Nothing Cool About Drugs... Choose Life Instead

Since Sanjo is known as an artiste who sings extensively about social causes, often people from various NGOs and social organisations approach him to perform or create songs for specific causes. One such organisation working in the drug addiction rehabilitation space wanted Sanjo to open a show with a song addressed to school and college students, warning them about the dangers of drug dependence.

When Sanjo sat down with Chandrani to get the song written, both of them agreed that a preachy or moralising stance would not work given the youthful profile of the target audience. Going in a completely different direction, Chandrani crafted the lyrics as though they were being sung by the very youngsters being targeted. Putting a completely different spin on it, she writes about the joy and passion of feeling alive as being incomparable with the stupor, dissipation and degeneration that drugs invariably cause.

Chandrani explains: “There is a dark intro that underlines the problem and paints a stark picture of the havoc that drugs can play in one’s life. But after that, the song is positive all the way. It is an affirmation by the youth that they are totally capable of having a great time without needing drugs as some kind of crutch or pick-me-up.”

Sanjo adds: “The song is so positive in its outlook that I actually perform it as a lively dance number. The lyrics are quite in-your-face at times; there’s a part in the chorus which taunts drugs by saying ‘what the f*** gives you the idea that you can trap me in your web of addiction!’ In essence, the song is all about breaking free and living life to the max.”

HAM CHALEIN

Lyrics by: Chandrani

Reproduced here with permission from Chandrani

NAAM ISKA ZEHAR JAAN LO

BAAZI HAI BICHH GAYI MAAN LO

MAUT SE UMRA TUM MAANG LO

WAQT HAI ZINDAGI THAAM LO

HEY-HEY-HEY-HEY…

HAM CHALEIN THO CHALEIN YEH JAHAAN

HAM RUKEY THO THHAMEY KAARVAAN

HAM HANSE THO CHHAAYE ROSHNI

HAM SE HI HAI YAHAAN HAR KHUSHI

PHIR BHALA RAAT KI KYA MAJAAL

HAM PE DAALEY JO NASHE KA JAAL

TORH DE HAM YAHAAN BANDISHEY

HAR NASHA HAR ZEHAR SE PAREY

HAM CHAL PARHEY HEY-HEY-HEY…

PHOOL SE TITLI SE HAI YAARI

KHUSHBOO SE RANG SE HAI BHARI

OS KI BOODON SE HAI DHULI

ZINDAGI YEH MERI YEH TERI

PHIR BHALA RAAT KI KYA MAJAAL…

HAM CHALEIN THO CHALEIN YEH JAHAAN

HAM RUKEY THO THHAMEY KAARVAAN

HAM HANSE THO CHHAAYE ROSHNI

HAM SE HI HAI YAHAAN HAR KHUSHI

PHIR BHALA RAAT KI KYA MAJAAL

HAM PE DAALEY JO NASHE KA JAAL

TORH DE HAM YAHAAN BANDISHEY

HAR NASHA HAR ZEHAR SE PARHEY

HAM CHAL PARHEY HEY-HEY-HEY…

Listen to a short audio clip of the song here:

Ham Chalein by Sanjo & Chandrani

You can buy the song along with other songs, or the entire album here:

Buy Ham Chalein by Sanjo & Chandrani at OKListen

Note: To buy a song, register on the OK Listen website and click on the orange button next to the black “Play” button. To buy the album, scroll down to the point below the album image and click on the large orange button.

To get in touch with Sanjo & Chandrani, you can write to them at: sanjoandchandrani@gmail.com