Skip to main content

Music and Lyrics




What would be the first thing that would come to your mind when I say music or lyrics? I am willing to bet you would think about the music from the genre that you prefer. And that is normal to do so. Rock, classical, pop, jazz, rap; there are different genres to choose from. To each his own: as people would say. Often enough, the kind of music that a person listens to gives off a clue about the kind of person he or she would be. Of course, this may not always hold to be true and I am no one to judge on that. Nevertheless, whatever genre we prefer, it is undeniable that music plays an important part in all of our lives.

To say so, music may have been in existence for at least 55,000 years and the first music may have been invented in Africa and then evolved to become a fundamental constituent of human life. It is amazing how much music has transformed with time; yet it still holds a mesmerizing impact even today whatever be the form.

Speaking of mesmerizing impact, I was reading this book called Men without Women a few days ago. It is by Haruki Murakami. And I came across this beautiful line: Music has the power to revive memories, sometimes, so intensely that they hurt. This line holds so much truth. Have you ever felt how a song playing in the background takes you back to your childhood days? Or how humming a song brings a smile to your lips without you even realizing that you are smiling like an idiot all alone? Or how a certain song reminds me you of that holiday you took with your friends. Memories! This being said, how about music playing a role in our daily lives? Playing that song in the car makes getting to work more fun doesn’t it? Or swaying along the music doing household chores can make household work less boring. There are endless possibilities! And music adds life to life, if you know what I mean.

You don’t need me to tell you how much a song can mean to you or how music can drive you down the memory lane, you already know that. Music has taken a new form in a phenomenal way through generations. The music made 3 decades before is different as to the music created today; but the sole purpose remains the same doesn’t it? : Entertainment and art. Art is exactly what the combination of music and lyrics create.

It is astounding how music and lyrics together can create magic. It often comes to my mind how the songwriter or the lyricist can pour his or her feelings into words like that. How do you find the right words to say what you are feeling? How do you arrange those words in such a way to confess? It must really take a lot of effort to reach out to the audience and make them connect through what you are trying to say. And one must really need to lose himself to write in such a way. They say that when you’re happy you sway to the music and when you’re sad you understand the lyrics. We can always find ourselves the right music to go with our mood. And that is a beautiful thing. Be it buying a cassette of your favorite band in those days or travelling several hours to see your idolized singer live or replaying that song on YouTube these days, music is part of everyday life.  It is a beautiful thing that people across the world have been united with art created by music and lyrics.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rajamati

I think we’ve all heard the song of Rajamati growing up. It is so popular that many people in Nepal claim this is the only Newari song that they have heard. The song was written some 200 years back. The first few lines go like this, which I’m sure you must have heard of, unless you’ve been living under a rock: Rājamati kumati, jike wasā pirati Hāya bābā Rājamati-chā Rājamati mabila dhāsā Kāshi wane tela bubā Hayā biu Rājamati-chā. San dhāsā kuli kuli, mikhā dhāsā bālā bālā Sakumi yā mhyāy machā lā Khwā dhāsā tuyu khwā, khwālay niga tee du Tāhā Nani yā Rājamati-chā. It is said to be written by or rather from the perspective of a man who was infatuated and in awe of the beauty of Rajamati. He describes with great admiration: her hair, her eyes, her complexion and the little moles on her face. However it is unknown who the writer of this beautiful song is. The song rushed into popularity after it was played in England in 1850 when Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana vi...

The Leaving vs The Left Behind

  I still remember,  I was standing near the entrance looking out at the garden. I was at my best friend’s home and she had gone to get her ever famous chips chilly for me. I was to leave for Bangalore again, in a couple of days. While I waited, I looked out at the garden and this thought came into my head. “Who is it harder for? The one leaving or the ones left behind?” Is it going to be harder for me in a new place readjusting and exploring, or my best friend here, who will me miss me? Is it harder for a person to settle in a completely new place with a completely new lifestyle and have to find new people or for a person to see the same old places, the same old alleys and reminiscent the good times they had with their friend who are not around at the moment? It was a random thought that filled my mind a couple of minutes and then I got over it. Some time after resettling here in Bangalore, my best friend sent me a reel. The reel was about 2 close friends who used to lived ...

Most Asked Question

  Coming back home after one year has been a rollercoaster of emotions for me the past month. Getting to see everyone again, embracing family and friends, working on an office desk again, walking through same old alleys and of course, devouring delicious food that I so dearly missed. I am actually almost through the food list that I have been saving. But the people have been asking me the same question a lot: do you like it here in Nepal or in Bangalore? And the answer has always been the same for me: I like it wherever I am. Kathmandu is home, it is warm, and it is where family is. Bangalore is a different vibe and freedom and excitement. Kathmandu is a different fun and Bangalore is different fun, which is why I live in the moment and enjoy where I am. My mother always tells me: “ La wani tha nya wani ma” in Nepal Bhasa meaning “ the fish must go where the water goes”. The meaning while very basic is also very deep. If the fish does not flow with the water, it cannot survive. I...