Waterland Theory: This is for all of y'all who are trying to understand what this song means and for those of you who are interested in what's the background of it The timing of the song release isn't accidental, it's intentional because its near the Indonesian's independence day on the 17th of August. Now for the title of the song, It's called "Waterland", its implications are clear that it is supposed to mean Indonesia, which is where Yon grew up in. Now both factors also correlates with Yon's Sona; Betta, who has a high schooler outfit in Indonesia, and with the name tag "Cupang" which is betta fish in Indonesian. For the song itself, we'll start off with the lyrics. "A site before the dawn, a home where I belong, an ocean of our heritage, Where islands form a song". "A home where I belong", which means Indonesia. "An ocean of our heritage" which means, their bloodline and family comes from there and also “heritage” which can also mean a huge cultural diversity in Indonesia. "Where islands form a song" which talks about the multiple diversity of our culture and especially with music. "Oh, let me comprehend, The beauty you transcend, Were they merely grains of sand, o Waterland?" Yon wants to enjoy Indonesia and just admire its beauty whether its by culture, scenery or vibe. But, " 'Cause I was torn undone, By your obsolete beliefs, Pretend as if we blend as one ,But love us differently" The first lines talks about Yon being torn apart because of Indonesia's obsolete beliefs Now as in beliefs, what y'all may not know on over here is that religion is a must, and we don't got a choice So which means that, breaking rules of said religion is quite taboo here and generally disliked Which also means that being an atheist, agnostic or anything else like being queer here is quite taboo too. "Pretend as if we blend as one, But love us differently", They want to pretend as if they can coexist and just live out with each other in peace. "My memories of the old, Are of teardrops poised to fall, To rescue my own soul, I decide to leave it all" Now, "my memories of the old" which implies Yon's battle against said obsolete beliefs Now, obsolete beliefs. most people consider you taboo if you broke a rule in religion right? Which may have led them to have arguments or debates with their family or friends back in Indonesia which also correlates to "Are of teardrops poised to fall". "To rescue my own soul I decide to leave it all" which implies to their journey to get out of "Waterland" or aka Indonesia. "I'll search the distant lands, A realm who'll understand, Yet I wish that I could love you, Waterland" Which explains Yon wants to find a land/country where they'll be accepted yet they wish that they could love still love Indonesia. "I'm unsure of my return, o Waterland", "It's time to say goodbye, my Waterland" Which is clear enough. The instruments and melodies are those of Javanese culture which originates in you guessed it, Indonesia commonly used in traditional songs and music which explains the nostalgic feeling because yes, it's Yon's homeland. now, we got all of it done. I'd just like to say, Yon I'm grateful that you've succeed on going up against this problem. I'd also like to add that, this is a great song that some of us can use here, especially those who are experiencing this problem. For my final statements this is a wonderful masterpiece of a song just like Dandelion, so as for ratings go I would like to rate this a 10/10. And to all of you Indonesians out there who are struggling or just Indonesian, I hope that you have a happy independence day and I hope you all succeed later down in your life! Thank you for reading all of this message, have a great day
Indonesian school most common rule is the boys hair must be short, or the teacher will cut it for you I also notice that they wear the girl uniform tie, but also wears boy uniform pants
"'Cause i was torn undone by your obsolete beliefs pretend as if we blend as one but love us differently" Literally encapsulates what it feels like to be "different" in Indonesia. 10/10 songwiritng, goes hard.
In the spirit of Yon's country's day of independence that is set to be commemorated on the 17th of August, this one is dedicated to their motherland, hence the title Waterland, a literal word-by-word translation of "tanah air." The song is, what I assumed to be, inspired by a Keroncong genre arrangement with its slow rhythmic melody accompanied by an iconic flute and percussions like gendang and a tinge of gamelan throughout as an homage to one of their particular culture that Yon grew up in. The beautiful melancholy nature of the melody invokes certain imagery of the archipelago, as what Keroncong music and its respected video love to portray, and then juxtaposed with the sorrowful lyric which perfectly captures the grieving sorrow of Yon departing the country that they loved, but one that sadly barely reciprocate the same feeling merely for the differing views that they're opposed by. Understandably, with the certain degree of familiarity needed with the culture behind the arrangement, this release perhaps doesn't speak to the general audience very well and its reception would probably be subpar because of it. But, for those in the loop, it serves as a poignant reminder of what the country could have done better amidst the beauty in nature and cultural pluralism it offers in its proclaimed "Unity in Differences" motto
>be me >An Indonesian >played this song on my class (ironically beta is a SMA student lol) >realize my Spotify linked to my Laptop >dad used the laptop >i quickly stop the song >changed to soundcloud >Back at home my dad actually liked the song and asked me wondering if he can used it inside his Live >i gave him, And he happy, Gave me coffee >Pogger dad fr.
i am an indonesian and these lyrics really hit me hard i feel like theres just a lot of times we had to play pretend to mix in with the society here, and its becoming something forceful than something you want to actually follow. Like i love my country, but at the same time i don't feel home either at some point. Thank you for the song yon!! ☆
Japanese translation/ 日本語訳 A site before the dawn 夜明け前の現場と A home where I belong 自分の居場所。 An ocean of our heritage 遺産の海や Where islands form a song 島々が歌を奏でる場所 O, let me comprehend 僕に理解させてよ The beauty you transcend あなたが超越する美 Were they merely grains of sand, o waterland あれはただの砂粒だったの？ねえ、水の楽園 ‘Cause I was torn undone 僕は引き裂かれたから By your obsolete beliefs あなたの時代遅れの信念によって Pretend as if we blend as one あたかも僕たちがひとつに溶け合ったかのように装う But love us differently でも愛し方は違うよね My memories of the old 昔の思い出から Are of teardrops poised to fall 涙の雫が落ちようとしている To rescue my own soul 自分を守るために I decide to leave it all すべてを捨ててしまったのだから I'll search the distant lands 遠い国を探そう A realm who'll understand 理解してくれる人を探すために Yet I wish that I could love you, waterland それでも君を愛せたらと思うよ、ウォーターランド ‘Cause I was torn undone 僕は引き裂かれたから By your obsolete beliefs あなたの時代遅れの信念によって Pretend as if we blend as one あたかも僕たちがひとつに溶け合ったかのように装う But love us differently でも愛し方は違うよね My memories of the old 昔の思い出から Are of teardrops poised to fall 涙の雫が落ちようとしている To rescue my own soul 自分を守るために I decide to leave it all すべてを捨ててしまったのだから I'll search the distant lands 遠い国を探そう A realm who'll understand 理解してくれる人を探すために Yet I wish that I could love you, waterland それでも君を愛せたらと思うよ、ウォーターランド I'm unsure of my return, o waterland 戻る自信がないね、ウォーターランド It’s time to say goodbye, my waterland さよならを言う時が来た、僕のウォーターランドよ
I have no full idea what the YonKaLore behind this song being released is, but this is somehow one of my favorite songs they have sung. Truly thank you YonKaGor for making this tune and putting it out there, definitely made my weekend!
Waterland = "tanah air" Its part of Indonesian song we sing during the ceremony and we will never forget our heroes Thank you for respecting my country and also the song upload very close to August 17th, which is Indonesia's holiday. 🇮🇩🫡 Hope you have very good day
I could feel myself getting emotional before the lyrics even kicked in on this one. As of tomorrow, it'll have been three weeks since my girlfriend of 2 years decided it was best for us to break up. If the song I can most closely relate to is Dandelion, then this the song I imagine most closely represents her side of the story. We met when we were 11, mutual friends joked and teased us as they do at that age all the way through school. It was only about 2 months before the final exams that I started catching a real crush for her, and the fact we sat next to eachother in Spanish class only made me crush more and more. About a month before the final exams I asked her to go to prom with me and she said yes, and then from there on we were a really strong couple all the way through college too. But as we transitioned into becoming adults with real responsibilities to consider and possibly the biggest choices we've ever had to make, it became apparent that we were becoming different people. I'd been scared that she'd break up with me sometime after the exams but I was also too scared to truly accept that could happen. After all, we'd been together for 2 years and we're really compatible when together. But because I was so scared of the future I was taking less and less care of myself and without even realising I was doing it, I was pushing her and everyone else I know away because of it. She said a few days before her birthday that she was unsure about our future, and like an idiot I just ignored it and tried to comfort her saying that I'd make sure she wouldn't ever have to worry about it again. But of course, I did nothing to change. I ignored all the problems, procrastinating as always, thinking to myself things would just "work out." Not even two weeks after her birthday, I woke up to see a message she sent saying we needed to talk about something she had been thinking about for a while, so we video called as soon as I got up. And that's when she said that she needed to end it to save us the pain of it later. I wish I had fought harder to keep our relationship alive, but at the same time I also see exactly what she was saying and I'm glad that it ended on healthy terms. Maybe if I had tried harder to get through to her, to say that we won't know if we can do a long distance relationship until we try (as she's going to university this September), or to say that she didn't give me a proper warning that she was considering leaving, maybe we'd be together right now and possibly it would actually work out. But the truth is that there were hints along the whole way, and I just swept them under the rug. I want to see her again still, and I've still been crying about the situation and how stupid I was. But I know that this is realistically the best outcome for us both. I'm ever grateful for the two years we got, I've heard that most first relationships don't last that long. I still just want to be there to support her through other difficulties she might face because it genuinely hurts thinking that she might be crying about something and that I won't be there to support her. But really, even though I know it's a negative thought to have, I think what hurts more is the idea that someone else will probably replace me for that, and more. I know I have alot I need to change about myself, so I'm going to leave this already lengthy comment here. And if for some reason you're reading this, then thank you Yon for making such powerful songs. Without you, I don't think I'd have explored as many emotions and truths as I've needed to.
This song sounds so pretty, especially the instrumentals, very heavy sunfish/dandelion vibes. Also the whole indonesia theming is so cool, the song was released on 🇮🇩 Independence day, betta is wearing an indonesian school uniform, the "waterland" itself seems to be a substitute for indonesia The song is about the feelings of leaving your homeland and moving on, and i love how well its done. Another great yonkasong, yon cooked with this one 👑.
There is a beautiful melody throughout this song. There is symbolism in every nook and cranny, down to when it was released. Given the implications to the symbolisms, it's bittersweet, but that only makes it even more powerful. So much emotion and care was poured into this, and it shows in full. Amazing work, Yon. You are always amazing.
@@gavinxxonline6397 that every music video yonkagor has made after the song release of "oh Mr sunfish" fish has been showing up in this music videos, it's a running theme, gotta be either yonkagor likes fish or if is meaning somthing else
If anyone wants to know the meaning of the song, this is my interpretation: It's like an appreciation song for the country of Indonesia, and the outro lyrics symbolizes Yon's departure from Indonesia to their arrival in Canada (iirc, they went to Ottawa, Canada). Lovely song btw. I also love that the term "Waterland" could mean any country with a lot of islands (like the 🇵🇭), so this song also fits for the perspective of a Filipino
@@user-fb3nu1ds9n Nope it's definitely SMA, SMP's had a darker blue color pants while SMA is more into blended grey-blue *Note SMP: Middle school SMA: High school
I've been waiting since Yonkagor add this New Oc on Twitter. I just listened to this on Spotify and tbh it's so good!! And I will also gonna start singing this song over and over again.
@@Ambatu.kambek why are you so mad To me, this song is like a love letter. Indonesia is a beautiful country, but for one reason or another, its government is hateful to Yon. Which is exactly how i feel about USAmerica. I want to love this place, but how can i, considering how much it hurts me? Thats what this comment is about.
I love all the details you put on this video! I was born in indonesia so i can relate to you and I get really inspired from you! You always make really good songs! Indonesia merdeka!
clocked the meaning INSTANTLY, cheers from Malaysia. I relate way too hard as a queer neurodivergent person here. The constant shovelling beliefs down your throat, even as a non-Muslim was super taxing on me. I plan to leave because nobody sees how awful it feels to be stuck in this hellhole because my situation is "normal". I hope i can leave this place someday... but I struggle to find a place that can be better than here. So I'll stomach this awful social culture and condoning of my family's treatment of me because I've nowhere else to go
As someone that is brazilian, this really reminds me of the modernist movement(especially the 1st generation), the criticizing of a land that you care about deeply- but has many glaring issues that can't be ignored, is something I believe a lot of people across the world can relate to, even if the lands in question are very different from each other.
This song is so good and thanks to the dude who wrote down the meaning the lyrics are crazy, not only do they make good sounds but it has such a deep meaning I'm mostly just reiterating what others already said but the song and meaning left me pretty speechless so... 🐟🐠🐟🐠🐟🐠🐟
I just heard about the current news of the Indonesia... Let this be a safe place of heaven, And may we hope that everything returns to normal. Indonesia is one of the best countries I hope to go to someday. Stay safe out there guys. - Love from a guy that is living in Philippines.
Comment for algorithm but also even though I am from America I heavily relate to this song as someone who was bullied my entire school life not just from peers but my own family. I moved to Europe a few years ago. ❤
I first liked this song because of its melody and the beautiful voice of the singer. What a pretty song, truly. After learning about the context behind this song, it just got more amazing to me. The backstory is crazy, I learned a lot about Indonesia through this being a Bangladeshi 🇧🇩. We can somewhat relate to this but anyways, Love from Bangladesh 🇧🇩🇧🇩!
