Friends,
I was wondering, since many days, about the kind of songs that are being composed in movies, in albums these days. what's even more baffling, is the kind of songs that are being liked by people these days. There is a drastical rather dramatic change in the type of songs people are liking, which reflects the mentality of the people/generation. Not that it is happening for the first time, its a continuous process happening from centuries from generation to generation. But one startling change i am observing these days is the decline in layers/dimesions of music and more importantly, the lyrics. Specifically, i am wondering how many songs with themes of drinking/boozing . songs have words which have words "daaru", "nasha", "party", potrayed as "cool" or "fun" to listen. But personally I never felt it to be "cool or fun".
A song feels the best when the lyrics,music are in sync with the emotions that it is conveying. It feels the purpose of the song is served and the communication is complete. The emotion felt by the composer is successfully communicated when the same emotion is felt by the listener. Do we really care about this communication anymore when we are listening to any song these days? Do we even feel any emotion at all these days, by listening to a song composed in these days?
Anyway, complaints and introspection aside, I am writing this post to bring to your notice,a song written in that Era, when every letter in every word used to convey a message/emotion,when words were still mightier than sword, when words used to inspire people.
It was such a time when INDIA was about to get independence. Sacrifice, hardwork, pure desire and dedication of genuine people, through their own means, their own capabilities,had given fruits. But this fruit was not as sweet as desired. This was rotten with people who were self-centered, narrow minded, quite opposite to people who led to freedom. What was more disturbing these rotten germs started blaming the people who actually led the freedom struggle. Can you imagine the emotion of let down by the very own people you thought your own , for whom you fought selflessly? Some gave up, some expressed this very emotion sarcastically, through words.
One such poet was Akbar Allahabadi, who was blamed by people from his own religion, for supporting hindustan. He was blamed to have been given liquor by people from other community and had turned traitor. He wrote a song to answer them sarcastically which has mutiple dimensions to it depending on the context in which you listen to the song.
Not only it answers them, it provides so much fun just to listen to it for even those who don't know this background.
I am talking about the song "Hungama hai kyoun barpa", sung so beautifully so as to justify the words, by the great USTAAD GHULAM ALI saab. I couldn't help but notice the irony, that a song written by an INDIAN to answer a PAKISTANI is sung by PAKISTANI singer to convey the entire emotion, and enjoyed thoroughly by INDIANS & PAKISTANIS alike, to prove that boundaries are only in our narrow mind.
For those who have never heard this song or for those who wanna hear it again:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G32hS635uE
I recommend you to listen to this song before you proceed. This song is in Raag Darbaari and Ustaad Ghulaam Ali saab has adressing a darbaar like audience in this video.
Song starts with a light sarcastic pre-note
Mai teri Mast nigaahi ka bharam rakhloonga
I choose to keep the imagination that I am taken by your intoxicating eyes
Hosh aaya bhi to kehdoonga mujhe hosh nahi
Even if am hit by reality, I would tell world that I am still intoxicated.
My interpretation of the song in 2 layers:
Layer1: Answer to questions asked to author by actual traitors.
Layer2: Hypothetical situation of a drunkard defending/justifying his drinking problem to the world.
Mukhda:
Hungama hai kyuon barpa thodi si jo peeli hai -
L1: Why so much of fuss even if i have drunk some liquor given by your so called enemies?
L2: Why so much of fuss if i drink a little?
Daaka toh nahi daala, chori to nahi ki hai -
L1: I have not looted people the way you are doing (Remember violence during independence)
L2: I have not committed such a big crime by drinking liquor.
Antara:
Us mai se nahi matlab, dil jisse ho begaana -
L1: I don't have any inclination to be a person whom my heart detests.
L2: It's not me if I am not a drunkard.
maqsood hai us mai se, dil hi me jo khichti hai
L1: I will be that person who i really wanna be. I am answerable only to my conscience.
L2: Being a drunkard is who i really wish to be.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sooraj mein lage Dhabba, fitrat ke karishmein hai
L1: Even sun gets eclipsed by moon at times, thats the beauty of nature. I, taking the blame is inconsequential compared to it.
L2: Even sun has dark spots, me having drinking problem is very minute compared to it.
Khud humko kahe kafir allah ki marzi hai
L1: you have termed me a traitor. I take that too, as will of god
L2: You are blaming me as if i have committed big crime. This too is wish of god.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Na tajjurba kaari se vaaiz ki yeh baatein hain
L1: Why should i take your words seriously, You have not experienced the struggle I went through
L2: Your advice for me to stop drinking is not based on your experience of drinking.
Iss rang ko kya jaane poocho to kabhi pe hai
L1: How do you know the feeling of ecstacy that comes with the selflessness, I ask you , have you even tried it once?
L2: Do you even know how this intoxication will be? have you ever taken even a sip?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Har zarraa chamakta hai anwar-e-illahi se
L1: Every nook & corner of this world is illuminated by God. I don't value these borders which you drew in ur mind and map.
L2: Every nook and corner of my body is illuminated by God.
Har Saans yeh kehti hai, hum hai toh khudaa bhi hai
L1: Every breath I take, is a proof that even God approves my way.
L2: Every breath I take after drinking says I am god.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hope you enjoyed. Please share your interpretations of the song or some of the lines in comments. Would love to explore more dimensions of this great song
I was wondering, since many days, about the kind of songs that are being composed in movies, in albums these days. what's even more baffling, is the kind of songs that are being liked by people these days. There is a drastical rather dramatic change in the type of songs people are liking, which reflects the mentality of the people/generation. Not that it is happening for the first time, its a continuous process happening from centuries from generation to generation. But one startling change i am observing these days is the decline in layers/dimesions of music and more importantly, the lyrics. Specifically, i am wondering how many songs with themes of drinking/boozing . songs have words which have words "daaru", "nasha", "party", potrayed as "cool" or "fun" to listen. But personally I never felt it to be "cool or fun".
A song feels the best when the lyrics,music are in sync with the emotions that it is conveying. It feels the purpose of the song is served and the communication is complete. The emotion felt by the composer is successfully communicated when the same emotion is felt by the listener. Do we really care about this communication anymore when we are listening to any song these days? Do we even feel any emotion at all these days, by listening to a song composed in these days?
Anyway, complaints and introspection aside, I am writing this post to bring to your notice,a song written in that Era, when every letter in every word used to convey a message/emotion,when words were still mightier than sword, when words used to inspire people.
It was such a time when INDIA was about to get independence. Sacrifice, hardwork, pure desire and dedication of genuine people, through their own means, their own capabilities,had given fruits. But this fruit was not as sweet as desired. This was rotten with people who were self-centered, narrow minded, quite opposite to people who led to freedom. What was more disturbing these rotten germs started blaming the people who actually led the freedom struggle. Can you imagine the emotion of let down by the very own people you thought your own , for whom you fought selflessly? Some gave up, some expressed this very emotion sarcastically, through words.
One such poet was Akbar Allahabadi, who was blamed by people from his own religion, for supporting hindustan. He was blamed to have been given liquor by people from other community and had turned traitor. He wrote a song to answer them sarcastically which has mutiple dimensions to it depending on the context in which you listen to the song.
Not only it answers them, it provides so much fun just to listen to it for even those who don't know this background.
I am talking about the song "Hungama hai kyoun barpa", sung so beautifully so as to justify the words, by the great USTAAD GHULAM ALI saab. I couldn't help but notice the irony, that a song written by an INDIAN to answer a PAKISTANI is sung by PAKISTANI singer to convey the entire emotion, and enjoyed thoroughly by INDIANS & PAKISTANIS alike, to prove that boundaries are only in our narrow mind.
For those who have never heard this song or for those who wanna hear it again:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G32hS635uE
I recommend you to listen to this song before you proceed. This song is in Raag Darbaari and Ustaad Ghulaam Ali saab has adressing a darbaar like audience in this video.
Song starts with a light sarcastic pre-note
Mai teri Mast nigaahi ka bharam rakhloonga
I choose to keep the imagination that I am taken by your intoxicating eyes
Hosh aaya bhi to kehdoonga mujhe hosh nahi
Even if am hit by reality, I would tell world that I am still intoxicated.
My interpretation of the song in 2 layers:
Layer1: Answer to questions asked to author by actual traitors.
Layer2: Hypothetical situation of a drunkard defending/justifying his drinking problem to the world.
Mukhda:
Hungama hai kyuon barpa thodi si jo peeli hai -
L1: Why so much of fuss even if i have drunk some liquor given by your so called enemies?
L2: Why so much of fuss if i drink a little?
Daaka toh nahi daala, chori to nahi ki hai -
L1: I have not looted people the way you are doing (Remember violence during independence)
L2: I have not committed such a big crime by drinking liquor.
Antara:
Us mai se nahi matlab, dil jisse ho begaana -
L1: I don't have any inclination to be a person whom my heart detests.
L2: It's not me if I am not a drunkard.
maqsood hai us mai se, dil hi me jo khichti hai
L1: I will be that person who i really wanna be. I am answerable only to my conscience.
L2: Being a drunkard is who i really wish to be.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sooraj mein lage Dhabba, fitrat ke karishmein hai
L1: Even sun gets eclipsed by moon at times, thats the beauty of nature. I, taking the blame is inconsequential compared to it.
L2: Even sun has dark spots, me having drinking problem is very minute compared to it.
Khud humko kahe kafir allah ki marzi hai
L1: you have termed me a traitor. I take that too, as will of god
L2: You are blaming me as if i have committed big crime. This too is wish of god.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Na tajjurba kaari se vaaiz ki yeh baatein hain
L1: Why should i take your words seriously, You have not experienced the struggle I went through
L2: Your advice for me to stop drinking is not based on your experience of drinking.
Iss rang ko kya jaane poocho to kabhi pe hai
L1: How do you know the feeling of ecstacy that comes with the selflessness, I ask you , have you even tried it once?
L2: Do you even know how this intoxication will be? have you ever taken even a sip?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Har zarraa chamakta hai anwar-e-illahi se
L1: Every nook & corner of this world is illuminated by God. I don't value these borders which you drew in ur mind and map.
L2: Every nook and corner of my body is illuminated by God.
Har Saans yeh kehti hai, hum hai toh khudaa bhi hai
L1: Every breath I take, is a proof that even God approves my way.
L2: Every breath I take after drinking says I am god.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hope you enjoyed. Please share your interpretations of the song or some of the lines in comments. Would love to explore more dimensions of this great song
