Songs to Remember - II

It is said and rightly so by many that the agony of loneliness cannot be explained away just by pushing some notes on the harmonium or by writing some lines on paper - these words have to come from the depth of one's own deep recesses. No wonder then that today's lyrics fail to reach the depths of our heart despite so many technological innovations and in our moments of pain, we often gravitate to our songs from the past. Only that song can feel the pain of this heart which itself is grounded in pathos, written in pain and composed in agony

No amount of words - however well-intentioned- can ever explain the pain of a loner's heart - of a heart the waits and waits and waits, not knowing whether that wait would ever end - not knowing whether that wait would ever receive acknowledgment - but the heart still waits, knowing that it's it's job to wait!

Why? No one knows but in line with what a wise man once said "The Heart has it's reasons which reason does not know". I can only say what has been immortalized for ages in the beautiful song by one of my all-time favourite bands, MLTR:

"It's only words and words are all I have;
to tell you what I feel for you"

The agony of waiting cannot be stated - it can only be felt. No power on earth can explain it in words - no power on earth can put it in words - it's only something that can be felt and nowhere is it felt more than the song that I wish to bring to your notice now.

In 1953, a beautiful Ghazal was composed by Majrooh, and put to tunes by the underrated Khayaam and sung by the man with the velvety voice - the man whose voice was so silky that even Dhaka Muslin would have found itself worth nothing when compared to it's sweet, soft and painful voice - it was the voice of the great Talat Mehmood. No song can be more heart-breakingly so beautiful when it has to be so painful

As if on cue, the song was filmed on the man who broke a million hearts with his deep, brooding and scorching eyes - Dilip Kumar and directed again by the much under-rated but excellent Zia Sarhadi for his path breaking film - Footpath


What a song, what a voice, what a performance but most importantly - what an emotion!

Listen to the way the song begins:

Shaam-E-Ghum Ki Qasam; Aaj Ghumgheen Hain Hum
Aa Bhi Jaa, Aa Bhi Jaa, Aaj Mere Sanam

The softness of the words, the longing, the soft caress of the singer to each and every word in the song can bring tears into the eyes of the most stony of men. Look at the pleading in the tone - the request that can be seen in the song, the pain of loneliness and the hurt at being left alone - all of them combine to create tears.

The silence of the night can only be felt - whenever I hear this song and drink of the simple rhythm that follows it - I am often reminded of the pain a beloved maybe undergoing to meet the one it loves - imagine this, a lover without any contacts with his beloved, frustrated and unable to build any contacts with her, far away from her, frustrated with his impotence, his helplessness - and then feel the depth of a lonely night engulfing him - the emotions will tell you of that painful moment and words will not be required again

The singer continues:

Dil Pareshaan Hai, Raat Veeraan Hai
Dekh Jaa Kis Tarah, Aaj Tanha Hain Hum

The singer is at his best expression of frustrated loneliness. Listen to this song and you will be dumbfounded by the slight tremble that brings so much pain to all who can hear it. The song trembles on, making it very difficult for us to keep our emotions in control

Talat gives further evidence of his tremble - the quality of his voice that set him apart from the others - (the 'Kapish' as it was called) as he further navigates the depths of his feelings with the next couplet

Chain Kaisa Jo Pehlu Mein Tu Hi Nahin?
Maar Daale Naa Dard-E-Judaai Kaheen

What can be more truer to a man of love that what has been expressed above! How can one who loves find solace in anything except what he construes to be the only source of his hapiness. As if he has read our minds, the singer continues:

Rut Haseen Hai To Kya? Chaandni Hai To Kya?
Chaandni Zulm Hai Aur Judaai Sitam!
Shaam-E-Ghum Ki Qasam.....

The rush of questioning, the force of questioning and the passing of a judgement that without love all is wasted is the greatest sign of a man's final rebellion for his love.... Everytime I hear this song, my heart goes out to that one beautiful moment wherein true love rejects all happiness if they do not accord with the yearnings of the heart.

Simply sweet! Simply beautiful!

But the lover knows that this rush of adrenaline will not help him - his loneliness requires the presence of the loved one and so the lover goes back to supplication with a deeper sign of resignation

Ab To Aa Jaa Ke Ab Raat Bhi Ho Gayee
Zindagi Ghum Ke Sehraa Mein Kho Gayee
Dhoondhti Hai Nazar, Tu Kahan Hai Magar?
Dekhte Dekhte Aaya Aankhon Mein Num

And with that finally the lover breaks down into tears.....

What a song..... what a pain.... what feelings ..... slowly and steadily the pain envelops the listener and he falls asleep as tears from his eyes fall next to him and form a small puddle next to his aching eyes

To the beloved, I would like to surmise a beautiful couplet from Ghalib:

Humko Maalum Hai Taghafful Na Karoge Lekin,
Khhaaq Ho Jaayenge Hum Unko Khabar Hone Tak

Indeed, the pain remains, the loneliness remains but look at those tears - aren't they more beautiful than the most shiny of all pearls?