Saanvi

Words Weave Stories – My Favourite Lyrics Part 1 (Bollywood)

I recently re-watched one of my favourite Hindi movies ever, which is Meri Pyaari Bindu of course. Hehe. If you follow me on Instagram, you know how much I keep talking about this movie. The best part of this movie is how it weaves music into their lives, and more specifically through beautifully woven words. The soundtrack of MPB is what compelled me to write this post. So, here we go!

Previously, I considered the lyrics of a song just as important as any other element in the song. At times, I deliberately ignored the words in order to focus on the bigger picture. However, the power of good lyrics cannot be underestimated. In short and simple phrases, they tell wonderful stories. Some even make you think about life’s meaning.

Here is a very small list of some Hindi songs whose lyrics have either made me smile or cry, and sometimes both at the same time. Perhaps you have heard these songs before, but if you have not paid attention to their lyrics, I urge you to do so.

1. Maana Ke Hum Yaar Nahi

To be very honest, I did not like this song back when it released. Thought of it as just another song sung by an actress, overhyped to a large extent. However, after I watched the movie and understood the context of the lyrics, I bawled my eyes out. I love this song’s lyrics in its entirety, but if I have to choose some favourite lines, they would be these:

“Maana ke hum yaar nahin
Lo tay hai ke pyaar nahin”

“Saath mein koi ho tumhare
Door se hi tum muskaana”

“Baat chhide jo meri kahin
Tum usko bhool bataa dena”

The last scene was so melancholic that it broke my heart into millions of pieces, but I somehow had happy tears by the time I could process the movie fully. I guess this is why I love this movie and its songs so much. It makes you realise that real letting go is humble; it is not about removing a person’s memory from your head but accepting that they will always live with you, and you will always remember them in the bits and pieces they left in you.

2. Sharminda Hoon

I stumbled upon this beautiful song one fine day in… I really don’t remember when, but I know that I loved it the instant I heard it. Madhushree’s melodious voice and A.R. Rahman’s music; what else does one really need to make the perfect song? My favourite part of this song are the opening lines which go this way:

“Main ik lehar hoon jo,
Samay ki nadi se
Bas tumse milne kinaare thhi aayi
Magar jo bhi ho, har ik leher ko
Mit jana hai, nadi mein hi ja ke”

I haven’t watched this movie yet, but I’ve heard it’s an underrated gem. Tell me if you have!

3. Manchala

When I say that this movie has the BEST songs, I mean it. They suit every single mood you are in. And Manchala is one song that has always been a part of my life. The song, on its surface, has a happy undertone. But the lyrics speak something else altogether:

“Duniya jahaan ki bandishon ki,
Yeh kahaan parwaah kare
Jab, kheenche teri dor
Kheenche teri dor”

“Khamoshiyon ki sooraton mein
Dhoondhe tera shor, dhoondhe tera shor”

“Tere liye aaj khud se hi bhaage hain
Himmat ke tukde bator,
Ho bhaage zamaane se
Chhup ke dabe paanv jaise koi chor”

I can listen to this song anytime, anywhere. And I always cry, ALWAYS. Hasee Toh Phasee is another one of my favourite Bollywood movies… I guess I really like Parineeti now. 😛

4. Rehna Tu

Okay, enough with the sad songs on this list. Rehna Tu tells you to stay exactly as you are, because your imperfections make you valuable. A fantastic composition by A.R. Rahman for sure. My favourite lyrics from this song are:

“Tujhe badalna, na chahoon
Rati bhar bhi sanam
Bina sajawat, milawat
Na zyaada na hi kam”

“Haath tham chalna hi
To dono ke daaye haath sang kaise”

“Ek daaya hoga, ek baayaan hoga,
Tham le, haath yeh thaam le
Chalna hai sang tham le”

Fun Fact: The instrument (or actually, the synthesizer) used at the end of the song is called a Continuum Fingerboard and Rahman sir is one of the few people in the world who can play it. Go listen to the song again right now, and notice the beautiful solo at the end!

I kept this list so small because there are so many songs with mind-blowing lyrics, and I would love to write more parts of this post. Let me know about your favourite songs and their lyrics too!

Also, is it only me or does Abhishek Bachchan always get the finest songs in his movies? XD

Until next time,

Saanvi (@tunesnmelodieswriter)

Indie India – The Local Train

“सोचता हु क्यों चेहरा है नक़ाब
अजनबी है तू फिर कौन दिलनवाज़”

The Local Train introduced me to the indie music scene in India, and I’m sure it did the same for a lot of others as well. When I first heard Dil Mere (which I’m listening to at this moment too), I knew that I would love whatever music they make. There is something truly refreshing about their music. Several people have described it as ‘anthemic,’ and I cannot disagree.

The band was formed in 2008, when four guys came together to make music that would entirely change the way indie rock was perceived in our country. Every one of them has brought something different to the table because of their backgrounds and age-groups. The result? The experience of watching a live show right in the comfort of your own home with music that has you waving your arms, banging your head, and air drumming.

“जब लगे हर घड़ी के
अब इस रात की ना है सुबह कोई
कर यकीन देख तू के
आफ़ताब वो हसीं है छुपा यहीं कहीं”

I have always loved the use of both Hindi and Urdu words in their songs. Their lyrics are simple, yet full of meaning and depth. Somehow, they bring about a sense of contentment. They make you calmer, tell you to stop expecting too much; their music makes you feel at ease. While Choo Lo makes you long for someone you love, Aaftaab gives you the hope you need to believe that everything is going to be alright, that there’s sunshine after rain, light after a downpour of gloom.

Listening to TLT’s music always gives me an extra boost of motivation. I mean, if you listen to Bandey at full volume and tell me that you didn’t vibe hard to it, I’ll choose not to believe you. 😉

Chalo bye let me get back to manifesting that I get to attend their concert at least ek baar zindagi mein.

Until next time,

Saanvi (@tunesnmelodieswriter)

Music for the Nights You Spend Alone

Do you ever feel like there’s so much running through your head that you can’t even close your eyes and sleep? Staring at the fan or your window screens, you wait for a wave of drowsiness to hit. But it doesn’t. You end up thinking about what you could have replied differently to someone and how that could have changed everything. And before you know it, it’s already 4 in the morning.

So here’s some music for those nights you spend overthinking, for those nights you feel like waking up the next day would be a struggle, and for those nights you spend… alone. However you feel, just know that these feelings are fleeting, they’ll be gone before you even realise it.

1. Waqt Ki Baatein by Dream Note

Do you ever listen to a song and wish it just… stays with you and nobody gets to find out about it because it’s so good? Waqt Ki Baatein is one of those songs. (I’m sharing it here only because I know that if you’re reading this, you will appreciate the song :P) I view this song as someone who tells me that everything will be okay in the end. It has gotten me through some difficult times, during days when I thought nothing was going the way it was supposed to. The power of soulful music and meaningful lyrics cannot be understated.

2. Sabr by Piyush Bhisekar

This song fits best under the title of this blog. The song tells us to cling to our faith, to have ‘sabr’ (patience) because the next good thing will arrive sooner than you can imagine. It has a way of making you cry as well as lulling you to sleep. What I like most about this song are its lyrics; simple yet effective. Additionally, I recommend checking out Piyush Bhisekar’s music. In my opinion, he is one of the best new indie artists in India!

3. Ankahee (from Lootera)

“Patte jo shaakhon se toote, bewajah toh nahi roothe hain sabhi”. Ankahee describes an age-old tale left untold. Amitabh Bhattacharya beautifully narrates stories through his words. I am still in awe of this song, its music and the wonderful songwriting. It is difficult for me to interpret it without having seen the movie, however, feel free to share your thoughts on it if you have!

4. Stop This Train by John Mayer

The train of life goes by all too quickly, and we are so preoccupied with the idea of growing up that we forget to enjoy the remaining parts of our childhood. In his song, John Mayer talks about a feeling very personal yet universal, which makes you think about everything you have not thought about yet. At the end of the day, don’t we all want to stop the train, get off, and go home again?

5. Khud Se by Osho Jain

My favourite lines from this song are: “Mujhko nadiyon pahadon ne bola, koi bhi khafa na hai tujhse, tu hi khafa hai bas khudse.” As we fret about what others think about us, we often lose sight of who we are. The most important thing is to love yourself, accept your flaws, and be a better person.

6. Nindiya Re – Studio Version by Kaavish

Ending this list with a lullaby. Listen to this song if you’re having a tough time sleeping. It works like magic. Kaavish is a contemporary semi-classical band formed in Pakistan, but as we all know, Coke Studio has been a musical bridge between the talented artists of both our countries. This song is proof that music truly has no boundaries. ❤

As you must have noticed already, this blog mostly contains indie music, since these songs and their artists are very underrated. They deserve more appreciation because their music provides so many people with the hope they need.
The idea for this blog came from a playlist I created a long time ago. It helped me sleep (literally), so if you want to check it out, here’s the link! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Oq3fqm1G8WQLE7C1ObSxG?si=2caaf14100864e11

Until next time,

Saanvi (@tunesnmelodieswriter)

Why I Loved Their Music – HIMYM Soundtrack Analysis

Hello, everybody! I’m glad to have already found inspiration to write the first post for my brand new blog – Tunes ‘n Melodies, all thanks to a rainy day and Spotify.

If you know me well (or have followed me on Instagram for a while), you know how much I adore How I Met Your Mother’s soundtrack. If you’ve seen HIMYM, you get transported right into that particular scene every time you listen to a song from the series. Imagine reliving the thrill of watching one of your favourite shows for the very first time? HIMYM’s entire soundtrack does this job very well.
Now when I say analysis, it does not mean that I’m going to mention every single song I liked, but I will certainly mention a few that fit well with what I wrote above. So, here we go!

1. Season 4 – Prophets by A.C. Newman

Life can be confusing. You might have to give up a lifelong dream just to survive. But sometimes, it is the decision you did not want to make that leads you to what you’d been wishing for, one way or another. Ted quit being an architect and took up the job at Columbia University, which might not have seemed like the best decision to him at the time, but it turned out to be one (if you know, you know). This song fits so well because they jump ‘one by one by one by one’ too. So take Lily’s advice: listen to what the world is telling you to do and… take the leap! Metaphorically, of course.

2. Season 5 – Oxford Comma by Vampire Weekend

After taking the big decision to change his profession in Season 4, this season premiere showed Ted on his first day teaching at Columbia University. This scene was hilarious. Let’s face it, it isn’t easy to spell ‘professor’ correctly on the first try. Meticulous and obsessed with making things right, we can see Ted Mosby definitely caring about an Oxford Comma and many more things, such as him deciding about what kind of a professor he would link to be, for which he took a significant amount of time.

Before I start writing further, here’s a disclaimer: I LOVE ALL THE SONGS FROM SEASON 8, which means that the next few songs will be… from Season 8.

3. Season 8 – The Funeral by Band of Horses

This episode taught me two German words that don’t really exist: Lebenslangerschicksalsschatz (which supposedly meant ‘lifelong treasure of destiny’) and beinaheleidenschaftsgegenstand (‘the thing that is almost the thing that you want, but it is not quite’). The words might not be real, but the concept certainly is. We meet a wide variety of people throughout our lives. Some people are temporary, while others become so important to us that it is impossible for us to live without them. HIMYM’s choice of songs is what compelled me to write about it, but this song was special because it had a hidden meaning, one that we discovered in the series finale.

4. Season 8 – Museum of Flight by Damien Jurado

Sad scene. Sad song. I liked Barney and Quinn together; they made an excellent couple. But the reason they did not end up together was something that makes every relationship last forever: trust. This is my favourite song from the soundtrack, for it is melancholic yet real.

5. Season 8 – Simple Song by The Shins

The curators of HIMYM probably made the best choice of song with this one. The repetitive beats of the song, important scenes unfolding one by one, the build-up to the last scene, everything was remarkable. The Mother was revealed, we saw the yellow umbrella too 😉 A lot was revealed in the last three minutes; it was an emotional roller coaster. I would also like to mention that The Shins make music that makes you nostalgic, so if you’re feeling that way, their songs can be your escape.

6. Season 9 – Downtown Train by Everything But The Girl

All of us ugly-cried at this scene. Their conversation kept us riveted to the screen as we listened to faint but beautiful music in the background. The show’s titular question was finally answered, and Tracy’s addition to the show was refreshing. (I’ll never accept the actual ending, for me this is where the show ends okay? :P)

The show was not entirely about Ted and Robin’s on and off relationship, nor was it about Marshall and Lily’s marriage. And it was definitely not about Barney’s suits (or his Playbook :P). Some shows make you think about life, and even though it might not have been possible to afford an apartment like that in New York City, HIMYM certainly gave us a reason to live unapologetically and made us realize it takes time to become the best version of ourselves. All that matters is having fun throughout.

And with this, we come to the end of this post. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Listen to the songs (AND WATCH THE SHOW) if you haven’t, and let me know what you think!

Until next time,

Saanvi (@tunesnmelodieswriter)

Starting My Music Blog

Hello there!

It has been on my mind since last year that I should start (or resume) blogging. My free time and nothing special to do prompted me to implement the idea as soon as possible. I, however, am not one to talk about my life in detail, primarily because I do little in a day and nothing unusual. This made me realize I don’t necessarily need to write about the things I do every day; I can certainly write about other things. So… why not explore the vast world of music? After all, it’s the one thing I dedicate 90% of my time to.
I will primarily write about music I and my friends listen to; sometimes I will write about a song and what it means to me, and sometimes I will write about a movie soundtrack. Having said that, I will also post updates about my life here, whenever something interesting happens.
Looking forward to posting something here real soon. Goodbye for now!