Poetic Liberty or Bad Songs?
This article was originally published here in PFC, now being cross-posted here.
The world of Hindi film song lyric is like an ocean of expressions of emotions, mainly of love and pain. For years, song writers and lyricists’ deep poetic thoughts, through their eloquent verses, have been, creating magnificent tunes which are sung across generations. Such songs are original, melodious, memorable and generally termed as ’good songs’ and often as- ‘timeless classics’.
However, there are other kind of songs which neither qualifies to be lyrically enriched, nor that meaningful, but necessarily possess some unique virtue of jingles to become ‘catchy’ and create its own band of listeners for a long period of time. Most of the cases however, the tunes and lyrics of such songs are not even original and inspired or directly lifted from works of international artistes. Subjectively, some people term few of them as ‘bad’ songs. I, for one, loved those songs as a kid and still remember them as reminiscent of those good old silly days. Interestingly, most of such songs are dance numbers and are very upbeat and rhythmic in nature.
Success or popularity of such songs always makes me think, why such songs become popular at the first place? Is it because of its tune? Or the catch phrase in the lyrics? The way they are picturized? Or simply because of the playback singer’s voice or a combination of all the factors? I don’t know. There’s no need to know actually.
Let me list down my favorite ‘catchy’ songs which boldly use meaningless phrases, awkward verses and repeat words, yet are immediately identifiable and hummable. The list is restricted only to the songs, which has at least one meaningless phrase (or group of words), to rhyme with other meaningful wordings. Please note yodleying, humming and other vocal modulations are excluded from this category.
1. Ina Mina Dika Dai Damo Nika
Movie : Asha (1957) |Singer(s): Kishore Kumar| Music Director(s): C Ramchandra
Lyricist(s): Rajinder Kishan
na mina dika dai damo nika/ maka naka naka chika pika rika
ina mina dika dika, de dai damo nika/ maka naka maka naka, chika pika rola rika
rumpum posh, rumpum posh
dil de du hai koi lene wala, aise vaise ko nahee dene wala
suratiya hasin ho, umariya jawan ho
koi bhee use dekhe toh bas yeh guman ho
yahee hai yahee hai yahee toh hai wo
Augmented with idiosyncratic Kishore Kumar antics, this outstandingly crazy but brilliantly racy number, till date is unmatchable for it’s nonsense quotient and probably there would never be any. I wonder if the first para was written by Rajinder Kishan or added by Kishore himself!
2. Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu
Movie: Howrah Bridge (1958)| Music : O.P. Nayyar | Singer:Geeta Dutt |
Lyricist: Qamar Jalalabadi
Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu/ Chin Chin Chu baba chin chin chu
Raat Chandni main aur tu/ hello mister how do you do ?
Babaaaa….Babaaa
This song is as famous for its Chinese name ‘chin chin chu’ and as the first hit of ‘Helen’. This is probably one of the most evergreen songs, alive even after half a decade of its creation.Geeta Dutt’s voice and the mystic charm of Hellen has an intoxicating effect bringing alive the ‘Sunehri Yaadein’ of bygone days.
3. Dum Dum Diga Diga
Movie: Chhalia (1960) | Music: Kalyanji- Anandji | Singer: Mukesh | Lyricist: Qamar Jalalabadi
Dum Dum Diga Diga Mausam Bheega Bheega
Bin Piye Maein To Gira…Maein To Gira… Maein To Gira
Haye Allah, Surat Aap Ki Subhan Allah
Another evergreen happy foot tapping number which elegantly passed the test of time. A timeless classic, undoubtedly.
4. Hum bewafa
Movie: Shalimar (1978) | Music: R. D Burman | Singer: Kishore Kumar | Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Chorus: Jingala La La Jhum..
kishore: Hum Bewafa Hargiz Na The Par Hum Wafa Kar Na Sake
humko Mili Uski Saza Hum Jo Khata Kar Na Sake
hum Bewafa Hargiz Na The, Par Hum Wafa Kar Na Sake
chorus: Phur.. Phur.. Phuur..
The gloom of the song is accentuated by that unsympathetic tribal ‘Jingalala hoo…phurr phurr’. Kishore and RD both got award for best music and playback respectively. Usha Uthup received an th best playback award for her One two cha cha cha number too.
5. Jile Le Jile Le
Movie: Tarzan (1985) | Music : Bappi Lahiri | Singer: Alisha Chinai | Lyrics : Anjaan
Jee le le Jee le le /, Aiyo Aiyo Jee le le
Masti me Masti Me/ Aiyo aiyo jee le le
Dooba dooba dooba dooba masti me
Kabhi kbahi kaliya mile hasti mein (?)
Jee le le Jee le le /, Aiyo Aiyo Jee le le
Cognizant of the wild theme, the lyrics did poetic justice to Tarzan’s (Hemant Birje) untamed expression of love towards Kimi Katkar’s junglee jawani. For the uninitiated it would be interesting to note that Bappida used the pseudonym Basavalingaiah Hiremath when he sang his songs like Jeele le Jee le and I am a Disco Dancer !! Talking about Disco Dancer, the song Koi yahan aha nache nache, Koi wahan aha nache nache, Auwa Auwa would also fall under the category of songs we are discussing.
6. Zubee Zubee Zubee
Movie: Dance dance (1987) | Music : Bappi Lahiri | Singer: Alisha Chinai | Lyrics : Anjaan
zu zu zubee zubee zubee, zu zu zubee zubee zubee
zubee zubee hey hey
(mere dil gaye ja zubee zubee zubee
mastee mei gaye ja zubee zubee zubee) – (2)
hey zubee zubee zubee, hey hey zubee zubee zubee, zubee zubee hey hey
zubee zubee zu zu zubee zubee, zubee zubee zu zuuuuuuuu
aaah aaah aaah
Clearly, the weirdest lyrics ever heard, but just because of the oomph of the voice, the song is unforgettable. More discussions on this song can be found on my post on Best songs of Alisha Chinai.
7. Oye Oye, Oye O O Oaa
Movie:Tridev (1989)| Singer(s) : Amit Kumar, Sapna Mukherjee | Music: Kalyanji Anandji
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Tridev, with its star studded cast and superhit songs, created huge furor. Sapna Mukherjee for the Oye Oye song, won the best female playback beating Alisha Chinai’s raat Bhar Jaam se ! The same year I learnt that the song was an Inspiration from Gloria Estafan’s Rhythm’s gonna get you. Nevertheless, ‘Oye Oye’ became the slogan of the youth. Slightly Tarzanish, lipped by Nasiruddin and Sonam, Oye Oye song remains as a memorable milestone.
8. Tamma Tamma Loge
Movie: Thanedar (1990) | Singer: Anuradha Paudwal, Bappi Lahiri | Music: Bappi Lahiri
Lyricist(s): Indeevar
tamma tamma loge
too premee aaha, mai premee aaha
too raajee aaha, mai raajee aaha
phir kya daddy kya amma
ik bas too hee pyaar ke kaabil, saara jahan hai nikamma
tamma tamma loge…….
Clearly, the talent of Bappi Lahiri (or Basavalingaiah Hiremath) on creating such gems out of meaningless words are beyond any doubt. This is also the first ‘Kompooterijed mujik’ in Hindi Cinema as he claimed.In his own words he is the ‘living lejend in hindi mujik industry’, and I dare doubt it.
9. Hai Huku Hai Huku Hai Hai
Movie : Gopi Kishen (1994) | Singer(s): Alka Yagnik, Kumar Sanu, Poornima |
Music : Anand Milind | Lyricist(s): Sameer
Hai Huku Hai Huku Hai Hai (4)
yeh ladke mere samne
Hai Huku Hai Huku Hai Hai (2)
yeh ladke mere samne, mera dil liye jaye jaye…(2)
Hai Huku Hai Huku Hai Hai
Suneil Shetty trying compact the ground with robust heroine Shipa Shirodkar on his side, by thumping the earth vigorously, an action need to be accepted as ‘dancing’. The cumulative masculinity of this song is degraded slightly when Shipa lips “who ladka mere samne mera dil liye jai jai jai”. I also remember the letter SO DA was written is large letters on Suneil Shetty’s shirt. Where is Shilpa Shirodkar gone ?
10. Jab Bhi Koi Ladki Dekhe Mera Dil Deewaana Bole Ole Ole Ole Ole Ole Ole
Movie : Yeh Dillagi (1994) | Singer(s): Abhijeet| Music: Dilil Sen- Sameer Sen | Lyrics: Sameer
This was one fast paced song picturized on Saif Ali Khan and a room full of girls. I think this was the song which established Saif’s playboy image
11. Chinai Chun Chun
Movie: Jallad (1995) | Singer- Udit Narayan, Sadhna Sargam | Music- Anand-Milind |
Lyrics – Sameer
See Song No-2 @ 0.38.
Chinai chun chun chinai chun chun
Kya kehti hai dil ki dharkan dilbar mere sun
Chinai chun chun chinai chun chun
Apparently the song seems to be a dedication to Alisha Chinai, but it was Rambha and Mithun, whom this song is picturized on. Mithun played double role and his villain role of ‘Amavas’ fetched him the‘ best villain’ award from Filmfare.
12. Aanan Fanan
Movie: Hathkadi (1995) | Singer(s)- Abhijeet ( or was it Anu Malik?), Swarnalatha |
Music- Anu Malik | Lyrics – Maya Govind
The lyrics go like this-
Chand ka dola laaya hoon dulhan/ aanan faanan aanan fanan
Dekh bani hai duniya jabse/ saathi hoon main tera tabse,
lekar tujhko jaunga dulhan/ aanan faanan aanan fanan.
One of the seriously hilarious song, rich with true Govinda flavour, spiced up with Shilpa Shetty’s hip shaking visuals.
I can quickly remember some more songs of this nature-
Ding Dong Sing a Song….. ( Hero, 1983)
Auwa Auwa….. ( Disco Dancer 1983)
Tunna Tunna Ta Ta Tunna….(Adharm, 1992)
Gutur Gutur….. ( Dalal, 1993)
Aa A ee, U U oo, Mera Dil Na Todo…… ( Raja Babu, 1994)
Humma Humma….. ( Bombay, 1995)
Dil Ding Dong Ding Bole…… (Kuchh to Hai, 2003)
Zara Zara touch me ….Bin Tere Sanam Dum di dum di dum….. ( Race, 2007)
Annan Faanan….. ( Namastey London, 2007)
Ta tananana Tandoori Nights…. ( Karzzz…the remake, 2008)
There are some songs which have successfully used drum beat sounds as catch phrases, which can’t be categorized meaningless in entirety, but the songs are worth a mention.
Dhina Dhin Tak … Aa Jee O Jee (Ram Lakhan, 1989)
Tak Dum Dum Tak Dum Dum/ Ghode jaisi chla Hathi jaise dum (Dil to Pagal Hai, 1997)
The list no way claims to be exhaustive.
I request readers to read the comment section of the PFC article which is probably the most exhaustive thread on the topic. In my view that can serve as a near exhaustive reference for such crazy songs!
If time permits, Ill try to compile all the songs in this post, till then don’t hesitate to comment with your favorites among them 🙂
Ps: A Laurel Wreath would be given to each commenter , who comes up with a fresh contribution, a new song (new= a song not mentioned in this post or PFC comment section) falling into the category being discussed.
To avoid ‘creative frauds’, request you to provide a link as a proof of the song’s existence.
AEIOU ¿ ® 