Songs of Youth

Posted on Trivia- The Spice of Life on 14/08/2022

यौवन सचमुच आंधी ही है, उसकी अपनी गति होती है
और लक्ष्यनिष्ठ जीवन ही, जीने हेतु सुमति होती है
कोई बाधा रोक न पाती व व्यवधान नही टिकते है
यौवन के साहस, संकल्पों को तो उच्च लक्ष्य दीखते है
खड़ी समस्याएं जब होती, यौवन ललकारा जाता है
तब तब समाधान करने को यौवन की जीवट होती है

These lines above summarize the theme of this post. There is something magical about youth. This is the phase of your life when you are full of hopes and dreams and have lesser responsibilities to shoulder. There is a certain daredevilry and boldness also which is associated with youth.

Swami Vivekananda said about youth – “this is the time to decide your future – while you possess the energy of youth, not when you are worn out and jaded, but in the freshness and vigour of youth. Work – this is the time; for the freshest, the untouched, and unsmelled flowers alone are to be laid at the feet of the Lord”.

Youngsters are the backbone of any nation. They are the ones who chart the path for the future generations. It is important that the youth does not go astray for this would spell doom for any society. The present day youngsters of course have a completely different set of challenges to deal with, with the virtual world taking over their lives in a big way. The various social media platforms that many are hooked to and the peer pressure to stay on them is sometimes telling.

August 12^th is celebrated as International Youth Day. I felt this was an apt time to make a list of songs that are dedicated to youth. More so because we are celebrating 75 years of freedom. India is an old civilization but a young nation-state which stands on the threshold of becoming a developed nation. This can only be achieved when the youth of India take a lead in this journey. While many of our youngsters join the armed forces and protect our frontiers, there are others who sincerely shoulder the task of nation building in myriad ways.

In this post I have listed songs that speak of youth and its dreams. I have steered clear of all romantic songs. These songs that I enlist are inspirational and they celebrate youth. They are not exactly patriotic but many a song speaks of serving the nation on the frontiers. The songs are largely of the golden era, not arranged in any particular order.

1) Chal Chal Re Naujawaan (Bandhan, 1940) Lyricist : Kavi Pradeep; Music Director : Ramchandra Pal; Singer : Suresh. This is a song that would make one march. It is a typical Kavi Pradeep song which eggs the youth to go on and never give up, irrespective of the circumstances. The first version of this multiple version song is what I refer to, which is apt for the theme of this post; it is sung on screen by child artiste Suresh.

Tu aage badhe ja
aafat se lade ja
aandhi ho ya toofaan
phat-ta ho aasmaan

rukna tera kaam nahin
chalna teri shaan
chal chal re naujawaan

2) Nai Umar Ke Naye Sitaaron  (Nai Umar Ki Nai Fasal, 1966) Lyricist : Gopal Das ‘Neeraj’; Music Director : Roshan; Play Back Singer : Bhupinder Singh. The most popular song of this movie and perhaps the best film song penned by Neeraj is Kaarwan Guzar Gaya whose lyrics are hard hitting. The mood of the song is of despair, hopelessness and dejection. The movie deals with a less explored subject of those times – student politics. It is a grim take on what could go wrong when the younger generation is misguided. However, the movie starts off with a more didactic, inspirational song also penned by Neeraj, sung melodiously by Bhupinder, as the title credits roll down; unfortunately, it is not heard very often. This is a more positive song that spells the strength of youth.

Likho jawaani ke naam khat wo
ke phool ban jaayen khaar saare
be-roshni(?) ki lagaao kalmen
zameen pe ugne lagen sitaare
badaldo pichchhle hisaab aise
ulat do gham ke naqaab aise
ke sab ki sab ye zameen badley
ke sab ka sab ye aakaash badley
nayi umar ke naye sitaaro
nayi fasal ki nayi bahaaro

3) Chhodo Kal Ki Baatein (Hum Hindustani, 1960) Lyricist : Prem Dhawan; Music Director : Usha Khanna; Playback Singer : Mukesh. The film had nine songs penned by four lyricists. This song, which is iconic, is one that enthuses and fills one with new energy. Released in 1960 more than a decade after India attained freedom, this song helped to focus on all those dreams that were still not achieved but were well within reach. It speaks of young blood taking the country forward.

Aaj puraani zanjeeron ko tod chuke hai
kyaa dekhen us manzil ko jo chhod chuke hai
chaand ke dar pe jaa pahunchaa hai aaj zamaanaa
naye jagat se ham bhi naataa jod chuke hain
nayaa khoon hai nayi umangen, ab hai nayi jawaani
ham hindustaani, ham hindustaani

chhodo kal ki baaten, kal ki baat puraani
naye daur mein likhenge, mil kar nayi kahaani
ham Hindustaani, ham Hindustaani

4) Hum Matwaale Naujawaan (Shararat, 1959) Lyricist : Hasrat Jaipuri; Music Directors : Shankar Jaikishan; Singer : Kishore Kumar. This is a quintessential Kishore Kumar song in praise of youth and its thirst for achieving goals. An ebullient Kishore sings it on screen as well.

[There is another song with the same opening words Hum Matwaale Naujawaan which is also the title song of the movie Hum Matwaale Naujawaan (1962). However, it is a male duet focusing on romance and so I chose not to include it. ]

Hum rote dilon ko hansaa de, 
dukh dard ki aag bujhaa de
bechain nazar, betaab jigar,
 ham sabko gale se lagaa le
ham manmauji shahzaade, 
dukhiyon ke rakhwaale
log karen badnaami, 
kaise ye duniyaa waale
ham matwaale naujawaan

5) Dil Mera Ek Aas Ka Panchhi (Aas Ka Panchhi, 1961) Lyricist : Hasrat Jaipuri; Music Directors : Shankar Jaikishan; Playback Singer : Subir Sen. This song sung on a bicycle by Rajendra Kumar, whose dream it is to join the armed forces, is one of exuberance and confidence in the strength and resilience of youth.

Ye duniyaa hai naujawaanon ki, zamaanaa hai naujawaanon kaa
hawaayen bhi gungunaati hain, taraanaa ham naujawaanon kaa
badlegi ek din ye hasti, chamkegaa ek din muqaddar
aayegaa jhoomtaa saveraa, jeevan mein roshni ko lekar
dil meraa ek aas kaa panchhi, udtaa hai unche gagan par
pahunchegaa ek din kabhi to chaand ki ujli zameen par

6) Bharat Ke Naujawaanon (Fariyaad, 1964) Lyricist: Kedar Sharma ; Music Director : Snehal Bhatkar; Playback Singers : Mubarak Begum & Suman Kalyanpur. Starring Ashok Sharma (Kedar Sharma’s son) and Zeb Rehman, this movie did not fare very well. Ashok Sharma perhaps did not have it in him to deliver a powerful performance. However, it had some wonderful songs composed by Snehal Bhatkar. This song, as the lyrics and the year of release indicate, refers to the Chinese aggression of 1962. After India’s debacle in the war, there was a general sentiment that the youth must rise to the occasion and do their bit to protect their motherland. This is in a sense a clarion call to the youth of India to fight China.

Bharat ke naujawanon
Bharat ke kaam aaaao
jo aa ghusey hain ghar mein
maaro inhein bhagaao
Bharat ke kaam aao

7) Naujawaanon Bharat Ki Taqdeer Bana Do (Kundan, 1955) Lyricist: Shakeel Badayuni ; Music Director : Ghulam Mohammad; Playback Singer : Md. Rafi and Chorus. This song is sung at a gathering of young freedom fighters against the backdrop of the Quit India Movement of 1942, in pre-independent India. Based on Victor Hugo’s famous novel Les Miserables, it explores the theme of reformation of criminals.

 Naujawaano Bharat ki taqdeer banaa do 
phoolon ke is gulshan se kaanton to hataa do 
Naujawaano

8) Ai Watan Ke Naujawaan Jaag (Baaz, 1953) Lyricist: Majrooh Sultanpuri; Music Director : O.P.Nayyar ; Playback Singer : Geeta Dutt & Chorus. In this movie Guru Dutt was both the director and the male protagonist. The movie is about saving a small kingdom in the Malabar which is taken over and ruled by the Portuguese. Geeta Bali raises the standard of revolt. In this song sung on the ship, she exhorts her brethren to fight the Portuguese.

Har zabaan ruki ruki
har nazar jhuki jhuki
kya yahi hai zindagi
ae watan ke naujawaan
jaag aur jagaa ke chal
zulm jis kadar badhe
aur sar uthha ke chal

9) Qadam Qadam Se Dil Se Dil Mila (Char Dil Char Rahen, 1959) Lyricist: Sahir Ludhianvi ; Music Director : Anil Biswas; Playback Singers: Mukesh, Mahendra Kapoor, Meena Kapoor & Manna Dey. This movie was overambitious and had many stars working together. It slumped at the box office but its music was its saviour. Steeped in socialist ideals, this song emphasises the need to work together for nation building.

Saathi re bhai re
ye raastaa sunahri manzilon ko jaayegaa

ye raastaa khushi ki bastiyaan basaayegaa

bicchad gaye thhe jo unhen qareeb laayega
ye raastaa wo hai
jo dil se dil milaayegaa
saathi re bhai re
ke ab tamaam faasle mitaa rahe hain ham
har qadam qadam se dil se dil milaa rahe hain ham
vatan mein ek nayaa chaman khilaa rahe hain ham

10) Watan Ki Raah Mein Watan Ke Naujawaan (Shaheed, 1948) Lyricist: Raja Mehdi Ali Khan ; Music Director : Ghulam Haider; Playback Singer : Md. Rafi & Chorus. This is a song sung not by a soldier but a revolutionary played by Dilip Kumar as he sees soldiers marching. And in the end, Dilip Kumar also gets martyred and so does his beloved Kamini Kaushal. This song stirs your soul each time you hear it.

Watan ki raah mein 
watan ke naujawaan shaheed ho
pukaarte hain ye zameen-o-aasmaan shaheed ho

This post was an attempt to enlist songs that celebrate youth. I have consciously avoided all romantic songs that describe youth only as a time for falling in love. In fact it is this genre of songs that refer more to jawaani (e.g. Jawaani O Deewani Tu Zindabad). Also, I wanted a list of songs which touched upon patriotism but simultaneously highlighted the role of youth in society. In many a song naujawaan and jawaan (or soldier) seem to be synonymous. It is obvious that our youth who are in the armed forces are the ones who fight to protect the nation – its integrity and sovereignty. As they dedicate themselves to this onerous task, it is the other youth of the country who play the role of nation building, so that our country breaches the frontiers of progress.

As I sign off, here’s wishing all the readers a very Happy Independence Day!!

Disclaimer

anitamultitasker.wordpress.com claims no credit for any image, screenshots or songs posted on this site. The images and screenshots are the copyright of their original owners. The song links are shared from YouTube, daily motion and other platforms only to make the post audio visual. The copyright of these songs rests with the respective owners, producers and music companies.