To me, music is the ultimate form of art. It has magical powers to transform your mood, and why just mood, I firmly believe that it does indeed have therapeutic effect. I fondly recall these lines of Shakeel Badayuni from the classic Shabaab:
Sangeet hai shakti eeshwar ki, har swar mein basein hain Raam
* Raagi jo sunaaye geet madhur, rogi ko mile aaraam.
I have had tryst with numerous such songs that always bring about a positive change in me, either in form of a short-term euphoric pep, or as an ever-lasting philosophy of life, 10 of such “influential” numbers I wish to share with you. But before I do so, may I dedicate this review to Tanna(astrofreak1234) who was first to post a review on this topic and whose compilation triggered the thought process in me to pick my own Top-10 on the topic.
1. Woh subah kabhi to aayegi(Phir Subah Hogi / Raj Kapoor-Mala Sinha/ Mukesh-Lata/ Sahir/ Khaiyyaam)The portion that stands out is:
Jis subha ki khatir yug yug se, hum sab mar mar ke jeete hain
* Jis subha ke amrit kin dhun mein, hum zehar ke pyaale peete hain
* In bhookihi pyaasi roohon par, ik din to karam farmaayegi
* Woh Subah, kabhi to aayegi; Woh Subah, kabhi to aayegi
2. Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya(Hum Dono / Dev Anand/ Mohd. Rafi / Sahir/ Jaidev): Though this song is like an anthem for smokers and I am not one of them, yet this song has an amazing universality about it. Sample this:
Gham aur khushi mein farq na mehsoos ho jahan;
* Main dil ko us muqaam pe laata chala gaya
Sample another one:
Barbaadiyon ka sog manaana fazool tha,
* Barbaadiyon ka jashn manaata chala gaya
3. Ae maalik tere bande hum(Do aankhein baarah Haath / Sandya-V Shanrtaram/ Lata Mangeshkar / Bharat Vyas/ Vasant Desai): It’s a prayer that always works for me. Sample this:
Jab zulmon ka ho saamna, tam tu hi hamein thaamna
* Wo buraai karein, hum bhalai karein, Nahin badle ki ho bhaavna
* Badh uthe pyar ka har kadam, aur mite bair ka yeh bharam
* Neki par chaleaur badi se dare taaki hanste huey nikley dum
4. Aaj phir jeene ki tamanna hai(Guide / Waheeda rehman / lata Mangeshkar / Shailendra / S.D. Burman):I quite freak out at the prospect of the song starting from its cross line Kaanto se kheench key eh aanchal, tod ke bandhan baandhi paayal…When you take a decision, you stick to it and do not give a damn to what the cruel world has to say!
5. Na mooh chhupa ke jiyo aur na sar jhuka ke jiyo(Humraaz/Raj Kumar/Sunil Dutt/Mahinder Kapoor/ Sahir/ Ravi):Lines that always inspire me are:
Ghata mein chupke sitare fanaa nahin hote
* Andheri raat mein diye jala ke chalo
* Na mooh chhupa ke jiyo aur na sar jhuka ke jiyo
* Ghamon ka daur bhi aaye to muskuraa ke jiyo
6. Ae mere dil-e-nadaan, tu gham se na ghabraana(Tower House/Shakeela/Lata Mangeshkar/ Asad Bhopali/ Ravi): The portion that stands out is:
Fariyaad se kya haasil, rone se nateeja kya
* Bekaar yeh baate hain, in baton se hoga kya,
* Apna bhi ghadi bhar mein, ban jaata hai begaana
* Ae mere dil-e-nadaan, tu gham se na ghabraana
Ik din to samajh legi, duniya tera afsaana
7. Aanewala Pal jaanewala hai(Golmaal/ Amol Palekar-/Kishore Kumar/ Gulzar/ R.D. Burman)Time is fleeting ever moment, so live it up every moment, ‘cause this very moment is going, going…gone! Lines close to my heart are:
Ik baar waqt se, lamha gira kahin; Wahan dastaan mili, lamha kahin nahin
Thoda sa hansake, thoda sa rulaake; Pal ye bhi jaane wala hai, ho ho.
* Aane wala pal jaane waala hai
8. Kahan tak yeh mann ko, andhere chhaleinge, udaasi bhare dil kabhi to dhaleinge(*Baaton Baaton Mein/ Amol Palekar/ Kishore Kumar/ Yogesh/ Rajesh Roshan: *Surprisingly, this is the second song featuring Amol Palekar in my review. But then, it is not Palekar but the song itself that is the hero. Sample this:
Kabhi sukh, kabhi dukh, yahi zindagi hai
* Yeh patjhad ka mausam, ghadi do ghadi hai
* Naye phool kal phir, dagar mein khileinge
* Udaasi bhare din, kabhi to dhaleinge
Last 2 songs are included in the comments section due to space constraint. Hope you would like them too!