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Introduction
On Kim Hyun-sik Vol. 6 (1991), “Making Memories” compresses a whole arc—promise → parting → acceptance—into a compact ballad. Rather than dramatize the breakup, it documents the cooling of feeling with steady images and uncluttered phrasing. The result is a song you don’t “solve”; you replay it until its temperature curve feels familiar. (The album itself was released posthumously in 1991, months after Kim’s death on November 1, 1990.)
Song at a glance
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Title | “Making Memories (추억 만들기)” |
| Artist | Kim Hyun-sik |
| Album | Kim Hyun-sik Vol. 6 — released Jan 26, 1991 (KR) |
| Credits | Words & Music: Kim Hyun-sik |
| Runtime | ~3:08–3:14 depending on edition |
| Notable context | Vol. 6 is the posthumous studio album that also includes “My Love by My Side (내 사랑 내 곁에).” |
Verified from album pages and databases; minor runtime variance appears across services.
What the lyrics do (scene → story → emphasis)
Scene design (images). The song sketches a “pinky-swear” promise (childlike yet binding), a close-up of a departing back, and a time-jump to “white hair”—moving from immediate hurt to long memory without spelling out causes.
Three-act curve. (1) The vow both believed in → (2) the calm witnessing of separation → (3) the choice to archive it as memory.
Emphasis devices. Anaphora in the hook (“…is cooling”) engraves the motion from heat to chill; concrete nouns (pinky finger, back, tears) put the feeling in the body; the perspective stays on the present moment, which makes the acceptance convincing.
(Paraphrased to respect lyric quotation limits.)
Voice work — words, breath, grain
Kim’s consonant “attack” lets line endings land like conclusions. Verses are spoken-song and short-breathed; the hook lengthens the breath so resignation spreads across the bar. His husky grain adds a sorrowful friction; repeat lines don’t sound copied—they sound older. Vibrato is narrow, more like a breath tremor than a sob. That restraint is why the last hook feels accepted rather than pleaded.
Arrangement & mix — letting the words lead
The palette is 90s core: piano, electric/acoustic guitars, bass, drums, with a thin, supportive string layer. Dynamics open slightly before the hook; the rhythm section enters modestly so the lyric keeps the front seat. Harmony leans on simple diatonic motion with brief minor coloring—enough shade to keep warmth from turning saccharine. (Streaming editions confirm the concise track length and sequencing on Vol. 6.)
Line-by-line listening notes
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Intro (bars 2–4): there’s a long inhale before words—hesitation recorded in room tone.
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“Back-turned” image: consonants and slight grit make it feel like a freeze-frame.
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First “…is cooling”: not punched; it settles downward, like a temperature readout.
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Last hook: same words, longer breath—what began as verification turns into consent.
Why “making” memories?
No blame ledger, no over-explaining. The hot center is gone, but that does not erase what happened. The ethical move is preservation: to shelve the story under “memory” rather than “mistake.” Leaving blanks about the cause invites the listener’s story to enter the frame—one reason the song travels well between listeners and decades.
Placement on Vol. 6
Within Vol. 6, “Making Memories” sits beside “My Love by My Side,” the latter a signature ballad recorded shortly before Kim’s passing. Together they define the album’s tender, clear-eyed tone: neither adorned nor numb, just fully present. (Album date/track list verified; Vol. 6 was issued after his death.)
Summary (for quick reference)
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Song: “Making Memories (추억 만들기)” — words & music by Kim Hyun-sik.
Album: Kim Hyun-sik Vol. 6, released Jan 26, 1991 (posthumous).
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Length: ~3:08 (DB) to 3:14 (streaming) depending on edition.
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Why it resonates: cool-headed storytelling, body-level imagery, and a hook that records temperature change rather than drama.
FAQ
Q1. Who wrote it?
Kim Hyun-sik is credited for both lyrics and composition on official track listings.
Q2. What’s the official runtime?
Listings vary slightly by release: databases show ~3:08; some services log ~3:14—standard metadata drift between masters.
Q3. Was Vol. 6 released after his death?
Yes. Kim passed away on Nov 1, 1990, and Vol. 6 was released in 1991.
Closing
“Making Memories” neither glorifies love nor demolishes it. It simply records cooling with accuracy—and leaves the dignity of what happened intact. Which 5–10 words held you here? Did the first and last “cooling” feel different to you? Drop a line below and tell me how you’d sequence it in your own playlist.