With a cigarette in my hand......

Well, In the early 90s, when doordarshan was at its peak and cable Tv was under evolution ....there was this anti-smoking advertising campaign which used to be aired regualrly, It was not just another advtg campaign, but a meaningful one, it was title 'A lesson learnt late'.... This ad had become my fav, and i am sure many other people's too....Though, I just remembered two lines "With a cigarette in my hand ,I felt like a man"...The lyrics were awesome and the composition was brilliant, with the vocals of Gary Lawyer....In short, it was a wonderful ad and i still wonder as to why on earth, did they stop showing that ad....I had been searching these lyrics ever since my school days, and finally found it here, on the internet....Hats off to google....Enjoy the lyrics, and yes take a trip to those good old days....and if possible also leave a comment, its healthy that way.


It was, I remember, many years ago,
When I had failed to distinguish between a friend and a foe,
When they had invited me ,holding open the pack,
When I lost to curiosity, instead of being taken aback,
When on that fateful day , for the first time,
I held a cigarette in my hand.

It was, I felt a part of being in the teens,
And what had started with a puff or two became a routine.
The smoke's illusion blinded me for as it arose,
Arose my spirits too, and I muttered to myself, "I can" because,
With a cigarette in my hand ,
I felt like a man.

Soon it came out in the open, for it had become a habit I could not hide,
I was helpless, for I could not help but continue,
Even when I knew, it was eating me up from inside,
I was sick...my body and my soul and I realized,
With the cigarette in my hand,
I was a dying man.

Soon I was just a lifeless form, a hollow,
People shunned me everywhere, I wished,
If only had I done something which others could follow,
But it was too late, I had taken the wrong path, and I was ignored, because
With a cigarette in my hand,
I was a hated man.

All the time, tears filled my eyes,
For people had bid me their good byes,
I wept because my cells , my body was choking ,
If only on that first day,my friends had been joking,
And then one day, the cigarette dropped from my hand,
I was a dead man.

Yes, Music has Meaning

A small instance can change your life, a small thought can change the way you think, a small advice can show you a whole new meaning towards life, a small step can change your direction. We hear this too often, everytime here and there; but blinded by our so called "stop the philosophy" attitude, we just throw it off in some corner of our mind, or probably not even there. But to think about it, isnt this soo much true... at times, small things change the very thought, course of life, and then, suddenly its not small any more!

Me too, would usually let go off any such philosophical statement told to me, but i guess this instance has really made me remember and understand the depth behind it. Nevertheless, i still believe, if it would not have been for something i am very passionate about i wouldnt have paid any heed to it, but there is was, in front of me... something i live for, something that resides in my blood, and that is where i understood... it is soo very true.

Music, would do anything and everything when it comes to it! As Alan Parsons would say, "We are two of a kind: Silence and I", and then there would be me: "We are two of a kind: Music and I". I always wished and wanted to make it big in music, improve on my vocals, learn guitaring and maybe join some band one day. But what about the real meaning of music, i always believed that music was the best thing, the only one perhaps that could make you cry when you are alone, laugh when you never even want to, love with your soul and even remove all your hatred. However this one small meeting (not small any more) gave me a whole new direction...

There i was, sitting on the minute grains of sand, clear peaceful sky and the vast Juhu beach that lay ahead of me and next to me was the person who had called me there, hats off to him for ever bringing me here: 'Suraj', thats what he calls himself. I met him through orkut and suddenly felt me moving towards my dream (atleast a step). He and a couple of his friends jam at various locations in Bombay, Band Stand being the most common one, anywhere, where they find the common man who for some time might want to forget all his pains, sorrows and enjoy the moment. I pro-actively joined them. So, on Friday, the Good-friday on the 6th of April of the year 2007, i went for my first jam ever, well not a Jam the way we all know it. It was something so common, so simple and yet so very beautiful that it would outbeat any of the planned jamming events one might have seen. That day, it was only him and me, the other people who usually do jam along somehow could not show up.

And then it all began...

Surrounded by a group of people we began to sing, suraj was bringing more life to the environment with his gat. Never before had things been so beautiful, felt as if music suddenly got a whole new meaning. Yes, 'Music for meaning', thats what even Suraj calls it. We could see it in the eyes of everyone around us, average people, the very average of mumbai who live their lives probably in pursuit of the real happiness. I could see the happiness, the beauty and the fulfillment that our simple music gave to these people. A simple guy form Kolkatta, a small boy selling popcorn, and the numerous others who wanted to sing, enjoy not bothered by anyone and anything at that moment... wanting to share all their happiness, sorrows, laugh, cry, talk to us like they have known us for ages...we all felt one. Towards the end, came a group of punjabi uncles, their first visit ever to Mumbai all the way from Punjab. They believed they had never seen something so beautiful, they were all ready to sing with us and we all sang together, not only our usual songs, but something that they wanted to... Bhajans... Gazals... ones i had never heard before, full with meaning... all again we were all one...

There we were, simple ordinary guys singing on a vast beach along with other simple people, all together.. giving a new meaning to music.. a new meaning to life... music for a cause... music to bring one and all together... music to feel one.. and then i realized what all could music do. As suraj said, 'this is what differentiates the so called planned, popular jams from the ones that we had, completely spontaneous and something that was making someone smile'. Suraj has brought this change in me, his every word, his thoughts on life and music, how the world is all moving towards pure mockery of music, how meaningful music is being lost in the transit, what wonders can music do and why is it not being utilized for what it should be, what all have i been missing in life, What all would i have missed if not for this evening!

Finally, coming back to where i started.... a small instance, yes this is the one i was referring to, has really made a huge impact. Music or life as a whole for me is for meaning now. This might not seem like anything big or drastic but is bigger than the biggest moments of life for it has made me change the way to look at life, made me think where is the world heading. Can i do anything much against it? maybe not, but atleast in myself i can bring a whole lot of a difference. In the end thats what matters the most. Maybe this is what actually differentiates suraj from all the other people i have met, his way of making a difference.. for those people on Juhu beach, for music, for me and most important....for himself!