Kusura Bakma
By Sezen Aksu
Meaning
"Kusura Bakma" is a bitter, disillusioned breakup song about someone who has stopped believing in love, promises, and even friendship after disappointment. The repeated phrase "kusura bakma" means "sorry" or "excuse me," but here it feels cold and final: the speaker is rejecting the relationship because "iş işten geçti" — "it’s too late now." The emotional tone is defensive and wounded, yet also hardened and pragmatic, as the singer says their eyes have "opened" and they now see that the world runs on money, property, and self-interest. Because of the song’s dramatic repetition and blunt language, it feels both like a personal heartbreak confession and a broader comment on modern cynicism.
About Kaan Koç
Kaan Koç is a Turkish singer and songwriter from Istanbul, and he is associated with contemporary Turkish pop/alternative music. He is known for writing his own lyrics and for songs that reached a wide audience on digital platforms, which helped raise his profile in recent years.
"Kusura Bakma" is originally a Sezen Aksu song; one reference lists it as released in 1976, while later releases and listings show it continuing to circulate in new versions and performances. The title means "Sorry" or "Please forgive me," and the song is strongly associated with Turkish pop history because Sezen Aksu is one of Turkey’s most important singers and songwriters. The version mentioning "Türkan Şoray & Kadir İnanır - Devlerin Aşkı" points to a romantic, nostalgic connection with classic Turkish cinema, so the song also carries a cultural memory of old films and star-crossed love.
Line highlights
"kusura bakma iş işten geçti"
Literally, "sorry, it’s too late now." This is a common Turkish expression used when something can no longer be fixed, and here it marks the point of no return in the relationship.
"benim de gözüm artık açıldı"
This means "my eyes have finally opened too." In Turkish, it suggests becoming wiser or less naive after disappointment, which gives the line a strong emotional turning point.
"dünya para üstüne döner"
Literally, "the world turns on money." It’s a cynical, memorable line saying that material things, not love, are what really drive life.
"her şey mal mülk"
"Everything is property and wealth." The repetition makes the speaker sound bitter and emphatic, and it highlights the song’s message that materialism has replaced sincerity.
"dostlukmuş sevgimi"
This fragment is slightly distorted in the lyric, but it points to the idea that even "friendship" or "love" is treated suspiciously. For learners, it shows how Turkish song lyrics can compress or blur grammar for rhythm and emotion.
Lyrics preview (Turkish with English translation)
- Daha açılmamış kimseler yok, ah ne güzel. No one has opened up yet, oh how beautiful.
- Rahat eğlenmenin boşalttırdım. I made relaxing and having fun spill over.
- Eğlenmenin her şey emrinde. Everything is at the service of having fun.
- Yavrum. My baby.
- Bak deme bana, bakaram gözüne, gül deme. Don’t tell me to look, I can’t look into your eyes, don’t tell me to smile.
- Bana gülmem yüzüne, bak deme bana, bakamam. I won’t smile at your face, don’t tell me to look, I can’t.
- Gözüne gül deme, bana gülmem yüzüne. Don’t tell me to smile into your eyes; I won’t smile at your face.
- Kusura bakma, iş işten geçti, olamayız. Sorry, it’s too late now, we can’t be together.
Play the song above for the full karaoke-synced lyrics with line-by-line translation.