Wise men say

I love that song.. especially the version by Elvis Presley. I love to sing that song and love to listen to it.. somebody sang it for me once.. :)

You know.. its the simplest of all love songs, gives out just the right message (not sounding desperate at the same time), and the chords are extremely easy.. I usually play it on my guitar, but it sounds even better on the piano against the backdrop of a subtle 6/8 ballad.. mostly using octaves and dominants (arpeggios).. with the hands moving in a motion similar to that of pendulum..

These are the chords that I like to use..

C---------Am--------Dm---F-----G
Wise men say, only fools rush in

----F--G---Am----F----------C----G----C
But I cant help falling in love with you

C--------Am
Shall I stay

--------Dm--F--G
Would it be a sin

---F-G--Am------F----------C----G----C
If I cant help falling in love with you

Em-----------B-----Em------------B7
Like a river flows surely to the sea

Em-------------B
Darling so it goes

Em-----------------------F-F7
Some things are meant to be

C-------Am------------Dm-----F----G
Take my hand, take my whole life too

----F-G----Am----F----------C----G----C
For I cant help falling in love with you

----F-G----Am----F----------C----G----C
For I cant help falling in love with you

And as one becomes proficient in playing these chords, a little spice can be added to make this 'continental' into 'punjabi tadka'.. Add a few sevenths, major sevenths, minor sixths.. but remember.. too much of anything is not good..

Simplest recipe to this song is, a list of chords, a guitar and of course the love of your life whom one can sing this song to..

Hold back or run..

These days I am working on a new composition.. a musical composition.

A few days back I was talking with somebody over the phone. That person was troubled and needed counsel and solace. While I was listening to her, I heard a tune in my mind (yes this is quite possible. Many a times you can hum a song in your mind without having to use your vocal chords).. I had to just write the tune somewhere right away..

So while I was trying to tell the person that its not the end of the world, I fetched my pencil and music sheet.. I started with writing just the basic chords.. you know.. C, D.. blah blah.. The tune was to be a simple ballad or a theme instrumental depicting feelings of a person who is on the run.. may be away from circumstances, from family, from self..

I ended up writing 'CMaj7', in place of a simple 'C'.. The tune is going to end up being a jazz theme after all..

I usually lose interest in writing a piece if I stretch it for too long.. Once completed, I will try and upload that MIDI file here on my blog.. let's see..

New look

Since I am jobless these days (at work :P), I had ample time on hand to take care of some pending tasks.. Like replying to my friend's emails.. refusing 'I wanna make friendship with you' offers on Orkut.. and of course work on my blog..

I dint like the blue so much.. Have always wanted to make the background white. But none of the templates offered me the look that I really wanted for my blog. I started with creating a personalised banner for it. For which I had to learn how to use Adobe Photoshop.. man! its a lean mean editing machine! So many variants, so many tools.. It took me half a day to figure out purpose of most of the options available.. I wonder if there are institutes that give training on this application..

Anyway..

So I searched for some pictures to use in the banner.. found one that suited the theme I had in mind.. oh yeah abt the theme.. well its a song.. I think from the movie 'Peter Pan'..

I won't grow up
I don't wanna go to school
Just to learn to be a puppet
And recite a silly rule

If growing up means it would be
Beneath my dignity to climb a tree
I won't grow up, won't grow up, won't grow up
Not me.

I won't grow up
I don't wanna wear a tie
Or a serious expression
In the middle of July

And if it means that I must prepare
To shoulder burdens with a worried air
I'll never grow up, won't grow up, never grow up
So there

Never gonna be a man
I won't!
Like to see somebody try
And make me!
Anyone who wants to try
And make me turn into a man
Catch me if you can

I won't grow up
I don't wanna wear a tie
Or a serious expression
To try to act just like a guy

'Cause growing up's awfuller than
All of the awful things that's ever been
I won't grow up, won't grow up, won't grow up
Again

Growing up's awfuller than
All of the awful thing that's ever been
I won't grow up, never grow up, won't grow up
Again.
Not me.
Not I.

It's a beautiful song, if you consider.. Simple, poetic, and makes sense till the end.. I picked up a few lines from this song.. because that's how I feel - Never wanting to grow up.. I don't mean literally.. Remember when we were children, we were never pretentious.. always being the way we were.. well.. same concept..

So here's a new look for my blog.. hmm.. White is definitely better than blue..

Traveling disasters...'The giggling men'... Part 2

So where was I? oh yeah.. Part 2...

I was traveling alone (as usual). Going back home from hostel (as usual). My co-passengers were a bunch of 'over grown wanna be teenage (ninja mutant :P) MEN'. About 10 of them I think. I don't remember the number 'cause I was trying hard not to stare at them so as not to appear 'indecent'.

Anyway.. Seemed like they had just returned from an Alumni meet or something, which they all decided to discuss about during the 2 and a half days journey. Actually it was not a disaster per say.. considering I didn't get an allergy.. :)

They discussed about their old loves and the new ones. There was quite a bit of an argument over which female was the 'hottest'.. These men were well over 40 years of age.. They sang songs.. love songs. For each other and for their old lovers.. They giggled a lot.. like little girls.. I was the esteemed audience to a secret but 'loud enough for the whole carriage to hear' conversation.. and they giggled.. at every single utterance of any word in the engligh/hindi dictionary.. without fail..

It was all fine till the time I was not the only one getting disturbed from my sleep. Just then I made the biggest mistake of my life... I laughed at one of their stupid jokes. In my defence, it was a supressed laughter..

"You don't talk much do you?", said one of the uncle's in the ninja group.

I didn't know what to say, so I just smiled. Yeah rrrrright, as if that was going to work.

I turned to look out side the window. Nothing to see. It was dark outside and all I could see was reflection of those 10 uncles looking at me and giggling.. hehehehhee..

"Are we bothering you?"

"No.. not really.." Duh..

"Hey guys.. Its Ok.. I told you so.." hehehheehhe

"Cummon sing a song with us" said one..

"Yes.. cummon.." said the other..

"No thanks." I said..

"Chalte chalte... mere yeh geet yaad rakhna.." one of the uncle's started to sing.. and of course the other joined in, in all possible octaves that the human voice box can produce... "Kabhi alvida na kehena.. kabhi alvida na kehena.." hehehhehe..

They gobbled their cold meals in a jiffy.. and made sure that I had some of the banana chips they were carrying with them.. Actually their wives had packed it for them for the journey..

Slowly the loud off tune singing turned into soft whispering sounds as lights started to go off in each cabin..

This is it. I thought. Time for the giggling men to go to sleep. which they did. obviously. But not until they had sung 3 more songs.. with the chorus,solo, duet,connecting music.. everything.. and finally the cadence..

Tomorrow, I thought, these guys will get back to their rudimentry lives. They got an opportunity today to relive their past and with what aplomb!

Will I ever want to relive any moment in MY past? if yes, what would that be........I dozed off trying to think of an answer..

I don't know if the ninja gang sang any more situational songs that night.Thankfully I fell asleep..