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Friday, August 14, 2009

Freedom



Well, I am not going to rant and rave about how hard our freedom fighters fought for it , and how most of the young do not get what it means to be free from oppression and slavery , as they take our freedom for granted . My only wish is that people understand the significance of having an Independence Day . Having said that , I would like to share two great songs, that Freedom, Independence and Brutality of the British remind me of .

The first song is by Iron Maiden , called The Clansman . If revolutionaries like Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Shaheed Chandrashekhar Azad had been into Rock , and if you replace clan with India , then this could have been there rock anthem . To them .

Wake alone in the hills
With the wind in your face
It feels good to be proud
And be free and a race
That is part of a clan
And to live on highlands
And the air that you breathe
So pure and so clean

When alone on the hills
With the wind in your hair
With a longing to feel
Just to be free

Is it right to believe
In the need to be free
It's a time when you die
And without asking why
Can't you see what they do
They are grinding things down
They are taking our land
That belongs to the clans

Not alone with a dream
Just a want to be free
With a need to belong
I am a clansman
Freedom !

It's a time wrought with fear
It's a land wrought with change

Ancestors could hear
What is happening now
They would turn in their graves
They would all be ashamed
That the land of the free
Has been written in chains

And I know what I want
When the timing is right
Then I'll take what is mine
I am the clansman

And I swear to defend
And we'll fight to the end
And I swear that I'll never be taken alive
And I know that we'll stand
And we'll fight for our land
And I swear that my bairns
Will be born free

And I know what I want
When the timing is right
Then I'll take what I want
I am the clansman
Freedom !

No, no we can't let them take anymore
No we can't let them take anymore
We've the land of the free
Freedom !

Is it right to believe
In the need to be free
It's a time when you die
And without asking why
Can't you see what they do
They are grinding things down
They are taking our land
That belongs to the clans

Not alone with a dream
Just a want to be free
With a need to belong
I am a clansman

And I know what I want
When the timing is right
Then I'll take what is mine
I am the clansman
Freedom !

And I know what I want
When the timing is right
Then I'll take what is mine
I am the clansman.


The Clansman on YouTube with scenes from the movie Braveheart , as the backdrop


And this one , again by Iron Maiden , makes some sense as well . The song talks about the forced expulsion of Native Americans to the western United States, presumably during the presidency of Andrew Jackson when the moves were enforced by the U.S. Army ("soldier blue in the barren wastes"). (Wikipdia) . But doesn't it fit ?

Run to the hills

White man came across the sea
He brought us pain and misery
He killed our tribes, he killed our creed
He took our game for his own need

We fought him hard we fought him well
Out on the plains we gave him hell
But many came too much for cree
Oh will we ever be set free?

Riding through dustclouds and barren wastes
Galloping hard on the plains
Chasing the redskins back to their holes
Fighting them at their own game
Murder for freedom a stab in the back
Women and children and cowards attack

Run to the hills run for your lives
Run to the hills run for your lives

Soldier blue on the barren wastes
Hunting and killing their game
Raping the women and wasting the men
The only good Indians are tame
Selling them whisky and taking their gold
Enslaving the young and destroying the old

Run to the hills run for your lives


Run to the hills on YouTube

Image source - www.santabanta.com

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just finished listening to the songs. loved them:)
the first one is AWESOME!
YEs, it does fit. A universal language this song speaks in.



The significance of even being able to celebrate an Independence Day? ah! easy for some to understand Kislay and damn hard for others.

loved these ones the most!


It's a time wrought with fear
It's a land wrought with change

Ancestors could hear
What is happening now
They would turn in their graves
They would all be ashamed
That the land of the free
Has been written in chains

And I know what I want
When the timing is right
Then I'll take what is mine
I am the clansman

And I swear to defend
And we'll fight to the end
And I swear that I'll never be taken alive
And I know that we'll stand
And we'll fight for our land
And I swear that my bairns
Will be born free

Anonymous said...

I didnt write something important:)

Happy Independence Day. 15th August ki Shubhkaamnayein:)

Arun.N.M. said...

Happy Indepedece day Kislay. Hope we can reinvent the spirit of freedom struggle to free all Indians from poverty and hunger.

Arun.N.M. said...
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Arun.N.M. said...
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venkatesh said...

Wish you happy independence day Kislay!

OG said...

great post dude!!!!!!!

loved the first song and the lyrics :P

I totally agree with indyeah's comment.......

freedom should be won for each and every person!!!

happy independence day dude!!!!

Anonymous said...

Cool songs - Happy Independence Day!

Govind said...

We need to rewrite the concept of freedom
not standing in line singing the national anthem.
The meaning of the word is twisted ad nauseum
by many to try and manipulate the sysytem.
Time for the youth to use their collective wisdom.

"Happy Independence Day"
Trust the country would be safe with young people like you

Vinod_Sharma said...

Happy Independence Day!

Anonymous said...

Lovely songs Kislay, and great reminders of what we can never afford to take for granted!

With the wind in your hair
With a longing to feel
Just to be free

Is it right to believe
In the need to be free


These lines I loved the most...

manju said...

Happy Independence Day, Kislay!

BK Chowla, said...

Happy independence day.
Freedom to me will be when we can get over caste ism,regionalism and when there will be education for all.

Unknown said...

Loved the songs Kislay. They capture the spirit. A Happy Independence Day ! Freedom from all that is bad :)
Jai Hind!

Unknown said...

Kislay : Sorry for sidetracking...just saw your Bihari bit on Solilo's post...Loved it!
Wanted to add, once in a group of women (in Mumbai)I barely knew I was asked to tell which state I belonged to...and I said I am from JK but I am married to a Bihari....there was pin drop silence , a lot of jaw dropping and finally a female screeched : "You married a Bhaiyaji"
I was so shocked I blubbered " My Bhaiyaji is a good Bhaiyaji"...LOLI
I will hop over to read your Being A Bihari and read it aloud to my Bihari :)

Anonymous said...

Kislay, are you an Iron Maiden fan? It's one of my favourite bands.

Cheers,

Quirky Indian

Anonymous said...

I haven't heard these songs yet, but will definitely check them out. Happy independence day to you! May we all be smarter and more responsible citizens to our country! Cheers :)

Solilo said...

Kislay, Happy Independence Day from this fellow bhai.

Loved the songs. Hope the spirit of freedom is always alive in us.

Anonymous said...

I have always wondered why the British didn't side track us similar to what they did to the native Americans! I mean, after having been in India for more than 150 years (ruling that too), how they suddenly left India en masse, always makes me wonder! Maybe we were just too many!

Destination Infinity