The Music Dies... Life Goes On...

I stood at the edge of the platform and bent ahead. Many others were bending too, hindering my view of the tracks. I could see the purple and white monster in the distance. Yes, a monster! That's what the train is, just rushing ahead without looking at anything in its path, devouring whatever comes in its way.

Back to reality! Can't think about anything else when a train's approaching! There's always someone ready to push you down just for that window seat or the standing space by the door. It's worse than a rat race.

There! The train entered the platform. I had to get into the fourth compartment. The first class. Had to time my jump properly today though. I didn't want the window seat, not going to Churchgate. Have to alight at Borivali, so have to stand at the door.

There. The first compartment passed by. Now the second. Here comes the ladies' coach. The next is mine, Better get ready. Oh shit! It's too fast. I'll try the second door. Yes, got in. Don't go too far. Stand by the side. Ouch. Big mistake. People are still getting in.

"Look at this crackpot. Standing at the side."

"Push him," said another bald guy.

"Arre, uncle, I have to get down at Borivali," I protested.

"So what? This is our regular place, don't you know that?" said the baldy.

"Arre how will he know?" said a man wearing a pink shirt, "He's the kid who jumps early to catch that window seat. What happened today?"

"I have to get down at Borivali."

"Aww, let him stand here, Tawde. Bachcha hain. Anyway, it's just two stations away."

Praise be to Pinky! These "regulars" can be irritating at times. Frustrating too. But then what can a single person like me do? They might as well throw me under the tracks and no one would dare say a word to them. But well, that's Bombay, throw me under, life still would go on!

"So Tawde," Baldy spoke, "Where's the kirtan book? Hope you brought the mini-tabla today."

"Yes, I did," said Tawde profusely.

Damn it!!! I forgot. This was the second door. That's where the bhajans happen! Why did I miss the first door?

"Here, today's prasad is also special. My maid came back from Shirdi," Pinky said with pride, as if it proved that the maid's trip made him overtly religious, "Today we are blessed much more."

Well, you are also cursed much more today, thanks to me!

The train honked, time to leave. Luckily my destination was just 15 minutes away, and my headset would hopefully deafen the outside world. Ah! First song: American Pie! Bliss!

People were still approaching the door to get in. But there was no space at all. That's what the fools at the door were telling them. Actually in here there was plenty of space. For our Bhajan members to sit down in peace. And disrupt other's peace!

The train gave a final honk and it slowly started moving. Just then Pinky shouted, "Hey, Shrivastav's coming. Hold him and let him get in." Shrivastav was probably a member of the bhajan party. That's why he was getting a VIP entry!

I could see Shrivastav. He was wearing red and running towards the train in full throttle. The train had already caught up good speed though. Tawde put out his hand for Shrivastav. Shrivastav tried reaching for it and just got hold of it. And then the unthinkable happened.

Shrivastav's foot slipped off the footboard. Tawde's hand fumbled too. Shrivastav fell. Under the train. The monster had devoured his latest meal. Someone immediately pulled the chain. The train stopped. Everyone at the doors looked out. People at the windows too tried to get a look. The people inside were wondering what had happened. Everyone peeped out like one would in a street fight. Only this was worse. Much worse.

Tawde was on the platform, totally aghast. So were his companions Baldy and Pinky. I didn't get down to watch the body unlike others. I wouldn't be able to handle it. I just wouldn't.

The train halted there for another ten minutes. The hamaals came but they couldn't take the body unless the train left. They spoke to the motorman, who immediately blew the train's horn. The train was ready to leave. Again.

Tawde, Pinky and Baldy stayed back. After all Shrivastav was their friend.

There was no bhajan that day. The music died that day. For them. Especially for Tawde.

I had had an unusual morning today. But then this is Bombay. Everyone has an unusual day once in a while. This is Bombay - the city of uncommon, unusual extraordinariness.

There was no one hanging at the door now. Fifteen minutes for my destination. I hung at the door. Waiting for Borivali. Life goes on.

Melodious Raconteurs

Rarely does one find songs that tell a story; a good story is even more difficult to find. Around a couple of days ago, my friend Zena forwarded me a song which told a very beautiful story. (The song will be mentioned in the post). I then started thinking about the other songs which recite a story. And though I already knew some, I decided to find a few more. I downloaded the ones which caught my interest. And now I shall name those which I've come to like.

P.S.: For me, a song should have not only good lyrics, but also a good tune. So my favourites list here will have those songs that tell a good story as well as bear a melodious tune, though I will mention the other one of which I did not like the tune but had good lyrics.

1. Song: Cat's In The Cradle, Writers: Harry Chapin, Sandy Chapin, Version I Like: Ugly Kid Joe

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon
When you comin home, dad, I don’t know when,
But we'll get together then, Son,
You know we'll have a good time then.

Besides referencing three nursery rhymes in the chorus, Cat's In The Cradle talks about a deteriorating relationship between a father and his son. I'm not going to outline the entire story, for that you can check the lyrics and download the song, but just wanted to point out the way in which Sandy Chapin (Harry's wife) had brought to the fore the problems among parents and children in general. I really liked the cover version by Ugly Kid Joe.

2. Song: Last Kiss, Writer: Wayne Cochran, Version I Like: Pearl Jam (No doubt about that! Never heard of a single person who liked, or for that matter even heard, the original)

Oh, where oh where can my baby be?
The Lord took her away from me
She's gone to heaven, so I got to be good
So I can see my baby when I leave this world. 

This is one of my favourite love songs too. Talks about the idea of undying love in a way no other song speaks of. One of the best stories ever, according to me, the original, I felt, was devoid of the emotion that should accompany it, which Pearl Jam's cover magnificently added to it. Plain magic!

3. Song: Coward Of The County, Writers: Roger Bowling, Billy Ed Wheeler. Version I Like: Kenny Rogers (the original)

"Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done.
Walk away from trouble if you can.
Now it won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek.
I hope you're old enough to understand:
Son, you don't have to fight to be a man."

This was the song Zena forwarded to me and even though I'd heard this song many times before I never knew what its name was. The lyrics of this song brought tears to my eyes. Enough said! (Not being melodramatic, and by the way, boys cry too!)

4. Song: Whiskey Lullaby, Writers: Bill Anderson, Jon Randall, Version I Liked: Brad Paisley & Alison Krauss (the original)

We found him with his face down in the pillow
With a note that said I'll love her till I die
And when we buried him beneath the willow
The angels sang a whiskey lullaby

If Last Kiss was about undying love, then Whiskey Lullaby is about broken love and its consequences. Set to a tearful tune, it is also beautifully sung by Brad Paisley & Alison Krauss.

5. Song: Fast Car, Writer: Tracy Chapman, Version I Liked: Tracy Chapman (the original)

You got a fast car
But is it fast enough so we can fly away
We gotta make a decision
We leave tonight or live and die this way 

Tracy Chapman has always been hailed as one of the best songwriters ever. This was her first single and it immediately made an impact. A storyteller of class, this song is "not really about a car at all... Basically it's about a relationship that doesn't work out because it's starting from the wrong place." (Chapman's words)

6: Song: Stan, Writer: Eminem, Dido Armstrong, Version I Liked: Eminem & Dido (Duh!!!)

See everything you say is real, and I respect you cause you tell it
My girlfriend's jealous cause I talk about you 24/7
But she don't know you like I know you Slim, no one does
She don't know what it was like for people like us growin up
You gotta call me man, I'll be the biggest fan you'll ever lose
Sincerely yours, Stan -- P.S.
We should be together too

Funny, in your face, hilarious and yet scary, Stan is a gem of a story. And to think rappers otherwise only talk about money, women and sex; Stan stands out among rap songs.

7. Song: Mockingbird, Writer: M. Mathers, L. Resto, Version I Liked: Eminem

Now hush little baby, don't you cry
Everything's gonna be alright
Stiffen that upper lip up little lady, I told ya
Daddy's here to hold ya through the night
I know mommy's not here right now and we don't know why
We feel how we feel inside
It may seem a little crazy, pretty baby
But I promise momma's gon' be alright

I'm not a fan of Eminem, I don't like rap much as a genre, but Eminem is a really good songwriter. If Stan showed his humorous side, Mockingbird shows his serious one. More than a story this was a personal confession though, but a very sincere one at that.

8. Song: Hazard, Writer: Richard Marx, Version I Liked: Richard Marx

We used to walk down by the river
She loved to watch the sun go down
We used to walk along the river
And dream our way out of this town ... 

Hazard tells a depressing story of a lost love, it's a story that can really make one feel sad. Even Richard Marx's voice and the haunting music adds to the entire feel of the song.

And now some songs that did not make the list:

1. Johnny Cash's 'A Boy Named Sue'

2. Billy Joel's 'Scenes From An Italian Restaurant' (This is divided into 3 parts, the 3rd one is the place where the story occurs)

3. Madonna's 'American Pie' (Yes, I know the original is by Don McLean, and people might consider me insane for liking Madonna's version over McLean's. But well, that's my choice. About the lyrics, good storytelling, but somehow didn't feel it good enough to be on my list.)

4. Pat Boone & Trini Lopez's 'Speedy Gonzales' (Could this be counted as a story? That's a question mark, actually. But the song does tell us a story if you read through the lyrics. So I put it in this list.)

5. Kenny Rogers' 'The Gambler'

6. Meat Loaf and Ellen Foley's 'Paradise By The Dashboard Light'

Why I Hate Mumbai Indians...!

Sometimes I feel that my hate for Mumbai Indians is more than my love for the other teams! Actually the thing is... I hate Mumbai Indians for 4 reasons... (It was 3 for so many years, I just made up one now!)

1. MI (Mumbai Indians, not Mission: Impossible! Though you can exchange those terms!) is owned by Ambanis, whom I hate! Advertising and management students may call it the 'halo effect', but I don't care!

2. MI has Sachin Tendulkar, who I feel is the most hyped player in the world!
Damn it, why doesn't he just retire and give other youngsters a chance? At the end of the 2007 Word Cup, he said he may not play the 2011 WC... But here he is ready to play that too!!!
Even the IPL 2010 final match versus Chennai Super Kings, he played with an injury... I don't see it as heroic. Instead if he hadn't played, some youngster who would've played better perhaps, or Jayasuriya/Bravo could've been given a chance!
Even his captaincy in that match is questionable... Sending Bhajji at 4, Pollard at 8!!!
Anyway, Pollard and therefore Mumbai Indians and Tendulkar too got their due... Everyone saw how Pollard did not give Rayudu a chance to bat, because he wanted the strike all the time... And then Rayudu's wicket... Rayudu got out just because Pollard forced him to... I believe if Rayudu had stayed on, MI would've had a chance! Teamwork, anyone?
And as to Sachin's credentials about being a world class player: any cricket player (even a gully-cricket playing one) will tell you that when a fielder takes a catch close to the ground, he knows if it has bounced on the ground before landing in his hands or if he has directly taken the catch... In the semi-finals of the 2010 IPL against RCB, everyone saw the (missed) catch he took of Dravid... He appealed for a wicket, when I, who was sitting in the confines of my living room, could see that it was grassed before he took the catch... How could he even appeal for a catch?! Disgusting! I say it's proper judgment that he tore his webbing on that catch itself!

3. It's Bombay, not Mumbai! (Just my way of revolting in a small way against the local fascist political parties)

4. (Which I made up right now) Their team name reeks of groupism! I understand it's an Indian tournament and all but what about the global implications? You don't see other teams with such 'selfish' names (if I can call it that!) It's as if MI is not recognising the presence of the foreign players at all! Mumbai Indians indeed... If you play so greedily and selfishly, I believe the team name is an insult to all Indians!

I know very well that I may be called an anti-national or even a traitor for this post... Well... You can call me what you want!

Innovation (Inovascio)

18th April, 2010 was a year since the CEP program ended. CEP was a learning program for many Second Year students like me... But then there was the fun too. We students had many chances to unleash our already existing talents and also of developing new ones. Writing songs was something I tried first at the CEP program. And this was the song I wrote first. I mentioned this song in my last post, in passing. Yes, this was the first song on which Bonhoffer helped me compose a tune. This eventually came to be known, unofficially, as the CEP theme song, which my friends (Sarah, Shweta, Munira) performed on stage along with Bonhoffer and I.

Innovation (Inovascio)

Lyrics: Runcil Rebello
Composer: Bonhoffer Endigeri

Fickle minded were we,
When we entered CEP.
We were ready to be forged
Ahead in time in this gorge.

Separated from our friends,
Ignorance came to an end.
Teamwork - our first lesson,
Attitudes go in the bin.

Chorus

Many lessons were to come,
Just hard work, nowhere to run.
Sleepless nights & dreamless days,
We were forced to search new ways.
Innovation is the need.
We're the ones to plant the seed,
Know that your reward is great,
We shall be successful, mate!

Camp Karnala brought us close,
Also kept us on our toes.
Treks, sessions, collages,
They were more than challenges.

Archaeology, Biotech,
Journalism, Cosmetics,
Advertising, Research,
Ready to fly off the perch.

Chorus

Not just careers but life's teachings,
Be assertive, public speaking,
Body reading, better studying,
Towards success, we are veering.

Chorus

It's Never Easy...

I had penned this when I was in Goa, approximately two months ago, while leaving the place. Originally intended as a song, Bonhoffer did make my dream come true by coming up with a tune for this, that too almost a year after the CEP song that we composed together. I dedicate this song to all my friends in college. Almost at the end of college life, this song suits this purpose as well.

PS: You may find some references to some famous songs too, for instance in the fifth line (Leaving On A Jet Plane - John Denver), the seventh line (The End - The Doors) and the eighth line (Time Of Your Life - Green Day).

It's Never Easy...

Verse 1

It's never easy to say goodbye,
Once we were laughing now we cry.
The time we spent, the fun we had.
Those days of joy, how we were glad.

Now I leave, my bags are packed
Reminiscing what we all shared.
Is this the end, my dear friend?
Here is the fork in the bend.

Chorus

I don't want to go but I have to,
Separation is not what I want from you.
Give me a ray of hope, can I turn back time?
Or do I go on with this painful rhyme?

Verse 2

I was lonely though not alone,
And now you give me reason to bemoan.
What'll happen to that glass of wine?
It all looks bleak, why don't it shine?

I get ready, chugs in my train.
Your love is what I attained.
My window does not stay still,
It slowly stains my spectrum.

Chorus

Bridge

Thank you for all you gave me,
The gifts, the laughs, a memory.
Will I be back I never know
Will you be there, I implore.

Revised Chorus

I didn't want to but I had to.
Though love I have taken back from you.
Everything has its place and time,
We met, that is what's prime.

I pray that I'll be back again.
And you'll be there, come sun or rain.
Distance makes the heart grow fonder,
Let's believe in it as we remain asunder.

Poisoned by the World for Keeping My Smile

Poisoned by the World for Keeping My Smile

I am myself when I'm with you.
Could I be fatal? Could I be cruel?
I assume I am nobody's fool.
Thwarted, wasted, ain't born with a golden spoon.

Loneliness embraces me at every corner.
Embracing, she takes me away further.
Seduced by her impartial vile,
Poisoned by the world for keeping my smile.

Is there anyone who understands me?
Take away your camaraderie.
Be not judgmental, as it suits you,
Rather try putting yourself in my shoes.

You'll never know when you've been outclassed
My legacy shall forever last.
You do not decide who I am,
Nay, my friend! Dubito, ergo sum.

Delicious Heartbreak...

I see red flowing all over,
As scarlet as it can be.
You smear your finger in it.
Seeping down rapidly.

My grief wipes out
The colour from my tears.
The sunshine is dead,
Hope is divided by fear.

The true colours of man
Mars the darkness of night.
I crinkle along
Like the icy, mighty stalactite

You confound me
Much more than Rorschach's blots.
You caused a delicious heartbreak
Caught in a web of moths.