The 2022 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest saw the Netherlands singing in its language for the first time in twelve years, or eleven Eurovision installments. S10’s “De Diepte,” which translates to “the depth” or “the abyss” in English, is a wonderful and enlightening song about depression and getting out of it.
Today, we will continue to understand non-English Eurovision entries. This time, De Diepte. We seek to let Europe, the world rather, of such meaningful songs that the public may have overlooked because they did not appreciate the language.
The significance of the title
De Diepte, as stated earlier, means “the depth” in Dutch. However, it does mean something like the depth of feelings or the depth of emotions. Rather, “the depth” refers to the place where such feelings and emotions would lead us.
“The deep” is a poetic way of describing depression, as it feels like one is very deep down and cannot get himself up that abyss. Being depressed is like being trapped in an abyss. It’s dark because the light of hope cannot reach there. It’s hopeless because you cannot be sure if you can make it out there. It’s sad because you cannot have company or even get help.
If one is trapped in an abyss, it feels hard to call for help. And the song is a great metaphor for that idea. One’s heart might already be screaming for help, but it could not be heard, like a person trapped in the depths calling for rescue.
The situation
The song started from the depths. In there, the narrator expressed her worry that her situation would not improve and that her dreams would never come true (ben je wel eens bang dat het altijd zo blijft).
The first stanza is about hopelessness and the uncertainty that causes it. S10 described this as a gloomy rainy day, where it is very dark that she could not see anything in front of her, even her own hand (het regent alle dagen en ik zie geen hand voor ogen). This shows the blacking out of thoughts when one is “very deep down.” This represents the feeling of not knowing where to go.
The chorus
The chorus is about the reluctance to let go of a person. The narrator found it hard to let go, even though the person she was unwilling to let go of was the same person who put her in the depths and was unwilling to lift her. She still felt attached to that person, and she would call on them to rescue her from the abyss, and would just endure it if they wouldn’t. However, she was already tired of waiting and hoping for that person to return and enduring the pain when they did not (maar god wat moet ik anders, wanneer is het genoeg?).
The enlightenment
Remember when we said earlier that it was dark in the depths? In the later parts of the music video, we see S10’s body gradually shining brightly. The fact that the light in her dark comes from her own body signifies that she is the source of her light and is capable of guiding her way out of the depths. And that goes in life as well. When sometimes life gets too dark, the light is in ourselves. We just need to figure out how to turn it on. And in the song, S10 turned it on by realizing that she needed no one to take her out and that her self-love was enough.
Resolution
After her whole body shone brightly in the bridge before the final chorus, S10’s glow started to fade as she still doubted the idea of letting go of the person who held her from growing. However, that no longer mattered, as she finally realized her worth, and it was enough for her not to care about that person. There wasn’t any break-ups or separation that happened. She just finally found the courage and the way to get herself out of her dreadful situation. Overall, the song is about learning to love oneself and not putting oneself at the mercy of others.
Follow Us
