Guruh Soekarno Putra(the fifth child of first Indonesian president, Sukarno… Read Full Bio ↴Guruh Soekarno Putra(the fifth child of first Indonesian president, Sukarno) has inherited Sukarno's artistic bent and is a gifted choreographer and songwriter, who made a movie Untukmu, Indonesiaku (For You, My Indonesia) and contemporary music mainly about Indonesian culture. Guruh was born in Jakarta, 13 January 1953 and since his childhood her mother (Fatmawati) reckoned that he had strong passion for art and strong sense of accomplishment. Unlike his sister, Megawati, whom later became Indonesia’s President, he pursued his dreams in art including music and choreography. He later established his own dance and music group called “Swaramaharddika” which was very famous in the 70s and 80s.

Hai Pemuda
Guruh Soekarno Putra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Langit Mendung Mengurung Salemba
Kututup Koranku Seraya Bergegas
Menetapkan Hati Dan Berkata

Hai Pemuda (harapan)
Jangan Kau Biarkan Sejarah Ternoda
Lukislah Dengan Tinta Emas

Hujan Resah Mengepung Salemba
Kubuka Jaket Kuningku Dalam Kelas
Tiba-tiba Kawanku Berkata

Hai Pemuda (harapan)
Jangan Kau Biarkan Sejarah Ternoda
Tulislah Dengan Tinta Emas

Kiranya kita Telah Bersatu
Menegakkan Kebenaran Dan Keadilan
Kita Telah Bahu Membahu
Menumpas Kelaliman

Banjir Protes Melanda Salemba
Kubenam Ironi Dihati Mengeras
Yang Berbisik-bisik Senantiasa

Hai Pemuda (harapan)

Jangan Kau Biarkan Sejarah Ternoda
Hiaslah Dengan Tinta Emas

Overall Meaning

The song 'Hai Pemuda' by Guruh Soekarno Putra is a call to the youth of Indonesia to hold onto their hopes and dreams and strive for a better tomorrow. The opening lines of the song seem to speak of a sense of foreboding, as the sky is cloudy and the rain is restless. The singer talks about closing his newspaper and hurrying to set his heart and mind towards something.

The chorus of the song is a direct call to the youth. They are called upon to not let their history be stained, but to paint it with golden ink. In this line, history refers to the past and the struggles of the previous generations. The youth are being urged to take those lessons and make something better out of themselves and the world around them.

The song talks about a time when they all came together as one and lifted up the values of justice and truth. The youth are reminded that they have the power to make a difference and it is only by working together that they can overcome injustice and oppression. The closing lines of the song speak of the writer's heart hardening as they look out at the floods of protest around Salemba, but the message of hope still remains. The youth are still urged to do what they can, to not let their history be stained, and to use golden ink to write a new chapter for Indonesia.

Line by Line Meaning

Langit Mendung Mengurung Salemba
The cloudy sky is covering Salemba, creating an oppressive atmosphere.

Kututup Koranku Seraya Bergegas Menetapkan Hati Dan Berkata
I closed my newspaper and hurriedly decided to take action and spoke my mind.

Hai Pemuda (harapan) Jangan Kau Biarkan Sejarah Ternoda Lukislah Dengan Tinta Emas
Oh youths (hope), do not let history be stained, paint it with gold ink.

Hujan Resah Mengepung Salemba Kubuka Jaket Kuningku Dalam Kelas Tiba-tiba Kawanku Berkata
Restless rain surrounds Salemba, I opened my yellow jacket in class when suddenly, my friend spoke.

Kiranya kita Telah Bersatu Menegakkan Kebenaran Dan Keadilan Kita Telah Bahu Membahu Menumpas Kelaliman
We have united to uphold truth and justice, we have worked together to crush tyranny.

Banjir Protes Melanda Salemba Kubenam Ironi Dihati Mengeras Yang Berbisik-bisik Senantiasa
Flood of protests is hitting Salemba, I buried irony in my heart and it hardened, those who whispered.

Hai Pemuda (harapan) Jangan Kau Biarkan Sejarah Ternoda Hiaslah Dengan Tinta Emas
Oh youths (hope), do not let history be stained, adorn it with gold ink.

Writer(s): Guruh Sukarno Putra

Contributed by Tyler I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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