CounTry LanE

                                                             COUNTRY LANE

Shuffling through my playlist to listen to a song, something  having a soul as most of today’s song are all about rumbling of instruments and loud screeching of the vocalists backed by ear-deafening music(not that I don’t like it, I do) . So, decided why not take a trip down the “countryside” lane. And when it’s about country, we all know whose name will appear on top, yes the great Bob Dylan, “Blowing in the wind” titled under the same name of album was an instant success, With its strong lyrics it hit the core off the human soul, not to mention “like a rolling stone”, which can still be touted as one of the best songs ever, with its literary ambition, it cracked open the humane soul and appealing to the core. The album, “Highway 61 revisited” was an instant success and is still renowned as one of the best albums to be ever recorded till date. Other notable albums by Bob Dylan are, “Blonde on Blonde” and “Blood on the tracks”. However, the latter album does remind me of the song, “Idiot Wind”, it’s so lovable that you ever forget these type of songs.
Moving on, we can’t actually dismiss the efforts made by John Denver, another legend. With its whiskey smooth lyrics the song, “Take me home, country roads” titled under the album, “Country Roads” made an everlasting impact in the minds of millions. Other notable songs ever sung by Denver are “Rocky Mountain high” and “the eagle and the hawk”. Take my advice, if you ever plan on going on a road trip with your pals, then don’t forget to play this songs by Denver, trust me, it’ll take you down by such an incredible feeling that you won’t be able to express. Although, no rocky mountains exist in India but while listening to it, you’ll feel every ounce of that lyrics and your mind will be able to paint that reminiscing picture.
Although John Lennon was not totally country guy, but still would like to introduce him because of his some all-time great songs, “Oh! Yoko” and “Jealous Guy” and “Imagine”. All these three songs featured in the album titled under the name, “Imagine”. The album as it is described today as one of the most anti-political albums. Lennon quoted on his album, “This is one of the most anti-political, anti-religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-conventional, anti- capitalistic...but because it is surrogated, it is accepted.”
He surely knew how to sugar-coat a political message. Irrespective of the controversies, the album was a straight-hit.
The present generation of country singers does not have high numbers but still notable ones are “The Band Perry”, “lady Antebellum”, “Blake Shelton”, “Carrie Underwood” and etc. but these are the notables and known ones.
“The Band Perry” has released only one album so far. Notable songs are, “Hip to My Heart”, “All Your Life”, “Postcard from Paris”, “The Star Spangled Banner” and “If I Die Young”. The last single, “If I Die Young” was the best among others; it even was nominated for “The 53^rd Grammy Awards” under the category of Best Country Song but lost to Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now”. But, my personal favorite song sung by “The Band Perry” is “All Your Life”. The lyrics are very beautiful and wrote in a very beautiful manner and the vocals and guitar does the rest. Just lay back and enjoy and you’ll slowly feel it flowing within your soul.
Blake Shelton’s singles like, “God Gave Me you” and “Honey Bee” and “All about tonight” and “she wouldn’t be gone” are my favorites. Then there is “Keith Urban” who was climbing with the charts with his hit single, “Long Hot Summer” and what else, I don’t need to actually write something on “Lady Antebellum”, who doesn’t know them, they took the world by surprise by releasing hit singles like, “Need You Know”, “Just a Kiss”, “We owned the night”, “I run to You” and “Love don’t live here”. They raked up 5 Grammy’s in total in the 53^rd Grammy Awards and in total have won 7 Grammy’s and that too in a short span of just 6 years. They are being touted as the next big thing in country music.
Then there is “John Mayer”, termed as the “new god of guitar”. Basically an artiste of alternative, progressive rock and blues but with his new album “Born and Raised” has raised some eyebrows as where was he till now? The album has been given very positive reviews and some have quoted, “His best album till date”. Although, everyone knew that there existed a country side of him but never was it completely shown until now. It’s a classic album with beautiful symphonies and some serious guitar stuff and a total country style rock. It’s like soul-searching meets classic folk rock. The album consists of pretty nice songs, like, “Something like Olivia”, “Walt Grace Submarine Test”, “Love is a Verb”, “Speak for me” and then there is the title track, “Shadow Days”. Oh, how did I forget the other two songs? “Whiskey-Whiskey-Whiskey” and “Queen of California”. The stylistic change-up and unburdening tone accompanied with frequent guitar-riffs account for one of the best works of John Mayer. The title track “Shadow Days” is being termed as the best of the lot but others are pretty good too, it’s just that other songs haven’t been released in a music video. This new album is really worth dying for. DO LISTEN TO IT.

The face of country rock has changed over the years, no doubt in that but in a new and better way. It doesn’t mean that the earlier works by, John Lennon, John Denver, Bob Dylan and others can be discarded. No wonder they are good but the present ones are also not bad.
“Country roads take me home,………”

Creativity

                                      Creativity

Creativity is something that comes from within. It can’t be taught, can’t be learnt, can’t be borrowed and certainly can’t be copied. It can only be improved by constant efforts and constant practice. Creativity lies within everybody, it’s just that few see it and work on it, few see it but rather ignore it and few rather not see it at all. Creativity is like water, it takes the shape of the vessel it is kept and here the vessel is us. It depends on us how we mold it and what shape do we let it take. Creativity can be over whelming, can be an illusion sometimes also. Sometimes, we tend to do so many things or are able to do so many creative things that we end up thinking that we belong to an entirely different league, an “elite” one. We feel like we are golden and anything we put a hand on turns into gold, although gold here is metamorphic but still you get the idea right?
The closest that a man can come to perfection is not to perfect in every damn thing he likes to do but to instead identify “the” thing in which he is best and then nurture it but what happens most of the times is that we get tied up, confused and so overwhelmed that we are not able to decide the best of the lot and in this way that man ends up losing every bit of creativity within him not permanently but enough to tire him and compel him to quit that “shadow” of his that he once desired or dreamt of.
A man is a tough soul but even the toughest of soul can crack when that soul is not able to witness the light at the end of the tunnel, he gets scared and realizes that it’s time to quit chasing dreams and start living in reality. This is where the difference is, few opt out but few still keep moving forward just to get a peek at success at the end of the dark tunnel and they do.
Creativity is a different thing and reality is another different thing but to transfer the creativity into a reality is the biggest challenge or is the toughest exam that a man has to pass in order to live the dream. Few chalk out because they don’t feel like they have got it in them to do it while few are let down by their dear and near ones and that eventually crushes the will.
We’re all a victim of it. Sometimes, we feel like we can do so many things but yet we’re not able to find that one right thing. We’re living on the brink and have completely learnt to open our mind to any of it but if we don’t figure out the best of all the creativity within us, we might as well be lost in this crowd as I mentioned earlier and that’s what sometimes we’re afraid of the most and all that will be left is despair and remorse. We always wanna do so much more and in a unique way but without a guide even the smartest of people can get lost in a desert……. 

How To Dismantle A Heart....

                How To Dismantle A Heart

Feelings are best expressed on a piece of paper. So, here I am jotting down one for my friend, trying to step in his shoes and view from his perspective.
It’s about a girl whom my friend says he loves but is pretty unsure of his feelings as he doesn’t know what to do. I did try to get a closure on his case and he was supportive enough to share it with me. Although the truth is that he had no option left and so here I am.
To start with, the most common love story, saw a girl, liked that girl, tried to talk with her but his behavior and habits “pissed” her off to be specific. Now, on the verge of breakdown (although he won’t accept it), somehow he’s trying to transfer his emotions into hatred for her but yet there lies the “soft” spot for her.
In her view, he’s a drunkard, a smoker, a filthy person and god knows what else. Well, yeah, he’s all of the above except for the fact that he’s a good human being and somehow she doesn’t want to see this.
Apparently, she’s just like the most of the girls, who tries to judge a person by their habits. Yes, habits do define a person’s image but it can never define the person from within. And, yes he drinks but it all started as an adrenaline rush but now most of the times he drinks so that he doesn’t drown in the sorrow of her and yes, he smokes but just to calm the nerves when he’s mind is infiltrated with random thoughts of her. I’m not saying that whatever he does is right, he does need to mend his ways but whenever he tries to, the very moment her thoughts start engulfing him again and weakens him to the very core and hence the addiction. But, still he has promised to get rid of his addictions.
It was not her fault that he started falling for her but neither was it his fault. It just happened, maybe not in a moment but over a period of time. His love or likeness (whatever would you want to call it) is “innocent”. He’s like a clueless person rowing a boat all by himself in a vast ocean and doesn’t know which direction to go, all he knows is that he has to reach an island.
In my view, the best thing that love offers is “innocence”.  And, some girls consider this innocence for stupidity while some; well they just fall in love with it. And, slowly enough, when your innocence is interpreted as stupidity by that person, then you tend to think, that person is “haughty”.
He said me that she had an attitude problem and she also was shy. But, how can a person be shy and attitude conscience at the same time..!!!! So, further observation brought me to the above conclusion, that she was just shy and did not poses an attitude problem but as I said people do misinterpret it and he did the same or maybe still doing the same..!!!!  So, this is his whole story and she isn’t talking to him still so I suggested him the best way out, “Step out of her life; if she can’t see the you for who you’re, then you can “never” make her see it”.
So, this is how you dismantle a heart…!!!!

So, AAGHRAN, as you requested me to write something about your scenario, so I did and that too while I was on a train…!!!! You’re one of the nicest person on earth that I know and ‘am grateful to have a friend like you, “GHUSU”……..!!    J J J
 

Just a Game

                                                                    Just a game

Sometimes, I wonder if I did justice with my life because all we ever  try to do is to go with the flow of it. Just like a stone in water which once dropped keeps flowing with the flow of water until someone picks it up or it gets sidelined on some so called shore. But, the best part is that when a person picks up that stone, the fate of that stone quickly shifts to the holder of that stone. He will either keep it for some reason or pick it up just to throw it back in the stream of water again. Same happens with us. There is a striking similarity i.e. just when you think that you have nothing left in life or you feel like you have hit a rock bottom all you want is to be picked up by someone, someone who’ll either mould you again &keep you or someone who’ll just pick you up to throw back into the game of life…..Isn’t it..???

Well, I can’t speak on behalf of everyone but it has happened with me and I am very grateful to people like them who taught me to play the game of “life” again.
What are we…???
Just a solid figure of bones and muscles with a soul. This soul is what keeps the flame alive…the flame that someone ignites within you when you’ve lost every bit of faith in yourself or when you’ve lost the zeal to get up again. But, at least there is one difference between the rock and us. It’s the desire. The rock surely is a non-living thing but so is the desire until and unless we find the right way to or the right soul to ignite it. The rock can’t go back to the water itself, someone will have to throw it in the water, but we, we humans can do that on our own will. It’s not about giving up when life turns bitter or gets the bad of you…It’s about staying put and playing the challenge with a blend of desire. This is who we are,  we need to learn to get up every time we fall down and instead not turn into some rock and wait for someone to come along and put us back in this life’s game….

While I was in school, there was a particular quote put up on the wall that I admired the most…it read.. “Failure is not when you fail; it’s when you don’t get up again”. It inspired me every time I read it and that thought still lingers in my mind and some time’s it does its purpose…. i.e. to help me get back in the game……….

A new Day

A NEW DAY
___________

Waking up from a dream
the hardest part was yet to come
accepting the truth,that we are already done
No matter how hard i try
the past still lingers on
if faith was to trust then im already done


The bright blue sky
still calls me upon and says
"A new day has come"
leave no stone unturned
the past might shake you down
but you gotta hold it down the line
A new day has come

My wings are now broken
i have become too weak to fly
the patience is still there
that i might come across something better
But,
even deep down i know
nothing ever can be as sweet as you

The bright blue sky
still calls me upon and says
"A new day has come"
leave no stone unturned
the past might shake you down
but you gotta hold it down the line
A new day has come

Broken..!? Well Yeah...!!!!

                                                 Broken..!? Well yeah.....!!!!

It would be a lie, a very big lie if I said that I didn’t care about you. It’s just the fact that I know that your answer will be a “no” so actually I am pretty scared. I didn’t know what to say…when you gave me that grin look and asked me to be frank whether I loved you or not. I know I should have said “yes”, but come on we both knew what your answer would have been.

 So, now it’s all back to normal or as you would see it…but deep down inside even you know that I lied. All I need is a slight twist of fate, that someday, somehow I might get a “yes” from you. Yes, I’m living on that hope. It’s the only thing that compels me to keep the truth away from you. I surely have you as my friend and I’m not going to let the truth affect this friendship. Yes, it’s true that we don’t talk much neither are we in regular contact but that’s just another way to keep myself from spilling out the truth. But, every time we talk, even though it lasts for just an hour or so…I’ll admit that it’s the best time of the day, it sends a chill down my spine every time see you and run out of words if we ever talk face to face. I don’t know what to do now…all I can do is what I do best and that is to pretend….pretend like I’m over you and put a fake smile on my face.

 I tried to move on but every time I came back to square one, i.e. “YOU”…. I even tried falling love with other girls but every time it came falling down like a house of cards. I know that you don’t feel the same way and neither am I going to force you or make an effort towards it… Sometimes, it’s better to fall apart in order to stand together…….

THE CUPID :)

                                                               The Cupid

Penned this down  as soon as I returned to my room totally heartbroken and hurt….hurt by someone whom I loved a lot…but the reason for this heartbreak was “ME”…..yes…me….my action over the past couple of months landed me in this position……….—

Well where to start……

There was this girl, and I used 2 like her a lot….really lot….and dreamed of making her my girlfriend someday…but ….that dream remained a dream for my whole life. Reciprocating my feelings to her was surely d biggest mistake ma life…I lost her. But the good part was …we were still very good friends…..i was grateful to her…because of the fact that she was ready 2 accept me as her friend even after what happened between us and based on the promise that “I’ll shed away all the feelings that I have for her”….But, who gives a crap……!! I mean I just promised her such, so as 2 keep our friendship going. And there she was…so much unaware of the fact that I still liked her a lot……I mean, seriously…how can a gal expect a boy 2 shed away all his feelings, in a minute….i mean…I really liked her…no wait…maybe I really loved her…..

 But moving on… from the very next day…we were back on talking terms…no more sulking from her side. In fact she was way too cool….to mind about these stupid things…she was the one…the perfect gal that I had always dreamt of. But, still talking with that girl whom I proposed last night like a friend was getting tougher and tougher….and eventually we both started feeling bit awkward and so as to deviate from last night’s topic we started talking about our common friend and all the crazy stuff he was into…..we both were feeling comfortable then and this type of talking continued for a week or two..

But, I don’t know …but slowly and slowly….. I felt like I was drifting away from her…and unknowingly.. I was making her fall in luv with one of my best friend…!! I didn’t realize it……until today…when she confessed to me that she loved him. I frankly didn’t know how to react….because….it was all my fault…I was the one who was responsible for it…and yet, I somehow didn’t feel bad about myself….i mean…..keeping aside all those bullshit like… “your happiness is my happiness”….n all…I really cared about her a lot….and yet…somehow my actions landed my best friend in a position…..a position in which I always wanted 2 be…the position or license 2 sit beside her…n be the one, I wanted 2 be loved by her and wanted to someday become her boyfriend…

But poof…!! There it went, I blew it up again….i ,while trying 2 get that gal…ended up in giving that gal 2 my best friend…funny…as it may sound. But that was d truth…I ended up being the cupid… J