Oh yes. Punjabi MC - Mundian To Bach Ke. 1998. Produced in England by a British-Indian artist. Doesn't get much better than that.
But the other day I was looking for it because I really wanted to listen to the song all the way through (I'd never done it before), and as I was looking at the lyrics websites and whatnot, I realized I had no earthly idea what the song actually meant in English.
So naturally, I looked it up.
And I was little bit surprised.
KEEP YOR FACE DOWN AND HIDE IT WITH A SCARF
DON'T JUST GIVE YOUR LOVE TO ANYONE
CHORUS
BE CAREFUL OF THE BOYS
YOU'VE ONLY JUST GROWN UP
IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT THAT YOU'VE GOT BEAUTIFUL EYES
ONCE YOU'VE REALISED THIS YOU WILL BECOME SHY
LOOK AFTER YOUR YOUTH
THIS TIME WON'T COME AGAIN
CHORUS REPEATS
AS YOU ARE GROWING UP PEOPLE ARE BECOMING AWARE OF YOUR GOOD LOOKS
EVERYONE IS LOOKING AT YOUR THIN WAIST
THERES NO ONE LIKE YOU
CHORUS
THE BOYS ARE TALKING ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY
THE STREETS ARE FULL OF STORIES ABOUT YOUR LOOKS
DON'T LET THE ATTENTION DROWN YOU.
Basically it's a song warning a young girl about maintaining her modesty because the boys are watching her and creating a reputation for her simply because she's beautiful. Not exactly as happy as I expected it to be. And it sort of made me feel uncomfortable as a younger girl, even though I'm not part of the culture, and it's not 1998. It's still a strange message to devote an entire song to, and even stranger still that it's become so wildly popular across the Western world.CHORUS
But I must confess, I still think it's fun to listen to.
That's surprising to me as well that it's so popular. However, many probably do not know exactly what the song is saying as you brought up. I certainly didn't before you posted this. It is quite a catchy tune though.
ReplyDeleteOh I'm sure most don't. But I find it interesting that it's been so often chosen by Western media as the stereotypical "Indian" mood-setting song, without any concern for what the song may actually be about. I just wonder what people who can actually understand the lyrics think of its popularity.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing I've considered: perhaps the translation isn't quite what the artist intended for the tone either. The translation sounds a bit menacing, but perhaps it's not meant to be.
I just find the entire thing sort of intriguing.
Yes, it would be interesting to see what those who know what the lyrics are saying think about the song and what the artists intent was. Intriguing is a fitting word.
ReplyDeleteWith the recent backlash in the West against the modesty practices of Asia, i.e. burqahs, female segregation, honor killings, etc. it certainty is ironic that Western media companies would use this song all the time in their portrayal of Indians, basically amplifying its reach. I guess we are kind of a shallow people. If it sounds good, play it. Like Meredith said though, we can't really come to any conclusions without know the artist's intent.
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit embarrassed to say that I never really paid attention to the lyrics of this song, either, especially since I only understand little fragments of Punjabi. But I do think that the lyrics here incorporate a sense of menace that I don't think was the intention of the songwriters. Although the translation is accurate in terms of literal meaning, the connotation of the actual Punjabi lyrics is much more playful. I kind of took it as less of a serious warning and more of a lighthearted jab at a woman who might be reveling a bit too much in her newfound attention from the boys. But you're certainly right; it is still an unusual message. Thanks for doing the research!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post, I've heard this song innumerable times and I've never even thought about its status as the generic theme music for Indian characters in western film. In fact, I never even realized that the song was a track released outside of a movie soundtrack. I'm embarrassed to say I simply thought this was stock music to play when trying to give the viewer the impression of Indian culture. I think this analysis is a good one and the fact that we all know of this song but knew nothing of its lyrics is a telling sign of Western culture's understanding and appreciation of Indian culture.
ReplyDelete