A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall

Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, where have you been, my darling young one?
I’ve stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains,
I’ve walked and I’ve crawled on six crooked highways,
I’ve stepped in the middle of seven sad forests,
I’ve been out in front of a dozen dead oceans,
I’ve been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard,
And it’s a hard, and it’s a hard, it’s a hard, and it’s a hard,
And it’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall.

Oh, what did you see, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, what did you see, my darling young one?
I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it
I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it,
I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin’,
I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin’,
I saw a white ladder all covered with water,
I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken,
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children,
And it’s a hard, and it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard,
And it’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall.

And what did you hear, my blue-eyed son?
And what did you hear, my darling young one?
I heard the sound of a thunder, it roared out a warnin’,
Heard the roar of a wave that could drown the whole world,
Heard one hundred drummers whose hands were a-blazin’,
Heard ten thousand whisperin’ and nobody listenin’,
Heard one person starve, I heard many people laughin’,
Heard the song of a poet who died in the gutter,
Heard the sound of a clown who cried in the alley,
And it’s a hard, and it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard,
And it’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall.

Oh, who did you meet, my blue-eyed son?
Who did you meet, my darling young one?
I met a young child beside a dead pony,
I met a white man who walked a black dog,
I met a young woman whose body was burning,
I met a young girl, she gave me a rainbow,
I met one man who was wounded in love,
I met another man who was wounded with hatred,
And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard,
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall.

Oh, what’ll you do now, my blue-eyed son?
And, what’ll you do now, my darling young one?
I’m a-goin’ back out ‘fore the rain starts a-fallin’,
I’ll walk to the depths of the deepest dark forest,
Where the people are many and their hands are all empty,
Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters,
Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison,
Where the executioner’s face is always well hidden,
Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten,
Where black is the color, where none is the number,
And I’ll tell it and speak it and think it and breathe it,
And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it,
Then I’ll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin’,
But I’ll know my song well before I start singin’,
And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard,
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall.

Artist-Bob Dylan

Album-The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan(1962)

Composed,Sung And Written By-Bob Dylan

As any music lover will tell you if there was only one word to describe Dylan’s songs it would be poetic, he had the ability to describe even the most lagging and hallucinating narratives in a simple offhand manner. But this song is not merely poetic, it is melodic,prophetic and above all timeless. Its lyric structure is based on the question and answer form of the traditional ballad ‘Lord Randall’, Child ballad no.12. A father asking his son questions about what he saw on his journey, who did he meet,where did he go to etc and in the answers the son describes the whole world in an innocent but hard hitting manner. Dylan was popularly known as a prophet in the 60’s and songs like this shows why ,in this song he describes things which were true then,which are true now and which will remain true in coming time. He talks about racism,natural calamities,people living in fear,oppressed people, he defines a true leader and he predicts, he predicts like a man standing on mountain shouting for the deaf world, warning about a self induced Apocalypse.

Ye Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye To Kya Hai

“Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye To Kya Hai”

Yeh Mehlon,Yeh Takhton,Yeh Taajon Ki Duniya,
Yeh Insaan Key Dushman Samaajon Ki Duniya,
Yeh Doulat Key Bhookhey Riwajon Ki Duniya,
Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye To Kya Hai.

Har Ek Jism Ghayal, Har Ek Rooh Pyaasi,
Nigahon Mein Uljhan, Dilon Mein Udaasi,
Yeh Duniya Hai Ya Aalam-e-Badhawasi,
Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye To Kya Hai.

Yahaan Eik Khilona Hai Insaan Ki Hasti,
Yeh Basti Hai Murda Paraston Ki Basti,
Yahaan To Jeevan Sey Hai Maut Sasti,
Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye To Kya Hai.

Jawaani Bhatakti Hai Badkaar Ban Kar,
Jawaan Jism Sajtey Hein Bazaar Ban Kar,
Yahaan Pyaar Hota Hai Byopaar Ban Kar,
Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye To Kya Hai.

Yeh Duniya Jahaan Aadmi Kuch Nahi Hai,
Wafa Kuch Nahi, Dosti Kuch Nahi Hai,
Yahaan Pyaar Ki Qadr Hi Kuch Nahi Hai,
Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye To Kya Hai.

Jala Do Isey, Phoonk Dalo Yeh Duniya.
Mere Saamne Se Hata Lo Yeh Duniya,
Tumhari Hai Tum Hi Sambhalo Yeh Duniya,
Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye To Kya Hai?

Movie-Pyaasa(1957)

Music-Sachin Dev Burman

Lyrics-Saahir Ludhiyanavi

Singer-Mohhamad Rafi

Guru Dutt always saw songs as an ongoing sequence which can be best described by the poetry. Usually Saahir Ludhiyanvi provided that poetry. Saahir always saved his best for Guru Dutt’s movies . In the movie the song was visualised as the ultimate achivement of the all time loser, the ragged Poet,the drunkard shunned by society,left by girlfriend,despised by his clan suddenly gets everything he ever strived for. This was the moment when he looks down at all the people he had ever known and sees only one face which didn’t have Greed and really loved him, ‘the Prostitute’ and then he curses the Society in his own poetic manner as S.D Burman’s tunes pierce your heart and you experience the same pain as ‘Vijay’ and you spill you heart out in the immortal voice Of Mohammad Rafi and leave all the artificial things which consumed you.

Golden Corridors and Stone Walls

Strike’em hard they are coming at you,
they have glinting blows to get them through.

What makes you think they are treacherous fools,
don’t they know I’m the king of this zoo.

I’ve been through there present and your past,
they’ll make you flee and you’ll be an outcast.

My fleets are strong, they’ll them see through,
but when I’m done with them,I’ll deal with you.

Traveler shook his head, vanished from the sight,
soon the hands with drinks were engulfed by night.

Fed on vermin banished from the sight,
the dark night made him remember the light.

Strike’em hard they are coming at you,
they have glinting blows to get them through.

He scratched the walls as echoes hit his head,
moonlight struck him sharp on the stone bed.

Aamir-The Chosen One

I was curious about this movie from the outset. First because of the fact that Anurag Kashyap was involved in this project and secondly because UTV spot boy was producing it, UTV spot boy is the only production house which has the brains to recognize a good filmmaker and has the guts to give him a chance. Now back to the film it was marketed with a good strategy and its trailers even made buzz in the unintelligible crowd. So I was expecting some crowd to turn up in the hometown of the lead actor on a saturday evening. But when I entered the hall I saw about 15-20 people there,some of them were couples who just bought the ticket to have some time in private,others were those people who did’nt get the ticket of the ‘big movie’ running in the next screen, remaining 3 or 4 persons were people like me who were genuinely excited about the film. I tried to show my ticket to the ticket checker but he told me to sit anywhere in the hall. So I took a seat in the middle in the upper rows where I was not intruding the privacy of kissing couples and where I was not flanked by people just trying to make comments on the movie without understanding what was going on.

The movie began with sleepy Rajeev Khandelwal in the plane, it was the only time he was seen resting. The racist factor was addressed quickly in the beginnning through a customs clearing scene. The traits of the lead character were very visible from the first scene itself an innocent man with an ambition in his heart. What follows the customs scene is one of the finest movies in recent times. Aamir’s family is held in ransom by an unknown man who is controlling him like a puppet and makes him visit the most filthy areas of Mumbai. All his actions are being controlled on phone by the voice of Gajraj Rao who sounds grim, malicious and dominating. His voice and and action make a persona so impeccable that only Marlon Brando as Col. Kurtz be scarier. He is there with a purpose, which is to bring Aamir to his knees so that he can realize how the ground looks like. For that he makes Aamir run through the whole city from roadside restaurants to cheap lodges, from the chals which give the impression of holocaust to the mutton market which shows the mental condition of the protagonist as he sees himself as the goat being cut into pieces. He perfectly plays the role of the Muslim jehadi who wants other people to fight the war with him sitting down and living his own life lavishly.

Rajeev Khandelwal who portrays Aamir is nothing short of outstanding. He adapts to the different shdes of the character with ease he is as convincing in the shade of happy London return Doctor in high spirits as he is in the shade of down and out Aamir thanking a prostitute who helped him. His eyes speaks more than his actions.He is the only actor in our country who in beggining of his career was a charming chocolaty T.V star but soon transformed himself into an accomplished actor. Aamir was the first step of the actual actor outside the television cradle but it is more than the giant leaps of other ‘STARS’. But he has one lackuna that is his voice which he needs to modulate a bit.

Other actors too have done their job perfectly although they are very few and each of them has a very small role but they all are pivotal to the movie. You cannot forget the shrilling laugh of the prostitute or the limp in the walk of the langda man or the joke between the two men in the lodge. The music is simply great with every song played in the movie act as narrator describing the scene. The mixture of hindustani music and western beats gives you a great album with ‘Mehfuz’ being the standout song. Lyrics too are great and though I am not a person who believes in fate, the lyrics about fate and destiny mesmerized me. But above all the man who deserves the most applause for his efforts is the director Rajkumar Gupta. He dared in the time of cinema crisis in India he assisted Anurag Kashyap in his experimental ‘No Smoking’ . He paved his way to the top and when the chance came he struck bull’s eye, movie’s direction is magnificient it was shot on real locations and it was big task to shoot on the over crowded areas. But he climbed the rocky heights of moviemaking to emerge as the conquerer. The camera work is beautiful and the use of metaphorical and interpretive scenes takes the movie in a different league. These scenes gives a poetic feel to the movie, especially the one with the monkey toy. The whole team of Aamir deserves to be congratulated on this effort.

KAUN KEHTA HAI AADMI APNI KISMAT KHUD LIKHTA HAI?

And as shown in the movie where Aamir wrote his destiny himself, in film industry team of Aamir has written its own destiny.

Get Back

.

This was a plea from the fans to their beloved ‘The Beatles’ as the rock n roll music era came to an end, making way to the hippy cultured, hard hitting ‘Rock’. ‘Let It Be’ was the response to that plea , considered by many critics as the worst effort by the band, dubbed as discreet and soulless by reviewers but the album was a runaway hit with 4x platinum certification in U.S. It was the last effort by the band to sort out their differences so everybody tried their level best(except Lennon) they even climbed the top of Apple Studios but there was too much talent personified in the form of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr that it became difficult for ‘The Beatles’ to hold them together.

Like their previous efforts in this album too the band displays their wide array of music as they keep on experimenting, ‘Two Of Us’ is played on acoustic guitar with deliberate rock touch, Ringo Starr’s light bass drumming and Harrison’s bass adds to this magnificent road song by the duo of Lennon-McCartney . ‘Dig A Pony’ begins with a rock riff but soon it becomes a soft song with very ambiguous lyrics, which sometimes tell you about Lennon wanting his love and sometimes to see beyond the obvious. ‘Across The Universe’ is the most poetic song of The Beatles, it has a clear influence of their trip to India. The lyrics were literally visualized by Lennon in it abstract concepts are reified by phrases.

‘I Me Mine’ is a Harrison composition and more than just points to his interest in Hindu Mythology. The title itself comes from the Bhagvad Gita 2:71-72, the song describes selfishness of ‘Man’ and has blues riffs to support the notion, Lennon didn’t participate in the recording as he had already quit the band. ‘Dig It’ is a 51 second excerpt from one of the songs of Let It Be/Get Back sessions. ‘Let It Be’ is gospel-ish song with a great rock solo by Harrison. This is McCartney’s best creation till date and one of the finest ballads ever. ‘Maggie Mae’ is one of the traditional Liverpool songs. It is played in harmonica in such a way that you can hear each and every word sung by every singer.

‘ I’ve Got A Feeling’ to me is ‘The Beatles’ describing life in their own manner. It is two songs strung together as one. One part perceived by McCartney describes the brighter side in McCartney’s rock n roll cum rock style where as the other part perceived by Lennon describes the darker side in Lennon’s slow,soft and longing style. ‘One After 909′ is a unique blend early Beatles and the more mature Beatles. It has a simple 12 bar structure with rock riffs being played throughout the song. ‘Long And Winding Road’ is the saddest song by the band,not just because of the lyrics but due to the fact that it was the last nail in the coffin that had ‘The Beatles break up’ written all over it. This song’s overdubbing by Phil Specter got McCartney angry became the last reason in the series of reasons that led to the break up of the band. ‘For You Blue’ is Harrison in his own unique style binding blues music with romantic lyrics. Lennon plays a solo with lap steel guitar with shotgun shell to add ambiguity to the song. ‘ Get Back’ recorded on the Rooftop is one of the harder rocking songs of McCartney. It has simple but hard hitting lyrics dealing with issues such as immigration and racism. The now famous lines at the end of the song as the band winds up the song by Lennon is the most appropriate end to the sweeping, mesmerizing,rocking,controversial and sometimes mythical rock n roll, Roller Coaster ride called ‘The Beatles’.

“I’d like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves, and I hope we passed the audition”.

Valhalla,I am Coming

They came and they conquered it all. Led Zepplin IV was one of pivotal points in their conquest. This album covers all the music genres played by Led Zepplin in their career which includes- heavy metal, folk,rock,rock n roll,blues.

This album takes you in the mystical world of Robert Plant,where ring wraths breathe down your neck, apocalyptic gods shake the earth and a shining white lady turns every thing to Gold. The album starts with the multi layered ‘Black Dog’ opening like an Onion layer by layer showing the complexity in the sound due to which they were inimitable., With ‘Rock And Roll’ the band pays homage to the genre and its creators in their own inimitable style. ‘The Battle Of Evermore’ had an uncanny sound with Mandolin driven British Folk and high pitched vocals. You can see the battle being fought in front of your eyes as the army of dead sweep through the fields with Sandy Denny providing the grave war vocals along with Plant. ‘Stairway To heaven’ is the most celebrated Led Zepplin song and arguably one of the best songs in the rock history. The song actually encompasses the whole album , it starts like a soft acoustic song and ends with the blistering Jimmy Page solo the song changes its tempo several times and gives Robert Plant the opportunity to show his whole vocal range. Its lyrics raised a lot of controversy in the past, being labeled as satanist but they are open to all interpretations

‘Misty Mountain Hop’ a Hippie Satire is a standout song in its genre. ‘Four Sticks’ with its funky riffs saw Zepplin add another Feather to their experimental cap. ‘Going To California’ is my favorite Led Zepplin folk song it comes straight from Robert Plant’s heart describing the feelings of a 22 year old caught between love and Nostalgia .’When The Levee Breaks’ overwhelms listener with the aura of Grandeur. Ferocious blues riffs with apocalyptic touch and Harmonica saw Led Zepplin create one of the most frightening song theme ever. You can actually see Zepplin playing the song, as apocalypse Gods consume The Earth.

The album cover builds on the Enigma that Led Zepplin is, comprising of ‘The Four Symbols’ chosen by each band member, which are often interpreted in mystical ways as the band never described their meaning. The front cover itself describes the band’s interest in mysticism as its a biblical reference to ‘Cain’. This album laid the foundation for the metal genre and set a standard of band’s upcoming work. Thirty Seven years after its release it sounds as if released five or six years ago still inspiring every rock musician.

Original Track Listing

Side one

1. “Black Dog” (Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones) – 4:55
2. “Rock And Roll” (Page, Plant, Jones, John Bonham) – 3:40
3. “The Battle Of Evermore” (Page, Plant) – 5:38
4. “Stairway Of Heaven” (Page, Plant) – 8:01

Side two

1. “Misty Mountain Hop” (Page, Plant, Jones) – 4:39
2. “Four Sticks” (Page, Plant) – 4:49
3. “Going To California” (Page, Plant) – 3:36
4. “When The Levee Breaks” (Page, Plant, Jones, Bonham, Memphis Minnie) – 7:08

What It Takes To Be An Atheist

Some Days ago I went to this book fair organized by some local newspaper. As
expected it contained a lot of cheap paperbacks & religious books .But in that pile of trash I found this curious little book.

“Why I am an Atheist” by Bhagat Singh

 

Bhagat Singh,an Atheist???????????

This may come as a surprise to many of you.This tarnishes the image of revolutionaries that we have in our mind . We believe all revolutionaries to be believers of God talking about Harmony between people of different religions. But here I had this book in my hand where a revolutionary talks about Atheism. So out of mere curiosity I bought it.

It contained only two works of Bhagat Singh the others were destroyed by the britishers. One was an article about “Why I Am An Atheist” which Bhagat Singh wrote in jail it was smuggled out by his father and the other was an introduction to a collection of poetry called ‘Dreamland’ written by RamSaran Das a fellow revolutionary of Bhagat Singh.
The book unfolds like a onion, multiple layers and each layer having a different taste. It starts with some random thoughts of Bhagat Singh, his fellow revolutionaries accusing him of being arrogant and proudy as he did not believe in God.They thought it was Vanity that led to the birth of ‘Atheist Bhagat Singh’. Here Bhagat Singh Explains the true meaning of Atheist, he says Atheism does not because of vanity. A person having undue pride can never be an Aheist as he either believes ‘God’ to be his rival or he sees himself as ‘God’.In both cases he does’nt deny the very existence of a Supreme power. From here on the writer moves on giving names of revolutionaries being Atheists Trotsky,Lenin,Bakumin,Marx in that I add some more Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez.The writer became an Atheist at a very early age but he did’nt realise untill his first arrest which was in Lahore in may 1927. He describes the experience as calming and soothing because he feared nothing not even God. This enabled him to go into those realms of thoughts which were rarely visited by other men.He questioned his faith and reached a conclusion that there is no God no omnipotent.Why?He explains it in his own fashion.Suppose if there is a God an omnipotent an omniscient then what got into him that he created this world no one can give him the order. Ok,if he created the world then why did he differentiated between animals and human being for that case between two human beings.If he is omnipotent and everything is in his control then why he lets people suffer . Here according to him the abrahmic religions loose their logic and as for hindus who cites previous birth karma as the cause of sufferings,his answer to that is that biggest sin of a man is being poor,if a man is poor he is shunned by one and all,but is it what he chose no it was given to him by god(if you still believe in him). At the end he explains origin of life with The Darwin Theory. Bhagat Singh actually solved those queries which we all have in mind but we are too chicken hearted to say them aloud, he channelized his thoughts to make India a better place, his thoughts were to bring a soicialist government in India. But he was like many voices silenced by the Britishers and now we are silencing his voice by electing capitalists who call him A Terrorist[As written in Govt. Approved I.C.S.E 6th Standard social science book page 64 & 65].He at very early age showed us the power of thoughts, now it is up to us either to ‘Go With The Flow’ or Change The Flow.

Taare Zameen Par-Poetic Excellence

There was one question that was probing me again and again on my way back home from the cinema hall?????????????
When we can make such good movies with such good scripts then why the hell do we rely on bull shit subjects like reincarnation into same body or mob marriage or three men handling a baby or saving the art theatre or why do we rip hollywood sports movie scripts or why do we try to make bad singers actors.
The reason is belief.It is belief that many filmakers don’t have and it was belief that I think Amol Gupte had when he wrote the script,it was belief that Aamir Khan had when he started a film about a Dyslexic boy in which he himself appeared after half the film that too in a country where people want to see stars rather than movies.Yes, I think it was quintessentially belief not the towering persona not the bankable name and not even the dream of bringing the ever eluding Oscar home that enabled him to make this masterpiece.He had the belief in himself that I can.
The movie moves in a very poetic fashion describing the child,his surroundings,his life,his interests,his little problems.The first scene in the movie describes the life of ‘Ishan’ at his home the water in the gutter is his world he is the lone fish,his life though still but very dynamic he fights teachers,resists the boys who try to bully him and tries to find his own world by roaming the streets as if they were his.He is unacceptable in his living world,no one understands him thats why his best friends are dogs and fishes,his mother loves him but even she do’nt understand him. This is one situation which everyone of us faces in our lives sooner or later and the way we handle this situation determines our fate.By the time Ishan goes to hostel you become Ishan you cry when his mother leaves with tears in her eyes,you feel the pain when teacher beats him,you feel dejected when his parents don’t come on sunday and you feel confused when he is not able to solve questions.Then you are relieved when Aamir Khan comes and blooms in his unimitable style as RamShankar Nikumbh he bonds with the boy he opens many doors to a whole new world and he reaches new heights of acting when he tells the boy’s Father about “caring for your child” the end is great where free thinking triumphs and you feel you have won.
The cinematography is excellent specially the scene where Aamir Khan puts the boat made by the dyslexic boy in front of the photo of his mother and father who never helped another Dyslexic boy.All actors have delievered their best performances till date and that includes Aamir Khan too but Darsheel Safary steals the show even from Aamir Khan and Aamir Khan has let him grow even the name of the boy appears ahead of Aamir Khan in credits.The music is simply awesome to say the least the songs describe the thoughts of the characters again in a very poetic manner and the song “O meri maa” is the best song this year.After watching this excellent feature made for audiences of every cateogary and realizing what Amol Gupte and Aamir Khan have done this quote from Million Dollar Baby came to my mind
“Winners are willing to do what losers won’t.”

The Silent Observer

Blood being spilled for apiece of land,
destroying their paradise with their own hand.
Looking at each other with utmost hate,
not thinking about actions that are destroying their fate.
Sowing guns as the seeds,
reaping bombs from Saffron fields.
Sitting in midst of this war,
trapped like a fly in a jar.
When people ask me what am I doing,
I say I am silently observing.

Provoked on name of religion,
loosing the power to reason.
Opening their arms to hail the red dawn,
in th e process ignoring the bloody Sun.
The roads being bombed by the tanks,
innocent people dying on the flank.
Breaking into his own home to do the theft,
now chaos is all but left.
Doing nothing to manage the situation,
I am just silently observing the poisonous potion.

Death coming from all the directions,
their country being cut into sections.
Hooded beasts ruling their land,
saying they are doing it for them.
Slip of character due to oil,
sowing seeds on other man’s soil
Making their life hell,
ghost is creating riots from its shell.
What am I doing for my kin,
I am silently observing flask of all the man’s sin.

An Unfathomable Question

What is life? To me life has always been a wild goose. I have been chasing it since my childhood but still haven’t found a trace of it. It has always been a thing lying on the horizon, the more I chase it the more distant it appears. But in my quest to find or a more apt word should be to discover life , I have been to many places. Though in reality there are not many places I have been , but is the physical form only way to travel, can’t you travel through your mind. I have traveled through my mind, I have been to the weirdest of places I have been to the lush green prairies, to the deepest of oceans, to the darkest of dungeons, to the tallest of mountains. Everywhere I saw a different form of life in practice. But none I saw satisfied me. I saw life in forms of Ants who work tirelessly in summer to store food for winter but again collect food in winters, I saw life in form of birds who fly away from scarecrow not because they fear it but because its a game which amuses them,thus giving up their food for the sake of amusement, I saw life in form of beggars who go here and there and beg just to get one time’s meal but instead of eating they waste their earning to loose their senses. I saw life in the form of dogs who lick their master’s feet only to get a bone thrown for their food but instead of eating it they store it in a pit, I saw life in the form of a female snake who with all her love gives birth to many children but eat them when she’s hungry, then I saw life in form of an ordinary human being doing all the hard work for a piece of paper known as money which he will discard after some time like he discarded old copper coins. So the question that still stands like an unconquerable state is “What is life?” Food, amusement, greatness, happiness, children,work, money or ……………………………………………………………………

Nothing