Remembrance of things past : A lil romance :) English songs

A set of songs from the past,when romance was the main agenda :) Ideally at this point in time, the pursuits should be spiritual, but who can resist the lure of love and the cadence of a song that speaks of it? Walk down the tree lined path of songs that caught most nuances of that one thing that makes the world go round :)

"Stupid Cupid stop picking on me,....set me free ...can't do my homework". Yes that's when it started. Cupid didn't stop though...:)



You run, crawl and climb city walls, only to be with her ... but you still haven't found what you are looking for... "Still haven't found what I'm looking for" -U2.



Went round mooning and moaning ....:) Love, Love me do... someone to love, somebody new... Beatles



Things got funkier, sharper and bolder with age ..."One of these nights, one of these crazy nights... we are gonna find out what turns on your lights....."
and the reason for this nocturnal pursuit is also explained :) "I've been searching for an angel in white, I've been searching for the daughter of the devil himself, I've been searching for a bit of both...."



Finally, someone is sighted and the hormones go into overdrive:) Fine Young Cannibals - singing "You drive me crazy....."



Yes and she is more than a woman to you:) never mind that most people can tell by the way you walk that you are a dancing man, no time to loose, music loud and women warm... Bee Gees in Saturday Night Fever.



Yeas then the gushy, squishy, goofy phase, when you think everybody has the same disease :) Wet Wet Wet singing.. Love is all around me...



Things get to a fever pitch pretty soon...."Fever" sung by Peggy Lee. This is the version that I like. "Chicks were born to give your fever, whether it be centigrade or farenheit :) Fever! What a way to burn:)"



So now everything you do, you do it for her..
click here for Bryan Adams singing Everything I do from the movie Robin Hood.
If you want to look into Michelle Pfeiffers eyes:) watch this one;



That should put her on the top of the world... Carpenters



Things get into a rhythm and women do slow things down to a langoros pace don't they? Rigtheous Brothers singing Melody Unchained... slow, undulating, almost a caress that never ends....



Well, if in love, it is normal to think that the woman you love, is completely different from all other women you have known and those you don't know!
"Nothing ...Nothing compares to you" by Sinhead o Connor...



Those in love are known to travel to lonely places and enjoy nature a lot more:) "Truly madly deeply" -Savage Garden. " i want to stand with on you a mountain..:)" never fail lines if you are serenading her..



It is polite to thank people.. especially if there is a drop in intensity and you feel guilty, or the possibility of moving on begins to be a possibility. "Ive had the time of my life..." from the movie "Dirty Dancing"

click here for the movie Dirty Dancing sequence



In my search for freedom and peace of mind, I left the memories behind...wanted to start a new life .. but it seems rather absurd..when I know the truth is that I always think of you... some day .. some way ... we will be together baby...I'll take it and you'll take your time..we'll wait for our fate..becoz nobody owns us baby, .... tried to throw the picture out of my mind, tried to leave the memories behind... but the passion that you planted in the middle of my heart..is a passion that will never stop!...someday .. someway...

Remembrance of things past: A lil love "isthorey" - Hindi FilmSongs

Given below are a few songs that one used to hum when Cupid made one his target. It has no relevance today since one is more concerned these days about Lord Yama making an appearance on his buffalo:). Well, for those who did not follow that,I was merely suggesting that one was more likely to be preparing to meet St Peter at the pearly gates than being chased by Cupid and his arrows:).
Can "one" continue? :)

How trouble starts ...tumko dekha to yeh khayal aaya...



Talk about looking for trouble :) meet na mila re man ka...



You find someone.. say something and she hears something...Jaane Kya tune kahi..jaane kya meine suni.. baat kuch ban hi gayi...



The banwara bada naadan he...bagiyan ka mehman he... phir bhi kaliyan ka muskan he




People start playing flute at odd hours and the lady wants to know "man kyon beheka aadhi raat ko..."



and one thing leads to another ...then you see dreams.. tere mere sapne ek rang he..



Time starts playing tricks... waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam..



Theory of Relativity : time moves too fast and it is abhi na jao chodkar



You start small ... choti choti si baat



Managed to capitalise on limited time available: loote koi man ka nagar ... :)



Yes, gentlemen always marry their sweet hearts: teri bindiya re... (all time favourite)Yes and thanks to De Beers, some jewelry comes between lovers:)(no this is not a product placement: LOL)



Everything is hunky dory and you like everything around you. "Bade ache lagte hain yeh dharti yeh raina"



Raina ke saath chaand bhi niklega.. Chaudvin ka chand...




Start of trouble: Not at home when others are home and singing: Swami is out on work!



Soon trouble starts, complaints, shikwas, etal : tere bina zindagi se koi shikwa to nahin..



The net result .. saanj dale ...gagan tale ...hum kitne ekaki... well not counting the other woman:)




Things go from bad to worse and it gets into insomnia and cribs :)



Then you pine for her :Kabhi Kabhi and then... hamesha :) (my favourite)




At first you don't succeed you try harder :) tum bin jeevan kaise beeta .. poocho mere dil se.. I mean when you get hit, you stay hit:)



With passing age ... panic sets in..:)



As in all romantic stories "every body lived happily ever after.. after a few tears" :)

Remembrance of things past : A lil romance :) Malayalam songs

Given below are a few songs that one used to hum when Cupid made one his target. It has no relevance today since one is more concerned these days about Lord Yama making an appearance on his buffalo:). Well, for those who did not follow that,I was merely suggesting that one was more likely to be preparing to meet St Peter at the pearly gates than being chased by Cupid and his arrows:).
Can "one" continue? :)

"Nee arikal unayirunnengil ennu njan, oru mathra veruthe" ..."I wish you were with me" :)Simple isn't it? Liked the library sequence..there is something about the quiet air there and the sensitive people who land up there that makes me open up! a I have lost my heart many a time and invariably to those with a love for the written word :)



"Ente chempaneer poovinte"... all about love that need not be spoken.. subtle, deep and the kind of intimacy in relationships that are often magical...



"Aaro veral meeti manasin man veenayil"... someone plays the music of love within the confines of your mind...manju warrier did a sensitive and stunning potrayal of a hyper sensitive girl who lived amongst her dreams and poetry..touches your heart!



"Pineyum pineyum aaro padikadannethunna padaniswaram".. Is someone entering your life? is it the one that you were waiting for all the while ...manju warrier at her best again..



She brings music to your life: "Ennale nee oru sundara ragamayen ponnodakuzhalil vannolichi irrunu"



This one is a poetic rendition of love and an invitation to consummate the relationship ..."Chakravarthini ninnaku njan ente shilpa gopuram thurannu, puspa padakam purathu vachu nee nagna pathayayi akathu varu"



"Manjalayil mungi thorthi, dhanu masa chandrika vannu, nine mathram kandilelo.." "The moonlit winter night with its chill has come in but not you... " Jayachandran's version brings out the pining of the lover....



"Ennodenthinee pinakam? ennum endhinanu enodu paribhavam.." this was a take on Othello by Jayaraj and this is the plaintive Desdemona bemoaning the unexplained coldness of her love...



"Varamanjaladiya raavin maril... oru manju thuli" about the blossoming of love. The metaphors used are picturesque...and from nature. Chitra's voice at its melodious best.....



Palavattom .. poem by madhumuttam in Manichitrathazhu. The translation and the link is attached:
http://mayanmuse.blogspot.com/2007/07/poem-by-madhumuttam-from-movie.html.



"Ende Kadinjol pranaya kathayile penkodi.." "To the heroine of my first love story...searching for you many a dusk has passed by..." .This song from the movie "OoLkadal" was shot in Trivandrum at Mar Ivanios College where I studied and at the Trivandrum Museum which was a familiar haunt.I therefore identified with it a lot. This poem was written by ONV Kurup.



"Saradhindhu malardeepa naalam neeti surabhila yamangal shruti meeti" from the same movie.I saw it when I was 16 and the song has stayed in my mind even now:) I probably identified very strongly with intense and sensitive proagonist in the novel/screenplay and the nature of the relationship. KG George did a wonderful job in keeping a sombre tone and mood in the film.

NOSTALGIA III : Remembrance of things past - English Songs

This is the third part of the series. The songs here are in English and they reflect the emotions expressed in the first two editions. You can see them by clicking "earlier posts" at the bottom of the page.

Yesterday love was such an easy game to play....



I sang this as a kid when I was in the school choir.It stayed with me ever since.
"Sunrise, sunset swiftly flowing by,...when did he get to be so tall?, when did she get to be a beauty? Wasn't it yesterday that they were small?"...



This is a rather sad song and the context is interesting.The song was based on "Le Moribond" ("The Dying Man"), written by Jacques Brel in 1961. Brel's song was translated into English by poet Rod McKuen. Terry Jacks, rewrote part of the lyrics to "lighten them up."
WESTLIFE singing"Seasons in the Sun" CLICK HERE
The original version:



Nostalgia Hindi Songs\

 Nostalgia Malayalam Songs

NOSTALGIA - II Remembrance of things past- Hindi Songs

This is the second part of the article on nostalgia. I have kept Hindi songs that suit the ethos. The first part can be accessed by clicking on "earlier posts".



Karoge yaad to..



Nostalgia English Songs

 Nostalgia Malayalam songs

NOSTALGIA: Remembrance of things past

This was triggered by a series of photos that a friend from college days had posted. The memories came rushing in. Somehow, there was a longing for the times gone by, a sweet ache. Given that I spend most of my time amongst poets and writers, through their words, a poem by Thomas Moore came to mind. I read it in my teens, but somehow it has stayed somewhere and has now come to renew its acquaintance!

Light Of Other Days- Thomas Moore

Oft in the stilly night
Ere slumber`s chain has bound me,
Fond Memory brings the light
Of other days around me:
The smiles, the tears
Of boyhood`s years,
The words of love then spoken;
The eyes that shone,
Now dimm`d and gone,
The cheerful hearts now broken!
Thus in the stilly night
Ere slumber`s chain has bound me,
Sad Memory brings the light
Of other days around me.

When I remember all
The friends so link`d together
I`ve seen around me fall
Like leaves in wintry weather,
I feel like one
Who treads alone
Some banguet - hall deserted,
Whose lights are fled
Whose garlands dead,
And all but he departed!
Thus in the stilly night
Ere slumber`s chain has bound me,
Sad Memory brings the light
Of other days around me.

Freddy Birdy, in an advertising campaign aimed at promoting better care for the aged, wrote that old age is when you look for your friends in the obituaries. I sometimes see my parents do that. And see the dejection when they find a familiar face. There is a sigh and a statement "Ayalum yatra aayi". Translated,it means "he/she has also said his/her goodbye". They possibly realize time has flown by and the stories of bye gone days then come up. The fights, the jokes , the slights , are all detailed and surprisingly ,tears flow, scowls deepen and sometimes laughter consumes them, as though all that is discussed is current. I guess somehow, at some time point in your life , it is the sum total of your memories, that decide how rich your life has been or how well you have lived it.

Most people have an opinion that it is living in the "now", that is important. While the past is over and the future is a mystery, the present is the reality , they argue. Even as I agree with them, it is inescapable to me that all of us carry baggage from our past that defines us and which affects our emotional quotient.
It then makes sense to me , that we celebrate the good times when they happen and build a bank of happy memories to draw upon , when the tide turns and joy becomes scarce! Probably this explains why we follow rituals and festivals religiously, and that too with pomp and splendor. And I guess in the times we live in , photos and videos help preserve this for posterity!. One way of transcending time!

I also believe that "vengeance" has such a high valency with a lot of us, for this reason. Retribution is an effective anti-dote for a negative and hurtful memory and manages to neutralize it somehow. I once saw an infant cry after falling and his mother, in an effort to stop him crying, pretended to give the floor a spanking for hurting her child! The child immediately stopped crying:) Possibly this also explains why popular fiction is replete with stories of vendetta! The "Count of Monte Cristo" being the most enduring of them. The Mahabharata has the incident of Draupadi refusing to wash her hair till she could get the blood of her tormentors to wash it with! One way of ensuring that the incident was never forgotten by her husbands!! Chanakya's revenge brought down an Empire!! In Hamlet, the bard examined this question as a dilemma that Hamlet faced after his father's murder. Clint Eastwood with his cop capers and Charles Bronson with his "Deathwish" franchise banked on the unrequited anger of the "victim" when the system fails to deliver "justice" or an "eye" for an "eye" !! Probably why someone told me that the best medicine for a rape victim would be the testicles of her castrated tormentor delivered in a salted jar !I agree ! It would probably bring down the crime rate !

Nature has managed to keep a beautiful balance between what is forgotten and what is remembered. We learn to forget things that are not essential and to loose the emotional imprint of many unpleasant things. I realized that it was a blessing, when I read about a lady who could not forget anything. She was an emotional wreck, because every taunt, insult and incident from infancy onwards, was fresh in her mind, making it difficult for her to move on in life and have a long term perspective . She simply could not enjoy the moment and live in the present !

Yes, Nostalgia has its sweet and painful moments! Prof ONV Kurup in this poem dwells on the sweet ache of walking down memory lane into the garden of memories. One of my favourites. It appeared in the movie "Chillu"

 

Movie Name: Chillu (1982)
Singer: Janaki S
Music Director: Sreenivasan M B
Lyrics: Kurup ONV
Year: 1982
Director: Lenin Rajendran
Actors: Jalaja, Kanaka Latha, Shanti Krishna, Venu Nagavally

Aa..aa..aa..aa
Oru vattam koodi ennormmakal meyunna
Thirumuttathethuvan moham         (2)
Thirumuttathoru konil nilkkunnora nelli
Maram onnuluthuvan moham      (2)
Adarunna kaymanikal pozhiyumbol
Chenneduth athilonnu thinnuvan moham 
Sughamezhum kaippum pulippum madhuravum
Nukaruvan eppozhum moham

Thodiyile kinar vellam kori kudich
Enthu madhuram ennothuvan moham  
Aa..aa..aa..aa
Oru vattam koodiya puzhayude theerath
Veruthe irikkuvan moham            (2)
Veruthe irunnoru kuyilinte
Pattu kettethir pattu paduvan moham
Ethir pattu paduvan moham
Athu kelkke uchathil kookum kuyilinte
Shruthi pinthudaruvan moham
Oduvil pinangi parannupom pakshiyod
Aruthe ennothuvan moham
Veruthe ee mohangal ennariyumbozhum
Veruthe mohikkuvan moham          (2) 


"Veru the ee mohangal ennariyumbozhum veruthe mohikkuvan moham" .These two lines, actually captures the soul of this poem, which is about a man reminiscing about his bye gone days.

ONV at his best. If one takes the temerity to translate this, it would mean
'Even as I know,
these wishes will remain wishes,

Yet I wish
to dream these dreams"



Another favourite of mine, "Pomakal Vazhunna kovilil ninnoru sopana sangitam pole". And the soul of the song "Ormakalkendu sugandam, en atmavin nashta sugandam..."
http://youtu.be/RIlG-77fodc



Ormakal Ormakal .....orikalengilum kanda mukhangale marakan eluthamo?
"swapnangal enodu vida paranju" ... unforgettable lines.



No collection is complete without this song "Aliyambal kadavailann arraku vellam, annu nammal onnayi thuzhanjile kothumbu vellam.." A man reminiscing about the troubles they went through..and the love they shared..









Nostalgia English Songs


Nostalgia Hindi SongsNostalgia Hindi Songs

Classmates - Malayalam Film Songs

"Classmates" was a phenomenal hit in Kerala. One of the most insightful movies which managed to capture the ethos and happenings in a typical Kerala College Campus with amazing accuracy and sensitivity. Nearly everyone identified with the situations, characters and happenings. Brilliant music which captured the feel and style of music that was endemic to those times, added to the appeal.

I am posting this for all the Cochin SMS MBA batch mates who are getting together this December after 25 years of their first meeting:) Also to all those who were with me in Mar Ivanios Thiruvananthapuram, where I spent my turbulent teens, actively involved in student union activities, with a strange and innocent notion, that I could change the world and live life on my own terms.:)

P.S. This post is revisited thanks to a few  Classmates from my graduate days( Mahesh Nair and others), who left no stone unturned or rather, no phone call unmade, to ensure that the motley group of 66 "classmates" were contacted, called and cajoled into getting into Facebook and then to the event itself.

Economic Development in India and China vis a vis the UK and USA

 Hans Rosling on the rise of China and India over the years. Witty, interesting and a simple take on the linear data involving growth in life expectancy and per capita income. He manages to illustrate how political changes affected these two development indicators and how things are expected to pan out. The key points to be noted include the impact of war on the economy and how  skewed economic growth can be a dampener.
http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_asia_s_rise_how_and_when.html

Kung fu Fighting: Tiger attack on elephant mahout

I liked this because it clearly depicts the suddenness and lethality of the attack. The tiger is agile and leaps to counter the height advantage and lands a blow even as it lands. Note the perfect timing of the jump, speed and power. Note that it leads with the paw and has its jaws open for the follow up bite as it were. Phew! One more case for agility, speed and accuracy over brute weight and muscles.

Forest officials opine that in the event of a conflict with a lone tusker, the feline carnivore will go for the elephant's forehead by instinct. In most cases it is the pressure point and as the paws dig in ,it brings the tusker down. It is a different story when they move in a herd.:)

As far as the mahout is concerned, all he could have done would have been to hold the long spear steady ,leveraging it on the elephant's body to pierce the tiger's neck and lower body as it came closer, but I guess that is easier said than done :)

Kalaripayyatu has a movement called the "ana thiruppu" with the sword and long sword which is patterned on the tusker that is in "must".

Kung fu Fighting: Monkey Style

Jokes apart, it is a case of guerrilla warfare in action :) The two powerful, but inexperienced opponents are powerless against a nimble and peripatetic opponent, who is never stationary and is difficult to predict. Note how intelligently the monkey uses the terrain, it helps him increase his speed and opens up angles for attack. It is not always the bulky musclemen who win battles , it is often the intelligent, nimble , agile , opponent.

The tigers could have used their numerical advantage in this case with one distracting the monkey and the other one launching a surprise attack from a hidden spot. Apparently age and experience here was a factor ? If one observes carnivores hunt, it is often a team effort with attacks from different angles and directions. Somehow they also seem to know the soft spot and any one of the pride would go for the jugular and hold on, while the others would wear the prey down. None of that happened here, they were clearly outwitted:)

Most martial arts of the East incorporate animal poses and styles in the movements and tactics. Kung fu has the "monkey" , "tiger", "crane" and "dragon" styles in their pedagogy. "Kalaripayyatu" which is believed to be the forerunner of "Kung fu" and "accupuncture" techniques originated in Kerala , in South India and uses a lot of animal inspired fighting ploys and strikes.The "snake" strikes and poses are the notable.

GREAT ADVERTISING: Meaning of Life- from Coca Cola

HELEN FISHER ON LOVE, ANTI-DEPRESSENTS AND WHY WE ARE ADULTEROUS

 What reasons lie behind romance building up in relationships? Why do we fall madly in love? Why do we then cheat on our loved ones? What explains the mad, possessive nature of love? Why do people kill for love, or die for love? Is being in love like having a snort of cocaine? What has dopamine levels to do with love? What has oxytocin to do with love? What has serotonin got to do with love? Is there more to the saying, that the "chemistry" is not right? Why do women find adventurous men, sexy? All these are answered in this delightful lecture by Helen Fisher an anthropologist.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/helen_fisher_tells_us_why_we_love_cheat.html

The Econoimist: Food Prices and the Economy

http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displaystory.cfm?subjectid=478044&story_id=14926114