2Blue

Have you travelled by local train in Mumbai? Not the Metro, the good old "local train." Yes? Accept my sympathies then.

 

You see, you are reading this on a device that many aren’t privileged to have. You don't really need to travel by trains anymore. Why then am I reminding you of those old forgotten days? Because sometimes we need to look back to move forward. We need to remember where we come from.

 

Every day, countless dreamers come to Mumbai. In 1997, I was one of them. But everything I knew about the city seemed to be a lie when I heard this announcement on the station's PA:

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“Churchgate ke liye jalad local platform #2 par aa rahi hai.”

("Fast train for Churchgate is arriving on platform #2.")

 

I swear to God I had never been pushed that hard in my life before. And as I stood there, balancing my skinny 57 kg body on a single toe, I found my face in someone's armpit. I was 22—a fresh engineering graduate from NIT Agartala—and by the time the train crossed Andheri, my shirt, my tie, my certificates, my resume, and my dreams were crushed beyond repair. And by the time the train crossed Bandra, I fainted. But here’s the thing about Mumbai: Our local trains don’t let us fall. They are just that crowded. So I stayed afloat. And then I heard a motherly voice whisper these comforting words:

 

"Tension mat le. Theek ho jayega. Baith idhar."

("Don't worry. You will be alright. Sit here.")

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I was given a window-seat, a Parle Orange candy, and I was told:

 

"Tera sugar level kam hai. Tension mat le. Theek ho jayega."

("Your sugar level is low. Don't worry. You will be alright.")

 

At this point, the train stopped at Mumbai Central. I gathered what was left of my dignity and I looked up. The woman with the motherly voice? In that crowd, I couldn't tell who she was. But she stayed on my mind—even when I reached Churchgate for my interview later. I didn’t get that job. But I knew I'd be alright. Because I could still hear these comforting words:

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"Tension mat le. Theek ho jayega."

("Don't worry. You will be alright.")

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Now I've been living in Mumbai for more than 25 years. I still hear these words from time to time. You see, that woman was the reason I didn’t fall. I was 22 then. I'm 48 now. When I think about it, that woman is the reason I’m still standing. This is what She has done for me and countless others like me.

 

Mumbai... Bombay... call Her what you like.

 

She is the one who makes dreams come true. 

And She hasn't brought us this far to leave us now.

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SONG #1: MUMBAI

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A slice of heaven with a messy side
She’s got summer warmth in her embrace
You can't help but fall in love
She's a photograph you can't erase

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She'll give you wings so you can fly
And your dreams will see the sun
In her arms you'll believe 
Life for you has just begun

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She'll make you cry happy tears
Hold your hand in the rain

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Announcement on the train's PA:
"Agla station, Andheri!"

("Next station, Andheri!")

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Mumbai, she's the guiding star
Let her shine on you 
No matter who you are

No matter who you are

Life is a one-way ride
You've got to hold on to your dreams
Call her name like a little prayer
Go beyond, go within

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She'll hold the moon singing lullabies
Take away your crown of thorns
Nurse your wounds, wash you clean
Save you from the howling storm

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She'll make you smile through your tears
Like the sun in the rain

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Announcement on the train's PA:

"Agla station, Bandra!"

("Next station, Bandra!")

Mumbai, she's the guiding star
Let her shine on you
No matter who you are

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No matter who you are or what you do
Her arms are open wide
She’ll take a chance on you

No matter who you are or what you do
Her arms are open wide
She’ll take a chance on you

 

Announcement on the train's PA:

"Agla station, Mumbai Central!"

("Next station, Mumbai Central!")

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Mumbai, she's the guiding star
Let her shine on you
No matter who you are

 

Mumbai, through the sun and rain
Keep the faith 
Keep the faith in that name

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Announcement on the train's PA:
"Agla station, Churchgate!"

("Next station, Churchgate!")

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Thank you for staying. If you close your eyes and take a deep breath, maybe you too will hear these comforting words:

 

"Tension mat le. Theek ho jayega."

("Don't worry. You will be alright.")

​

Mumbai is where dreams come true. It's where love finds you. 

 

Keep the faith in that name.

​

On August 8, 2019. I played what can easily be described as the worst show of my life. It was so bad that by the end of it, I hid myself as far from the stage as possible. (I slid into my sleeping bag and lay on the floor at the far end of the venue.) But someone still managed to find me. She was beautiful. She smiled nervously, clicked a selfie, and said, "Thank you for giving me the best night of my life." And I just couldn't believe what I was hearing. But when I think about it now, I understand.
 

Throughout the pandemic, this is the woman who nursed my spirit when no one else could. On one of those nights, I started writing a song. By the time I reached the bridge, the sun was up. (Yes, I stayed awake the whole night trying to find the words!) The bridge goes:
 

I'm enough
I'm enough
I'm enough
'Cause I've found you
 

Although it's yet unreleased, it's still the most requested song I've written. Every time I sing it, happy tears roll out of my eyes. Because it takes me back to the night I wrote it. You see, Mumbai really is where dreams come true.

 

It's where love finds you.

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It's where true wealth embraces you.

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How rich would you like to be? How much money would you like to have? Think of a number. Now imagine the universe sends you ten times that amount. How rich does that make you feel? That's how rich this woman made me feel. So I'm not going to apologize for writing the song called 'I Am A Billionaire.'

 

SONG #2: I AM A BILLIONAIRE

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I've been tried by the sands of time
I closed my eyes, wished that I was blind
I believed there was someone who’d understand

I held out my hand

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I was fallen on the ground
You broke the silence without a sound
Then I saw you, you turned me around
And in your eyes, it's me I really found

Hey, I'm a billionaire
Hey, 'cause I've found you
Hey, I'm a billionaire
Yes, you know it's true
'Cause in finding you, I found me too
Hey hey hey, I'm a billionaire 

I've been tried by the sands of time
Only 'cause I paint outside the lines
I believed there was someone who’d understand

You held my hand

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I was so tired of this town
It had me cryin' without a sound
Then I saw you, you turned me around
And in your eyes, it's me I really found

Hey, I'm a billionaire
Hey, 'cause I've found you
Hey, I'm a billionaire
Yes you know it's true
'Cause in finding you, I found me too
Hey hey hey, I'm a billionaire

 

I'm enough

I'm enough
I'm enough

'cause I've found you

 

I'm enough

I'm enough
I'm enough

'cause I've found you

 

I'm enough

I'm enough
I'm enough

'cause I've found you

 
'Cause in finding you, I found me too
Hey hey hey, I'm a billionaire 

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_____________________________________

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And that brings us to 'Silver Lining.' (It's the song from my bio on my homepage.) If the dots have begun to connect, you may see a reflection of your own journey in mine.

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SONG #3: SILVER LINING

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Small-town boy, daddy's pride and joy
Up and left to fill a void
Door to door with a bag of dreams 
He just kept knockin' but wasn't let in

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The city sun ain't for everyone
She asked him, "Are you willing to burn?"
And when he cried on the phone at night
She asked him, "Baby, have you even tried?"

 

What you seek is seeking you
This is not the end
What you seek is seeking you
Your life is in your hands

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When you see the silver lining
When you see the stars aligning 
You will see your life's a love affair

When you see the silver lining
When you see the stars aligning 
You will see your life's a love affair

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With nowhere to stay, no prayers left to say
He lied on the phone at night
"Of course baby, I'm alright" 

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She knew him well enough to tell
He was burning for heaven in hell
Said, "Baby, you are all you need
Just look at the stars, not your feet
 

He heard what she said and held up his head
Saw a light burning bright
And he just knew he'd be alright

The city sun ain't for everyone
But a new journey had begun
He held her tight when she arrived
He held her until she cried

 

What you seek is seeking you
Seeking 'til the end
What you seek is seeking you
Your life is in your hands

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When you see the silver lining
When you see the stars aligning 
You will see your life's a love affair

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When you see the silver lining
When you see the stars aligning 
You will see your life's a love affair

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You will see your life's a love affair
You will see your life's a love affair

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The people we laugh and cry with say a lot about who we are. Thank you for staying. But let's change the emotional weather.​

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Think of a singer. Imagine he is in town and you want to attend his show. But there's a catch: You have no one to go with. You still book a ticket and pray that nothing goes wrong. But on the day of the show, everything does.

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Even though it's a Friday, the boss returns from vacation and quadruples your workload. You don't complain. You soldier on with a smile instead. But then, the boss sends you a meeting request for 8 pm. When you decline it, your desk phone rings immediately and everyone looks at you as you speak. Then they look away as you bang the phone down screaming:​

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"NOT TODAY!"

Hey, the show is slated to start at 9 pm. You need to get out of the office by 7 pm. So at 6:45 pm, you rush to the restroom to change into your party clothes. Then with wild horses pulsing in your veins, you rush to the parking lot. But your heart sinks. A flat tyre? NOT NOW! But nothing can stop you. NO, NOT TODAY! You hail a rickshaw and yell the name of the nearest railway station. The rickshaw-driver nods and resets the meter. At 7:35 pm, you reach the station and hop off saying: 

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"Rakhlo sir, thank you!"

("Keep the change sir, thank you!")

 

Then as you begin to climb up the steps, you hear an announcement on the station's PA:

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“Churchgate ke liye jalad local platform #2 par aa rahi hai!”

("Fast train for Churchgate is arriving on platform #2.")

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You rush to the ticket counter and you see a long excruciatingly slow-moving queue. So you scan the faces with a 50-rupee note in hand. Then you ask the elderly woman in the front:

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"Maa ji, maa ji, madad kardo please!"

("Ma'am, ma'am, help me please!")

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In less than a minute, she hands you your ticket. You thank her. You hug her. You and run. And you make it to the venue on time. You stand in the queue outside hyperventilating with a grin on your face. But when the bouncer asks for your ticket, you realize your phone is dead. At that moment, you see a middle-aged woman mopping the floor. You wave your phone at her frantically and ask if she has a compatible charger. She says she doesn't but manages to find you a power bank instead. 11 and a half minutes later, your wrist is stamped and you are inside. And at that very moment, an overhead beam of light lands on your face as if to welcome you. But instead, it reduces you to a deer in the lights of a speeding car. Your eyes struggle to adjust to the sudden burst of iridescence. And as you stand there awkwardly, the singer spots you and shouts out: "HEY YOU!"

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SONG #4: HEY YOU

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You and I, we're here tonight
Diamonds dancing in the light
Rainbow colors everywhere
It's a cosmic love affair

You and I, let's raise some hell
Wave your wand, weave your spell
You are here where you belong
So raise your hands and sing along

Don't you wanna go beyond the realm of time
Take my hand, don't look behind
Close your eyes and you will see
You're exactly where you need to be

Hey you
I see the fire in your eyes
Hey you
I know you set the stars alight
Hey you
Let's go, kiss the skies
Fall in love, fall in love tonight
 

You and I, we're here tonight
When I see you, I see the light
Hold my gaze with a stare
Make me feel like a billionaire
 

You and I, my oh my
Trust me baby, I don't lie

It's for you I wrote this song
So raise your hands and sing along

Don't you wanna go beyond this little dance
We'll never know if we don't give us a chance
Cupid has been taking aim
Venus and Mars, they'll take the blame 

Take a look at me now, set me aflame

YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH

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Hey you
I see the fire in your eyes
Hey you
I know you set the stars alight
Hey you
Let's go, kiss the skies
Fall in love, fall in love

Fall in love, fall in love tonight

You're the dream
That I've always seen
How can I not...
Be so mesmerized
By the fire in your eyes
How can I not...

You're the dream
That I've always seen
How can I not...
Be so mesmerized
By the fire in your eyes
How can I not...

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Fall in love with you tonight

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Thank you for staying. As you keep reading, remember: You are at the show. The flat tyre, the crazy boss, and the one who refused to come with you don't matter anymore. You are in the light. After everything you've been through, you are still shining.​

 

 

SONG #5: STILL SHINING

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I see you smiling
I see the light inside your heart
The light is shining
Like a candle in the dark

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If there's a heaven
Someone still recalls your name
And that's the reason
Your future is yours to claim

Dream your dreams with open eyes
Dream your dreams 'cause you're alive

You're still shining
Don't you cry tonight
Please believe in dreams you're dreamin'
You are all you need, take a look inside

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You're still shining
Don't you cry tonight
Please believe in dreams you're dreamin'
You are all you need, just open your eyes

I see you smiling
I see the light inside your heart
The light is shining
Like a candle in the dark

But if it's raining
If there's a storm tearing through your heart
See the silver lining
Let the storm clear away your path

Don't give up your dreams tonight
Don't give up on your own light

You're still shining
Don't you cry tonight
Please believe in dreams you're dreamin'
You are all you need, take a look inside

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You're still shining
Don't you cry tonight
Please believe in dreams you're dreamin'
You are all you need, just open your eyes

 
Life is your creation
Get off your bended knee
Make it a celebration
Dance with infinity
 

You're still shining
Don't you cry tonight

Please believe in dreams you're dreamin'
You are all you need, take a look inside

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You're still shining
Don't you cry tonight
Please believe in dreams you're dreamin'
You are all you need, just open your eyes

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As the song ends, it cracks something open in you. You find your way to the front of the stage and mysteriously enough, a beam of light follows you there. You look up at the singer and he says:

"This next song is about a champion, a fighter, a survivor... it's about someone just like you. I know there are people out there who are trying to size you up. Tell them not to measure you from your head to your feet. Tell them to measure you from your shoulders to the sky.
 

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SONG #6: BRING IT ON

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Here I am, this is where I started
This is me, it's the course I charted 

 

I'm gonna right every wrong, it's the due I've got to pay

It's here I belong, I'm not goin' away

 
Bring it on
I'm a fighter: I'm still standing, I'm a survivor
Bring it on
I ain't gonna leave before I'm done

Bring it on
I'm standing with my arms wide open

I'm stronger in the places I was broken
I ain't gonna leave before I'm done
Bring it on

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And in my heart, a fire's still burning
And in my eyes, a light's still shining

I know my life is getting shorter every passing day
I’m just a little older I'm not going away

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Bring it on
I'm a fighter: I'm still standing, I'm a survivor
Bring it on
I ain't gonna leave before I'm done

Bring it on
I'm standing with my arms wide open

I'm stronger in the places I was broken
I ain't gonna leave before I'm done
Bring it on

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I'm gonna make it right
I'm standing my ground
I'm gonna fight 'til the last round

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Bring it on
I'm a fighter: I'm still standing, I'm a survivor
Bring it on
I ain't gonna leave before I'm done

Bring it on
I'm standing with my arms wide open

I'm stronger in the places I was broken
I ain't gonna leave before I'm done

 

Bring it on

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This song really hits you. You feel understood. You realize you are here to be a whole that's bigger than the sum of its parts... to carry on your own modest version of God's work... So you hold back the tears and raise a fist. That's when the singer notices you again. And as you hold his gaze, he sings you a new song.

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SONG #7: HARE RAMA HARE KRISHNA

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You are here to live your dreams
To push yourself to new extremes
To seize the day, seize all it brings
So let the heavens kiss your wings

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You're not a slave of yesterday
It was just a lesson anyway
Don't give up, don't walk away
Your heart will always find a way

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You're a star wrapped in skin
Your light shines within
You're a star, take a look within

You're a star wrapped in skin
Your light shines within
You're a star, you’re a star

Hare Rama

This is the song of life
Hare Krishna

It's the call to be alive
Rama Rama

This is your time to dance
Krishna Krishna

You know your life is a romance

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You know you never have to hide
Your story's only yours to write
So take a closer look inside
Your heart will always be your guide

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You are here where you belong 
Welcome home to your own song
This is where you can't go wrong
So raise your hands and sing along

You're a star wrapped in skin
Your light shines within
You're a star, take a look within

You're a star wrapped in skin
Your light shines within
You're a star, you're a star

Hare Rama

This is the song of life
Hare Krishna

It's the call to be alive
Rama Rama

This is your time to dance
Krishna Krishna

You know your life is a romance 

 

If you've been broken, you'll be whole again
Prayers you left unspoken will be answered in the end

Hare Rama

This is the song of life
Hare Krishna

It's the call to be alive
Rama Rama

This is your time to dance
Krishna Krishna

This is your life

 

(Hare Rama)

If you've been broken, you'll be whole again

(Hare Krishna)
Prayers you left unspoken will be answered in the end

(Rama Rama)
If you've been broken, you'll be whole again

(Krishna Krishna)

Prayers you left unspoken will be answered in the end

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You tear up again. But you realize you're not the only one. Collectively, you reach a state of limbic resonance. That's when you see a soft amber light on the singer's face. He says:

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"Our paths have crossed for a reason. A lot of unfortunate things are happening around us. Remember: None of us are as strong as all of us. Together, we can make a difference.

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Let me tell you about Elisabeth Fritzl: The Girl In The Basement.

For 24 years, Elisabeth was a prisoner in her own home. During this time, she was faced with the choice of either starving to death or getting raped by her own father: Josef Fritzl. The abuse he put her through resulted in seven children. That's not all. He killed one of them and got rid of the body by burning it.

 

Josef Fritzl is currently in prison and that's where he will be for the rest of his life. But is that punishment enough? I don't know. So I've rewritten the story of Elisabeth Fritzl: The Girl In The Basement. I've given her a new title: 'Poster Girl.' In my version, she kills her father."

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SONG #8: POSTER GIRL

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Courage is the crown she wore like a queen 
When she was hell bound for her old man's sin
Fine on the outside but scarred from within

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The mother always knew, but never intervened
And the girl fell into methamphetamine
She couldn't face the man, she couldn't even scream

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She was the poster girl for broken dreams
Trying to fly with broken wings
To chase the light, escape the night
She was dying... just to be alive

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Save it save it save it
Don't say another word
If you don't see the embers in her eyes

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Save it save it save it
Don't say another word
If you don't hear her silent battle cries 

Crushed by defeat, ruined to the core
She was at his feet like wreckage on a shore
And there was a pain that she couldn't ignore

She never had the dad that she could adore
All she ever had was a man to abhor
Losing everything in every encore

Tested and tried, played like a whore
She had to comply lying on the floor 
If only he knew what he had in store

(A BULLET IS FIRED!)

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Bullet in the chin, blood-on the floor
The cops came in with the reaper at the door
She had faced the man, she would cry no more

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And the poster girl for broken dreams
Learned how to fly, healed her wings
She saved the girl from the girl she'd been
Takin' the fall risin' like a queen

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She's still exiled, she's still a stepchild
In some ways still unreconciled
But there's a light deep inside
That's burning 'cause she's alive 

Excerpt from Oprah Winfrey's 2018 Golden Globes Speech

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"She lived, as we all have lived, too many years in a culture broken by brutally powerful men. For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dared to speak their truth to the power of those men. But their time is up.

 

A new day is on the horizon!"

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Save it save it save it
Don't say another word
If you don't see the embers in her eyes

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Save it save it save it
Don't say another word
If you don't hear her silent battle cries 

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Save it save it save it
Don't say another word
She killed her father to see the sun

Save it save it save it
Don't say another word
She's every girl with justice in a gun

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As the song ends, the singer screams:

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"WOMEN DON'T STAY SILENT FOREVER!"

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The band rumbles and so does the audience. You close your eyes and take a long deep breath. And as you do, you hear a comforting piece of music. It sounds familiar. Then the singer speaks again:

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"Not everyone can handle the truth. Then again, not everyone is you. Thank you for staying. Performing for you has given me something. I hope it has given you something too. If we hold onto it not just today but for the rest of our lives, it will make a difference. Thank you!"

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The audience reaches a fever pitch. And as the noise begins to fade, the next song begins.

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SONG #9: HEY YOU (REPRISED)

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You and I, we're here tonight
Diamonds dancing in the light
Rainbow colors everywhere
It's a cosmic love affair

You and I, let's raise some hell
Wave your wand, weave your spell
You are here where you belong
So raise your hands and sing along

Don't you wanna go beyond the realm of time
Take my hand, don't look behind
Close your eyes and you will see
You're exactly where you need to be

Hey you
I see the fire in your eyes
Hey you
I know you set the stars alight
Hey you
Let's go, kiss the skies
Fall in love, fall in love tonight

You and I, we're here tonight
When I see you, I see the light
Hold my gaze with a stare
Make me feel like a billionaire

You and I, my-oh-my
Trust me baby, I don't lie

It's for you I wrote this song

So raise your hands and sing along

Don't you wanna go beyond this little dance
We'll never know if we  don't give us a chance
Cupid has been taking aim
Venus and Mars, they'll take the blame 

Take a look at me now, set me aflame

 

YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH

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Hey you
I see the fire in your eyes
Hey you
I know you set the stars alight
Hey you
Let's go, kiss the skies
Fall in love, fall in love

Fall in love, fall in love tonight

You're the dream
That I've always seen
How can I not...
Be so mesmerized
By the fire in your eyes
How can I not...

You're the dream
That I've always seen
How can I not...
Be so mesmerized
By the fire in your eyes
How can I not...

​

Fall in love with you tonight

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_____________________________________

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Same words. Same melody. But slower.

This time, it's emotional.

 

Then the band kneels. The audience applauds.

And the lights fade to black. 

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 On your way home, you think of all the fun you had. Then you think of the flat tyre, the crazy boss, and the one who refused to come with you. The contrast is cruel. So you close your eyes and take a long deep breath. And as you do, you hear a motherly voice whisper these comforting words:

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"Tension mat le. Theek ho jayega."

("Don't worry. You will be alright.")

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