Khoya khoya chaand khulaa aasmaan
Posted on: April 27, 2009
By now I have posted more than a thousand songs from the golden era of Bollywood music. It can be easily noticed that lyrics played a very important roles in the success of these songs. In 1980s and later, lyrics lost its importance in the minds of the music directors and from that time onwards, songs lost their soul and their longevity. However great the singing and music may be, unless the singer and music director has a good song to work with, the song cannot hope to become popular.
The golden era music directors knew this fact very well. That is why they ensured that they worked with the best of lyricists and they often informally formed partnerships with lyricists. Thus, we had Shakeel Badayuni working with Naushad, Shailendra with Shankar Jaikishan, S H Bihari with O P Nayyar, Raja Mehdi Ali Khan with Madan Mohan,Sahir Ludhianvi with Ravi etc.
There were some music directors like Madan Mohan who knew Hindi/ Urdu language and undestood what the lyricists wrote. Even music directors who were weak in Hindi/ Urdu, like S D Burman, for instance, knew the value of great lyrics and had enormous respect and patience for their lyricists.
In this connection, R D Burman ( in a Vividh Bharati programme) recalled a very sweet tale about how S D Burman once sent R D Burman to Shailendra to get the lyrics of a song. R D Burman states- Ek baar unhone (S D Burman) mujhe geetkaar Shailendra sahab ke paas bheja ek geet likhwakar le aane ke liye, aur kaha ki geet liye bina mat aana. Main Shailendra sahab ke ghar pahuncha to pata chala ki abhi tak geet unhone likha hi naheen hai. Maine unse kaha ki babuji ne kaha hai ki geet lekar hi waapas aana. To unhone mujhe apne saath samundar ke kinare le gaye. Maine unse kaha ki aap geet to likhiye, to we bole ki are aise koi geet likh sakta hai, uske liye mood chaahiye. Unhone mujhse kaha ki theek hai tum maachis ka box bajaao, main koshish karta hoon. Unhone aasmaan mein chaand ko dekha aur bol pade “khoya khoya chaand khula aasmaan”, aur is tarah se yeh geet poora ban gaya.
[ Once he (S D Burman) sent me to lyricist Shailendra sahab to get the lyrics of a song and asked me not to return home without the song. When I reached the home of Shailendra sahab, I came to know that the song was not yet written. I told him that my father has forbidden me to come back without the song. Then he took me with him to the beaches. When I requested him to at least start writing the song, he told me that one cannot write songs just like that. One needs to be in the proper mood for that. Nevertheless, he asked me to take out a matchbox and play a tune on it and he would try his level best to come up with a song. He gazed at the sky and saw the moon. He exclaimed “khoya khoya chaand khula aasmaan”, and that is how this song was written.]
It is a very sweet story indeed. And need I tell that this song is regarded as a timeless classic.
This song was sung by Rafi and picturised on Dev Anand in the movie “Kaala Bazaar” (1960)
Audio
Video
Song: Khoya khoya chaand (Kala Bazar) (1960) Singer-Rafi, Lyrics-Shailendra, MD-S D Burman
Lyrics
o ho ho ho
khoyaa-khoyaa chaand, khulaa aasmaan
aankhon mein saari raat jaayegi
tumko bhi kaise neend aayegi,
o ho ho
khoyaa-khoyaa chaand, khulaa aasmaan
aankhon mein saari raat jaayegi
tumko bhi kaise neend aayegi,
ho o
khoyaa-khoyaa chaand
masti bhari, hawaa jo chali
masti bhari, hawaa jo chali
khil-khil gayi, ye dil ki kali
man ki gali mein hai khalbali
ke unko to bulaao,
ho ho ho
khoyaa-khoyaa chaand, khulaa aasmaan
aankhon mein saari raat jaayegi
tumko bhi kaise neend aayegi
ho o
khoyaa-khoyaa chaand
taare chale, nazaare chale
taare chale, nazaare chale
sang-sang mere wo saare chale
chaaron taraf ishaare chale
kisi ke to ho jaao,
ho ho ho o
khoyaa-khoyaa chaand, khulaa aasmaan
aankhon mein saari raat jaayegi
tumko bhi kaise neend aayegi
ho o
khoyaa-khoyaa chaand
ho o o
ho o o
aisi hi raat, bheegi si raat
aisi hi raat, bheegi si raat
haathon mein haath, hote wo saath
kah lete unse dil ki ye baat
ab to naa sataao,
ho ho ho o
khoyaa-khoyaa chaand, khulaa aasmaan
aankhon mein saari raat jaayegi
tumko bhi kaise neend aayegi
ho o
khoyaa-khoyaa chaand
ham mit chalen, jinke liye
ham mit chalen hain, jinke liye
bin kuchh kahe, wo chup-chup rahe
koyi zaraa ye unse kahe
na aise aajmaao,
ho ho ho o
khoyaa-khoyaa chaand, khulaa aasmaan
aankhon mein saari raat jaayegi
tumko bhi kaise neend aayegi
ho o
khoyaa-khoyaa chaand
khoyaa-khoyaa chaand
khoyaa-khoyaa chaand
khoyaa-khoyaa chaand
khoyaa-khoyaa chaand
khoyaa-khoyaa chaand
6 Responses to "Khoya khoya chaand khulaa aasmaan"
April 27, 2009 at 2:17 am
It is a story that I really love, and it very succinctly tells us the reason behind the longevity of such songs.
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April 29, 2009 at 12:00 pm
My absolute fav song. Thanks for the anecdote about how the lyrics were written ffor this song, Atul.
Keep the blog running, I really llike reading your posts!
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June 9, 2009 at 11:09 am
Ihave not found kismat ka khel old hindi movie Vijintimala and Sunil Dutt and music director Shankar Jiakishen I rally apritiat ana thanking you
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August 6, 2009 at 10:42 am
this song is right up there with the best songs of all times.for me this song is the pinnacle of light romantic songs.what lyrics what music and to top it what singing.rafisaab sounds like he was floating in air. certainly features in both top 5 rafi and top 5 dev anand songs of all times. a great great song
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
April 27, 2009 at 1:51 am
This is exactly what I have said all along! When the beautiful lyrics disappeared, the songs were no longer hummable because it is not just the tune, the lyrics are needed to make a song great! Of course, in the case of this song, everything about it is great – the lyrics, the music, the setting, and of course, Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman! Need one say more?
Thanks for yet another night of great songs, Atul!
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