What does Music really mean to you ??
Yeah, I've heard a lot of 'Its an indispensable part of my life ' and ' I can't live without it ' and also, funnily , 'music + oxygen = life . Somehow , this does not justify the true meaning and essence of music .
And I can prove this because , 1) Music is not an indispensable part of one's life, Water is and 2 ) deaf people live their lives just fine .
Since , this is My blog , to ME, personally , Music is an extension of my personality.
Its an extension that I do not expect the outside world to understand completely.
I realised that I was intensely drawn to the power of music from very early on.
As an ignorant 10 year old listening to KISHORE KUMAR , I had absolutely no clue as to what he was trying to portray through his music but I knew that It felt right just listening to it. Although , I always complained to myself about the one-speakered tape-recorder that used to play his music but it put me to sleep well enough. Now that I had found my perfect can of worms I knew could catch good fish which led me to explore more music. The whole Bollywood scene was absolutely crass and down-market but I was not let down by the pop scene with SILK ROUTE, SUNITA RAO, SHUBHA MUDGAL and Luckily, LUCKY ALI( NO pun intended) was not partying too hard at zenzi and actually making good music, ' O SANAM, KITNE HASEEN ZINDAGI'(MALAIKA ARORA) , 'DEKHA HAI AISE BHI' . My foolish attarction towards 'backstreet Boys' was short-lived as I realised they're just a bunch of men trying to sell themselves to young,vulnerable girls and that their music is pretty meaningless. But CELINE DION was more than making up for the pop-rubbish with her brand of soulful music along the effervescent RICKY MARTIN doling out his dance-pop tunes. This led to my mirror having expansive laughs at my expenses because I tried various times to move like him in 'Maria' . This had an overall positive effect on the way life and times were shaping up for me then .
And then Rock happened which changed my perspective . I did not want to be a rockstar , I just naturally thought like one.
PINK FLOYD is musical orgasm , QUEEN is Freedom , SIMON AND GARFUNKEL is poetry , LED ZEPPELIN is a great landing , THE BEATLES is a like nice bite of a wholesome double-double , JACK JOHNSON is like doing the perfect DME arc , NORAH JONES is just NORAH JONES , THOM YORKE is dope , BILLY JOEL is instantaneous joy , COLDPLAY is hot-shit and BOB DYLAN saved me. The Music I listen to is eclectic but the above listed is the most prominent that I listen to a regular basis to 'feel good' . Music transcends to me a level of indescribable comfort . It soothes emotions . It gives relief . It helps me to think ahead. It bails me out.
These are a list of songs that naturally change mood :- 'LIKE A ROLLING STONE' , 'I WANT TO BREAK FREE' 'MAMMIA MIA' , 'HIGHWAY TO HELL' , 'DOWN IN A HOLE ' , YELLOW SUBMARINE', 'HEY JUDE' , 'PIANO MAN' , 'WE DIDNT START THE FIRE' , 'NO RAIN' , ' ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER, ' THE HURRICANE' , 'BUFFALO SOLDIER' , ' CLOCKS, 'WALK OF LIFE' to name a selected few.
While on a plane to texas, caught amongst romantic quandary and anxiety of a new life, I remember vividly listening to 'LEARNING TO FLY ' and then 'TIME' and with the completion of both these songs I was overwhelmed with viguor . Following a chain of unfortunate events , I found my myself in a Grey-hound , headed to a new state, probably the lowest ebb of my life so far but as Brain Johnson was vociferously singing 'HIGHWAY TO HELL' , I realised that we are all more or less on the same path so why not enjoy the journey till inevitability . There are many more instances of musical inspirations but I would not want to elaborate for the sole reason that my literary skills are quite dull and boring as you can see!
Music has emphatically formed a major part of my philosophy in life . I can imagine myself listening to 'I WANT TO BREAK FREE'(my favourite song of all time) at 75 and still relating to the song and wanting to break free from the shackles of something.
Music will always be my aeroplane, my escape from materialism . Even when I am pensive , there is a tune ringing in my head . This feeling is interminable . Each song gives me a visual of what I desire to do. I hope I have echoed atleast a few common sentiments here.
Music makes a direct relation of every emotion I experience , most powerful of them being love.
So, Even today, as I ponder what love has in store for me , I just sing the two most crucial lines from 'CHASING CARS' and I believe.
Love will keep us alive
Peace V