Bhuwan Chand

#MusicLog #8 : कहीं दूर जब दिन ढल जाए…Somewhere far away when the day end…

कहीं दूर जब दिन ढल जाए…

#MusicLog #8: The Profound wisdom in seemingly shallow popular songs…

 

Profound wisdom can be found in the most mundane things that we see, hear or experience in our day-to-day life. It is not about the message or the messenger. Everyone, Everything has got a message. It is more about the recipient. Are we ready to receive the message, are we ready to learn, are we ready to understand, are we ready to comprehend & utilize that knowledge.

There are a lot of songs have some deep insights, profound knowledge and serious messages for us. Sometime, some of us get those message, mostly it is lost among the music, the beats, our own emotional status while we are listening to them.

1. Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaye – Bollywood Movie ‘Anand’ picturised on Rajesh Khanna, Vocals: Mukesh, Music: Salil Chaudhary, Lyrics: Gulzar

(Rajesh Khanna: 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012)

Kahin door jab din dhal jaye, Saanjh ki dulhan badan churaye, Cupke se aye

Kahin door jab din dhil jaye, Saanjh ki dulhan badan churaye, Chupke se aye
Mere khayalon ke angan mein, Koi sapno ke deep jalaye, Deep jalaye

Kahin door jab din dhal jaye, Saanjh ki dulhan badan churaye, Chupke se aye

Kabhi yunhi jab huin, Bojhal saansein, Bhar aain bathe bathe, Jab yunhi aankein
Kabhi yunhi jab huin, Bojhal saansein, Bhar aain bathe bathe, Jab yunhi aankein

Kabhi machal ke pyar se chal ke, Chhuye koi mujhe par, Nazar na aye, nazar na aye

Kahin door jab din dhil jaye, Saanjh ki dulhan badan churaye, Chupke se aye
Mere khayalon ke angan mein, Koi sapno ke deep jalaye, Deep jalaye

Kahin door jab din dhal jaye, Saanjh ki dulhan badan churaye, Chupke se aye

Kahin to ye dil kabhi, Mil nahin paate, Kahin se nikal ayein, Janmon ke naate
Kahin to ye dil kabhi, Mil nahin paate, Kahin se nikal ayein, Janmon ke naate

Dhani thi uljhan veri apna man, Apna hi hoke sahe, Dard paraye, dard paraye

Kahin door jab din dhil jaye. Saanjh ki dulhan badan churaye, Chupke se aye
Mere khayalon ke angan mein, Koi sapno ke deep jalaye, Deep jalaye

Kahin door jab din dhal jaye, Saanjh ki dulhan badan churaye, Chupke se aye

Dil jaane mere sare, Bhed ye gehre, Ho gaye kaise mere, Sapne sunehere
Dil jaane mere sare, Bhed ye gehre, Ho gaye kaise mere, Sapne sunehere

Ye mere sapne, yahi to hain apne, Mujhse juda na honge, Inke ye saaye, inke ye saaye

Kahin door jab din dhil jaye, Saanjh ki dulhan badan churaye, Chupke se aye
Mere khayalon ke angan mein, Koi sapno ke deep jalaye, Deep jalaye

Kahin door jab din dhal jaye, Saanjh ki dulhan badan churaye, Chupke se aye

कहीं दूर जब दिन ढल जाए, सांझ की दुल्हन, बदन चुराए, चुपके से आए
कहीं दूर जब दिन ढल जाए, सांझ की दुल्हन, बदन चुराए, चुपके से आए
 मेरे ख़यालों के आँगन में कोई सपनों के दीप जलाए, दीप जलाए
 कहीं दूर जब दिन ढल जाए, सांझ की दुल्हन, बदन चुराए, चुपके से आए
कभी यूँही जब हुईं बोझल सांसें, भर आईं बैठे बैठे जब यूँहीं आँखें
 कभी यूँही जब हुईं बोझल सांसें, भर आईं बैठे बैठे जब यूँहीं आँखें
 कभी मचल के प्यार से चल के, छुए कोई मुझे पर नज़र न आए, नज़र न आए
 कहीं दूर जब दिन ढल जाए, सांझ की दुल्हन, बदन चुराए, चुपके से आए
 मेरे ख़यालों के आँगन में कोई सपनों के दीप जलाए, दीप जलाए
 कहीं दूर जब दिन ढल जाए, सांझ की दुल्हन, बदन चुराए, चुपके से आए
कहीं तो ये दिल कभी मिल नहीं पाते, कहीं से निकल आयें जन्मों के नाते,
कहीं तो ये दिल कभी मिल नहीं पाते, कहीं से निकल आयें जन्मों के नाते
धनि थी उलझन वैरी अपना मन, अपना ही होके सहे दर्द पराये दर्द पराये
 कहीं दूर जब दिन ढल जाए, सांझ की दुल्हन बदन चुराए, चुपके से आए
 मेरे ख़यालों के आँगन में कोई सपनों के दीप जलाए, दीप जलाए
 कहीं दूर जब दिन ढल जाए, सांझ की दुल्हन बदन चुराए, चुपके से आए
दिल जाने मेरे सारे भेद ये गहरे हो गए कैसे मेरे सपने सुन्हेरे
 दिल जाने मेरे सारे भेद ये गहरे हो गए कैसे मेरे सपने सुन्हेरे
 ये मेरे सपने यही तो हैं अपने मुझसे से जुदा न होंगे इनके ये साए इनके ये साए
 कहीं दूर जब दिन ढल जाए सांझ की दुल्हन बदन चुराए, चुपके से आए
 मेरे ख़यालों के आँगन में कोई सपनों के दीप जलाए, दीप जलाए
 कहीं दूर जब दिन ढल जाए, सांझ की दुल्हन बदन चुराए, चुपके से आए

This song has managed to make my eyes moist every time I hear it, from my early childhood till now. Bollywood superstar Rajesh Khanna aka  Kaka by those who were close to him, passed away on 18th July’12, this movie Anand is my favorite movie of Rajesh Khanna and this is one of those songs which are at the back of my mind whenever I am lonely or emotional.

The song actually sums up the whole movie in a way, the person singing the song knows that he is dying, slowly but surely, nothing and no one can save him. Still he wants to live every remaining day of his life to the fullest by being happy and making everyone around him happy… He moves out of the life of his love, because he doesn’t want her to cry for him once he dies. This song portrays his longing for his love and the acknowledgement of the love and friendship of the new people he has met and all this in the dark mood where he knows that he is slowly dying.

The story of this 1971 Bollywood Movie  is about Anand Sehgal (Rajesh Khanna), a cancer patient (lymphosarcoma of the intestine) patient who believes in living his life to the fullest. He comes to Mumbai to live his last days there and to meet his childhood friend Kulkarni (Ramesh Dev). Contrasting Anand is Bhaskar Banerjee (Amitabh Bachchan), a sober doctor, upset with life and the dark reality of his nation. Bhaskar’s interaction  with Anand makes him notice the other side of life, he realized how unimportant or completely solvable his own problems are which are filling up his life with  despair and complexities and this realization and Anand’s helps guides him to overcome those complexities and bring happiness in his life. After spreading happiness everywhere around himself and changing the lives of many, Anand, as destined, leaves them all, which inspires Bhaskar to write a book on his life. The film is a narrative, as Bhaskar writes in his diary about his life before Anand, his first meeting, how his relationship with him changes from a doctor-patient to a friend and then to a friend for whom he can do anything, and how a dying man changes his way of thinking to a great extent.

Only a serious writer or a poet with can do justice with an explanation of this music for someone who do not understand Hindi/Urdu . Here is an crude attempt to translate it, only for those who do not know Hindi/Urdu at all. Those who can understand the lyrics above need not read it as they will understand it much better in their own way…

Somewhere far away when the day end,
The dusk, like a shy bride, sneaks up
In the courtyard of my thoughts,
Someone lights up lamps of dreams…

Somewhere far away when the day end
The dusk, like a shy bride, sneaks up
In the courtyard of my thoughts,
Someone lights up lamps of dreams…

Sometimes when without a reason my breaths become heavy

When my eyes swell up just sitting there
Then with a flutter, moving with love,
Someone touches me, but I cannot see it…
I cannot see it…

Sometimes our hearts are unable to come together
and sometime, somewhere else, connections of lifetimes are formed…

The problem was very complicated, and my own heart became my enemy
even though belonging to me, yet yearnings with the pain of someone else…

My heart knows all these deep secrets of mine
How my dreams became so beautiful..
My dreams, these dreams alone are mine,
Their shadows will not be separated from me…

Somewhere far away when the day end,
The dusk, like a shy bride, sneaks up
In the courtyard of my thoughts,
Someone lights up lamps of dreams…

2. Have A Cigar  – Pink Floyd, Songwriter:  Roger Waters, Vocals: Roy Harper

(Cover version done by Brian May (Queen‘s guitarist) with The Foo Fighters for Mission Impossible 2 soundtrack. Foo drummer Taylor Hawkins sang lead vocals and vocalist Dave Grohl played drums as Dave kept forgetting the lyrics during the recording session)

 

Come on over here boy, have a cigaryou’re gonna go far, You’re gonna fly high,

you’re never gonna die

You’re gonna make it if you try they’re gonna love you

Well I’ve always had a deep respect and I mean that most sincerely

But the band is just fantastic that is really what I think

Oh by the way, which one’s Pink?

And did we tell you the name of the game, boy?

We call it ‘Riding the Gravy Train‘

We’re just knocked out we heard about the sell out

You gotta get an album out, you owe it to the people

We’re so happy we can hardly count

Everybody else is just green have you seen the chart?

It’s a helluva start it could be made into a monster

If we all pull together as a team

And did we tell you the name of the game, boy?

We call it ‘Riding the Gravy Train’, yeah

And did we tell you the name of the game, boy?

We call it ‘Riding the Gravy Train’

 

This song is topic of much discussions & debates since long about its meaning and intent. Roger Waters included in this song all the cliché that the group may have heard during their interactions with the agents, music producers, record company executives. In fact these words are commonly used by the so called Guru’s to motivate the people they consider as their followers. “You’re gonna go far,” “I’ll tell you the name of the game,” “You’re going to make it,” “If we all pull together as a team” etc.

The song points out the hypocrisy and greed within the music industry and by those who consider it more as a business than as an art. The battle between art and business wasn’t new and still continues, money hungry industry people are always taking advantage of artists when are at their peak & then letting them fade away

“Oh by the way, which one’s pink?” symbolize that the industry guy didn’t even knew the band at all leave aside understanding their music. Legend has it that one of the EMI executive actually asked this famous question “oh by the way, which one of you is pink?”. Another story goes that the question was asked by a music industry guy  band was interviewing for their manager’s position.

The music company EMI was insisting that Pink Floyd should take advantage of the positive scenario and the momentum built by their earlier albums and release another one quickly (“ride the gravy train”). Pink Floyd did give them another great album, but Roger Waters included this a song as a surprise ‘gift’ for them.

When one looks at the combination of this song, the artist Roger Waters, Pink Floyd’s overall work and the scenario post they published this song, the wisdom one can draw is that in the practical world the is high probability of ‘artisitic innocence’ losing the battle against the ‘gravy train’ more often than not. Once the initial inhibition is over, the downward slide for  ‘innocence’ is a  pretty steep one, losing all signs of good virtues like morality, ethics, honesty, etc… While Have A Cigar, ridicules the music industry, and later-on they started riding the gravy train. In some of their later songs Roger Waters hints at accepting getting sold out to the same industry and people they ridiculed in this song. It is easier for us to talk about it and pass the judgement decades after the song was written and performance, it must have been a tough task to go through it all. The lure of filthy lucre is too hard to resist…

3. Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd (Songwriter & Vocals :  Roger Waters, David Jon Gilmour)

Hello? Hello? Hello?

Is there anybody in there?  Just nod if you can hear me.  Is there anyone at home?

Come on now

I hear you’re feeling down. Well I can ease your pain, Get you on your feet again.

Relax.

I’ll need some information first. Just the basic facts. Can you show me where it hurts?

There is no pain you are receding, A distant ship smoke on the horizon.

You are only coming through in waves. Your lips move but I can’t hear what you’re saying.

When I was a child I had a fever, My hands felt just like two balloons.

Now I’ve got that feeling once again I can’t explain you would not understand

This is not how I am.

I have become comfortably numb.

O.K.

Just a little pinprick. There’ll be no more, ah!  But you may feel a little sick.

Can you stand up? I do believe it’s working, good.

That’ll keep you going through the show, Come on it’s time to go.

There is no pain you are receding, A distant ship, smoke on the horizon.

You are only coming through in waves. Your lips move but I can’t hear what you’re saying.

When I was a child, I caught a fleeting glimpse, Out of the corner of my eye.

I turned to look but it was gone , I cannot put my finger on it now

The child is grown, The dream is gone.

I have become comfortably numb.

At one level, this song  captures the use of drugs. Gilmour may have performed this song under the influence of heroine so much so that he needed a hit just to get through with it. Artificial happiness, running away from the realities of life by injecting chemicals in the blood.

Have you ever been so drunk, done drugs or under the influence of any other substance that you lose the connection with whatever is happening around you. I guess not only the people who have experimented with drugs can relate, but it can be equally relevant and valid for those who have never done any kind of drugs or alcohol.

Some fans claim that the song has nothing to do with drug addiction, except of Syd Barret none of the other members of the band were seriously into drugs. Some say its not autobiographical but a fictitious story of  Rock Star under the influence of drugs. A lot of us may say that we haven’t done any of these things. But I guess chances are that you may have faced moments in life when felt  totally cut off from everything around or needed to be totally isolated, away from the everybody and everything, just Comfortably Numb…

I have felt that way many a times in my life, even though I have never done any kind of drugs ever in my life, not even Alcohol or Beer… There are times when  you just get so overwhelmed by emotions and you feel so much physical or emotional pain that you would rather be numb than to care about it at all.

All this happens as one moves away from the path of the virtues and starts going down the endless journey of personal gratifications, trying to confuse all that one ‘wants’ with what one may actually ‘needs’ and it is a bottomless pit, the fall is very fast, the end is painful & sad…

4. Fix You – Cold Play (Songwriter & vocals : Chris Martin) 

When you try your best, but you don’t succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can’t sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can’t replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home, And ignite your bones, And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below
When you’re too in love to let it go
But if you never try you’ll never know
Just what you’re worth

Lights will guide you home, And ignite your bones, And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down on your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down on your face
And I…

Tears stream down on your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down on your face
And I…

Lights will guide you home, And ignite your bones, And I will try to fix you

There are moments in our life when we feel restless, powerless, and needing the help from someone or somwhere to ‘Fix’ us…

The message Chris Martin is trying to give throughout this song is that of encouragement: “Lights will guide you home / And ignite your bones / And I will try to fix you.”

When we are at our lowest and life seems like it can’t get any worse, we all wish for someone ‘Who has the light to guide us home’ ‘Who can ignite our bones’ with the courage to keep going and make everything all right. It seems  Martin is singing about recovering from grief in this song, some people have indicated that the song may have been written to give comfort to Gweneth Palthrow when she lost her father. Blythe Danner, the mother of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin’s mother-in-law, stated in an interview in May 2012 that Chris Martin wrote the song ‘Fix You’ for Gwyneth when her father died and I weep every time I hear it.

This song deals with true love, helping someone in the  time of need, and learning from past mistakes…

 5. Justuju Jiski Thi – Bollywood Movie Umrao Jaan; Song picturised on Rekha;  Songwriter :Shahryar; Vocals:Asha Bhosle, Music:Khyaam

Justuju Jiski Thi, Us Ko To Na Paayaa Hum Ne
Justuju Jiski Thi, Us Ko To Na Paayaa Hum Ne
Is Bahaane Se, Magar Dekh Li, Duniyaan Hum Ne
Justuju Jiski Thi

Tuz Ko Rusawaa Na Kiya, Aaaaaaaa
Tuz Ko Rusawaa Na Kiya, Khud Bhi Pashemaan Na Huye
Ishq Ki Rasm Ko,
Ishq Ki Rasm Ko, Is Tarah Nibhayaa Hum Ne
Ishq Ki Rasm Ko, Is Tarah Nibhayaa Hum Ne
Justuju Jiski Thi

Kab Milee Thi, Kaha Bichhadee Thi, Aaaaa
Kab Milee Thi, Kaha Bichhadee Thi, Humei Yaad Nahee
Jindagee Tuz Ko To
Jindagee Tuz Ko To, Bas Khwaab Mein, Dekhaa Hum Ne
Jindagee Tuz Ko To, Bas Khwaab Mein, Dekhaa Hum Ne
Justuju Jiski Thi

Aye Adaa, Aaaaaaa
Aye Adaa Aaur Sunaaye Bhee To Kyaa, Haal Apanaa
Umar Ka Lambaa Safar,
Umar Ka Lambaa Safar, Tay Kiya Tanahaa Hum Ne
Umar Ka Lambaa Safar, Tay Kiya Tanahaa Hum Ne
Justuju Jiski Thi, Us Ko To Na Paayaa Hum Ne
Is Bahaane Se, Magar Dekh Li, Duniyaan Hum Ne
Justuju Jiski Thi

जुस्तजू जिसकी थी उस को तो न पाया हमने
 इस बहाने से मगर देख ली दुनिया हमने
तुझको रुसवा न किया ख़्हुद भी पशेमाँ न हुये
 इश्क़ की रस्म को इस तरह निभाया हमने
कब मिली थी कहाँ बिछड़ी थी हमें याद नहीं
 ज़िंदगी तुझको तो बस ख़्ह्वाब में देखा हमने
ऐ 'आद' और सुनाये भी तो क्या हाल अपना
 उम्र का लम्बा सफ़र तय किया तनहा हमने
जुस्तजू जिसकी थी उस को तो न पाया हमने
 इस बहाने से मगर देख ली दुनिया हमने
जुस्तजू जिसकी थी

I did not find what I had been searching for…
but on this pretext, I beheld the world…
The one whom I searched for…
I did not disgrace you.
I myself became repentant;
In this manner, I honored our vows of love.
In this manner, I honored our vows of love.
He whom I searched for…
When I met him, and where we were separated,
I don’t recall.
Life, I only beheld you in dreams…
you for whom I searched.
What can I even tell you of my state?
I reconciled myself to the long, lonely journey of life…
I did not find what I had been searching for…
but on this pretext, I beheld the world…
The one I had been searching for…

The whole soundtrack album of the Bollywood movie Umraon Jaan  is a classic, sheer good music with beautiful lyrical composition by some of the big names from Urdu poetry. Its a pleasure just to listen to the soft and melodious music  but when you listen to the words more clearly and understand the meaning of them then it just touches some raw nerves, some heartaches, personal experiences, the low & high points of one’s life.

This particular song actually is like a sum-up or the executive summary of  the whole story of the movie. The movie was based in pre-independent India of 1840‘s, at the time India was transiting from the Mughal occupation to East India Company’s control to ultimately direct British crown’s occupation.

A girl named Amiran is kidnapped from her family in Faizabad, Oudh (currently a part of Uttar Pradesh, a North Indian state) by their neighbour, Dilawar Khan, and sold to Madam Khanum Jaan who owns a brothel in Lucknow (traditionally a center of Nawabi culture, the citadel of the legendary Nauch Girls (Dancing girls) of India, now it is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh) where she trains courtesans (nauch girls/dancing girls/ tawaif) who generally end up as prostitutes or concubines of wealthy businessmen, land owners). Amiran, renames Umrao Jaan, and teaches her to read, write, dance, sing, and charm wealthy men. She is a brought up as a cultured woman trained to captivate men of wealth and taste.

A grown-up Umrao Jaan catches the eye of Nawab Sultan, and the two fall in love. But Nawab must marry to please his family, and Umrao’s heart is broken. She meets a dashing bandit chieftain, Faiz Ali, who woos and wins her. She flees with her dacoit, hoping to marry him and leave the world of the courtesan far behind. But her lover is killed by local police and she is left alone, with no choice but to return to her old life.

Soon, the British attack the city of Lucknow and the residents are forced to flee. Umrao’s party of refugees stop in a small village near Lucknow. The residents ask the courtesan to sing and dance. Umrao, looking about her, realizes that this is her town, Faizabad, her family, the place from which she was kidnapped. She had been so young when kidnapped that she had forgotten, but now it all returns to her.

She is dismayed by the cold response she receives from her family, treated like a pariah by her very own people. She does meets her mother and younger brother, who had thought that she was dead. Her mother would be happy to welcome her back into the family, but her brother forbids it — she is tainted by her profession and must not return to embarrass them.

At the end of the film, Umrao returns to the now-deserted and looted brothel in Lucknow and finds she is left alone, with nothing but her profession and her poetry.

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