lines
- 36
- Key lines explained
- 4
- Words explained
- 18
- Length
- 2:52
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Words from the song in Korean alphabetical order, with pronunciation and meaning.
| Word | Sounds like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 기분 | gi·bun | mood |
| 꿈꿔왔지 | kkum·kkwo·wat·jji | have dreamed |
| 넘었지 | neo·meot·jji | climbed over |
| 달려 | dal·lyeo | run |
| 담을 | da·meul | the wall |
| 뛰었었지 | ttwi·eo·sseot·jji | used to run |
| 마치 | ma·chi | as if |
| 미쳐 | mi·cheo | going crazy |
| 밟아 | bal·ba | step on |
| 부릉 | bu·reung | vroom |
| 세게 | se·ge | hard |
| 얼른 | eol·leun | quickly |
| 우리는 | u·ri·neun | we |
| 찰나의 | chal·la·e | of an instant |
| 채워 | chae·wo | fill |
| 콜라 | kol·la | cola |
| 트렁크에다 | teu·reong·keu·e·da | into the trunk |
| 해방 | hae·bang | liberation |
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Questions about “JoyRide”
What is “JoyRide” by CORTIS about?
“JoyRide” by CORTIS is about busting out of a cramped, sleepless indoor grind and taking off on a ride just for the thrill of it. They are worn down, pale and red-eyed, until they load up on cola, ditch the map and hit the road. Along the way they shrug off their old good-kid image and treat a storm as a reason to dance in their own style, going wild without apology.
What does “갇혀 이 건물 속에 밤새” mean in “JoyRide”?
In “JoyRide” by CORTIS, “갇혀 이 건물 속에 밤새” means: Trapped inside this building all night. 갇혀 alone is 'locked in', 속에 is 'inside' and 밤새 is 'night-through'. Korean drops the subject, so the literal version sounds like a fragment, while the natural meaning is a full 'I've been stuck here all night'. 밤새 has no exact English twin and just means 'until morning'.
What does “Bloodshot eyes tonight, 도망가 여길 벗어나” mean in “JoyRide”?
In “JoyRide” by CORTIS, “Bloodshot eyes tonight, 도망가 여길 벗어나” means: Bloodshot eyes tonight, run away, get out of here. 도망가 is 'run away', 여길 is 'this place' and 벗어나 is 'get free of'. Korean puts the 'from where' (여길) before the verbs, so the literal version sounds like 'run this-place-from'. Together it is one urgent impulse to flee and break out.
How do you pronounce “Driving so fast, 가로질러 긴 밤”?
“Driving so fast, 가로질러 긴 밤” from “JoyRide” by CORTIS is romanized as “Driving so fast garojilleo gin bam”. In the recording it sounds like “Driving so fast, ga·ro·jil·leo gin bam”: that is how it is actually sung, sound changes included, not the textbook spelling.
Where can I see every line of “JoyRide” explained?
This page explains 4 key lines. In the theIDOL app Youngjae goes through all 36 lines word by word, in sync with the song; the first verse is free and needs no sign-up.
Official music video
The video loads from YouTube only when you press play. YouTube ↗
How we make these breakdowns
theIDOL builds every breakdown with AI assistance and automated checks, and publishes a page only after it passes them. An AI model writes the meaning of each line and the word-by-word glosses from the song's timed lyrics. The pronunciation comes from our own rule-based Korean transcriber, which spells how the words sound when sung, sound changes included, not a letter-by-letter romanization. Pages that fail the audio-sync or translation checks are not published, and we quote only a few key lines. If you spot a mistake, write to support@theidol.ai and we will fix it.
Credits and sources
- Artist
- CORTIS
- Official video
- HYBE LABELS · YouTube
Lyrics and music belong to their rights holders. This page quotes no more than four lines for commentary; the translations, pronunciation and explanations are written by theIDOL.