This way, gang!

20081231

Gravy Train

Selling out, if you ask any youngster, is supposed to be an ignominy, but why? The very artists that we so easily accuse of having "sold out their beliefs" would not have reached us in the first place if they weren't part of the commercial channels. Which then makes one wonder if they were ever true to the cause in the first place. An article on this will follow at a later date, but for now, some half-baked lyrical poetry:

Psst, Ms. Anthem! I'm talkin' to you,
You don't know what he's gonna do.
He's selling you down at Planet M,
He's whoring you and he's to blame.

Didn't I tell you not to talk to strangers?
Haven't I warned you of the dangers?
Why're you hearing what he's telling you?
I created you; what did he do?

You think he cares about any part of you?
Or what you'll cause the damn blessed to do?
You're his showpiece; he's the front-page story,
You're the sunshine; he basks in your glory.

I mean what I make, every word that I sing,
it's awareness not revolution that I try to bring,
How'll they hear you if it ain't through me?
How'll they know me if I don't cut me a deal?

He's just in it for the name and the fame,
his material thirst puts the causes to shame,
he could've walked around, guitar in hand,
a song on his lips, nights of head in the sand.

How would we then be known in the public domain?
All my efforts would've gone right down the drain.
So I chewed on that cigar; sipped some champagne,
stepped aboard and took a ride on the gravy train.

Now he'll talk of Dylan and other icons of the past,
well Lennon maybe a hero but never working class,
Mick Jagger no one buys was a street fighting man,
and the Gallaghers scripted their masterplan,

He could've stayed true,
if he really wanted to...

Well, me and you,
we wouldn't have got our rightful dues,
if I did what he wanted me to,
and stayed pure like a mule...

Happy new year Ms. Anthem I rest my case.

20081229

Let It Crib Vol. 6 - Corrigendum

For those of you in Mumbai who read a certain daily yesterday, a clarification in the style of the same publication's weekly column, "Quote Unquote" (the only possible purpose I can think of being to highlight the immature editing) -

What I said:

Best moment: Early morning 6 o'clock at Mumbai, no, Bombay Central railway station, interacting with a coolie (porter). At first, haggling over his charges; five minutes and almost a kilometer later at the fag end of the platform while waiting for the train, discussing about the positions of coach # 1 of Shatabdis and Rajdhanis.

Worst moment: Same place, same time. In spite of having as many as nine bags, I wasn't stopped or even quest
ioned by any of the security personnel; needless to say, the bags went in unchecked as well. An X-ray baggage-scanning machine at such a premier entry/exit point is the least one can expect, right?

What I meant:

Best moment: Talking with the same coolie, with whom I'd just haggled about ten bucks or so, about the relative positions of the A1 coach of Shatabdi Express and B1 (formerly AS1) coach of Rajdhani Express on adjacent platforms while waiting at Bombay Central on a nippy morning, with him talking in typical Bambaiyya lingo, was an utterly insignificant yet for some reason a very memorable moment.

Worst moment: My nine bags went in unchecked. The presence of a few security personnel and a couple of metal detectors does not assure the travellers - if an X-ray baggage-scanning machine is present at every small airport, such a basic piece of equipment should definitely be a mandatory security check at least at such a premier entry/exit point into the oft-targeted city.


What I definitely did NOT mean:


20081228

For continuity's sake

Since I wasn't here on this day writing this post, let me just fill in something for the heck of it. Let's see now, 28th December eh? Ah yes, got it!

"It's been one month and two days since the ghastly terrorist attacks on Mumbai. The famed spirit of Mumbai is not as visible as it always was - and rightly so. We, the people, should not let the system sleep in peace after continually committing such mistakes which, time after time, puts our lives, and not theirs, at risk."

"Today is two days after the 4th anniversary of the tsunami that devastated South Asia."

Yeah, I don't have anything better to say as of now. As and when I do, I will post it. Till then, I'll count down to yet another new year in the offing. That's right people, only 3 days to go! So 2008 has almost gone by. So for everything that was "hawt", and everything that was naught, please don't bother checking here.

PS. Don't believe the truth. I just might sell out.