[dropcap style=”flat”]M[/dropcap]usic is a language understood by all; a song with low, staccato piano notes resembling that of a stomping march perfectly conveys a grave yet urgent tone. On the other hand, high guitar plucks accompanied by a calming flute and hums give off a sense of being contented and thankful. One of my favorite Hindi songs, “Love You Zindagi” by Amit Trivedi, falls into the latter category.[note note_color=”#f1f1f1″ radius=”16″]All lyric translations are a mixture of the author’s and from bollynook.com.[/note]Bollywood movies and Indian songs tend to be released hand-in-hand, as this song was released alongside the movie “Dear Zindagi,” starring Indian actress Alia Bhatt. The movie follows Alia’s character Kaira, an up-and-coming cinematographer who suffers from insomnia, but is later revealed to be a symptom of her commitment issues, according to the movie’s IMDb page.After she sees a psychologist for the insomnia, the movie shows a montage of Kaira finding joy in things again and spending time with her loved ones while the quiet yet happy tune plays.

Jo dil se lage (that which gets attached to your heart)
Usey keh do (tell it)
Hi, hi, hi, hi
Jo dil na laga (what doesn’t get attached to your heart)
Usey keh do
Bye, bye, bye, bye…

As best as I can tell from my subpar Hindi, the words themselves are simplistic but get their point across: love what you like, and don’t pay mind to what you don’t. It’s a message that, I feel, gets lost too often in the bustle of the modern world and probably why the makers of the movie included this verse — and song — into “Dear Zindagi.”

Aane do, aane do, dil mein aa jaane do (let that smile into your heart)
Keh do mushkuruhat ko (say this to it)
Hi, hi, hi, hi,
Jaane do, jaane do, dil se chale jaane do (let fear leave your heart)
Keh do ghabrahat ko (say this to fear)
Bye, bye, bye, bye, bye bye…

Again, it’s a simple message the song gives. Let positivity enter your life, and know you can leave fear behind.[vc_raw_html]JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZvcGVuLnNwb3RpZnkuY29tJTJGZW1iZWQlMkZ0cmFjayUyRjZrM1hYQ0UxWnp3ZXZRbHhmOGROYXclMjIlMjB3aWR0aCUzRCUyMjMwMCUyMiUyMGhlaWdodCUzRCUyMjM4MCUyMiUyMGZyYW1lYm9yZGVyJTNEJTIyMCUyMiUyMGFsbG93dHJhbnNwYXJlbmN5JTNEJTIydHJ1ZSUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmlmcmFtZSUzRQ==[/vc_raw_html]

Love you, zindagi! (Love you, O Life!) x3
Love me, zindagi…

After a brief period of silence, the song bursts into a wonderful, loud proclamation: I love you, life. The chorus uses a variety of different instruments to give it its bubbly feeling, like a shaker and soft guitar chords. A woman hums in the background in a content manner as Kaira finds joy in the small things, such as flying a kite or literally hugging a tree. While it’s a simple chorus, that is precisely why I love it.
How often do we take a step back and think “I love life”? As I walk through the hallways and laugh with friends, you can often hear a “Man, I hate my life,” with people chuckling although deep inside, it isn’t a joke. I cannot speak for others, but I know I have done as such. Listening to the song makes me want to jump up and down and yell to the sky, “Thank you! Thank you for giving me this chance to live!” It makes me want to enjoy life, rather than just survive through it.

Kabhi haath pakad ke tu mera chal de, chal de (sometimes you walk holding my hand)
Kabhi haath chhuda ke main tera chal doon, chal doon (sometimes I walk away from your grasp)
Main thodi se moody hoon, tu thodi se main hai (I’m a bit moody, you’re a bit twisted)
Kya khoob ye jodi hai teri meri! (what a wonderful pair we make!)

This verse, I feel, is such a pleasant and admirable way to view life. Sometimes, we follow whatever life throws at us, and other times we forge our own path. We call life cruel, and we’re angry at life for being so. Yet, the song finds peace with this fact, proclaiming “well, don’t we work well together!” It’s such a different and interesting way to look at life.
The song goes on with its happy tune, repeating “Love you zindagi // love me, zindagi” until the end, where the singer transitions from spoken words to singing harmonies that sound suspiciously like laughter. This is one of those songs that, while it is made of simple elements, come together to make the listener feel a sense of peace. The lyrics don’t need to be dressed up in long adjectives and complicated nouns to get the song’s point across: love life.
What do you think of the song? Let us know below!