Songs for the Sleepless

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It probably won’t surprise many people if I mention that these days we aren’t getting much sleep in my house. Our newborn, Puran, tends to wake up hungry every 2-3 hours at night. The feeding part is usually relatively straightforward; it’s getting the little guy to burp and then sleep again that takes some time and persistence. The best tactic involves picking him up and pacing for fifteen minutes.

One of my colleagues in the English Department suggested reciting poetry while walking; the sound of iambic pentameter is said to be soporific. But sadly, I’m not that kind of English lit. person — with my new-skool education, I never actually managed to memorize anything. Instead — and it’s not a bad substitute, really — we tend to sing to him, basically whatever pop songs come into mind (the Beatles are especially good: “I’m so tired/ I haven’t slept a wink…”; “Cry, baby cry/ Make your mother sigh…”).

One trick to make the late night hours roll along more quickly is a little game we came up with: take a classic Hindi/Urdu romantic song about sleeplessness, and tweak it slightly to fit the current context. For instance:

O ho ho ho, khoya khoya chaand, khula aasmaan
Aankhon mein saari raat jaayegi
Tumko bhi kaise neend aayegi (full lyrics)
Hidden, hidden moon; open skies
In your eyes, I’ll be awake all night
And how can you sleep either?

And the travestied version might be: 

O ho ho ho, khoya khoya chaand, khula aasmaan
Dikaar mein saari raat jaayegi
Humko bhi kaise neend aayegi

“Dikaar” means “burp.” You can see the old song at Youtube ; it’s Dev Anand in a film called Kala Bazaar.Another one:

Raat ko neend aati nahin
Hey aahaha ha hayhayhay hay hmmhmmhmm hmm
Tabiyat chein paati nahin
Hmm aahaha ha hayhayhay hay hmmhmmhmm hmm
Mera dil ka chein tune le liya  (full lyrics)
In the night, sleep doesn’t come
Hey aahaha, etc.
Peace and calm doesn’t come
Hey aahaha, etc.
You took my peace of mind

Again, enjoy the Youtube video of the song, from Judaai. And again, our early morning travesty:

Raat ko neend aati nahin
Hey aahaha ha hayhayhay hay hmmhmmhmm hmm
Tabiyat chein paati nahin
Hey aahaha ha hayhayhay hay hmmhmmhmm hmm
Mera peit ka chaan tune le liya


More “Neend” songs at Youtube: Mere neend jaani lagi hai, Neend na mujko Aaye

It seems to me the trope of sleeplessness in Hindi film songs comes from Urdu and Persian poetry, where lovers take great pride in their romantic insomnia (see Amir Khusrau; also see here, and scroll down to the anonymously-authored “What can I say”?/”Dunya kare sawaal”). It’s definitely a little irreverent to play with the tradition in this way, but really, why not? As they say (and again, I’m travestying it), whatever gets you through the night…

Do people have favorite “sleeplessness” songs or poems (in any language)? And can you think of fun travesties of the same songs?

87 thoughts on “Songs for the Sleepless”

  2. Don’t be gentle with the burping. That was my mistake.

    As far as music was concerned, I was listening to a lot of old C’nW at the time and a CD of Willie Nelson’s was in heavy rotation and I found myself lapsing into “On the road again” and covers of “Blue skies” and “City of New Orleans” (for which I made up a lot of the words).

    Fun times…it still all good 2.75 years into the journey.

  4. Also, like a Marine’s hair cut, the diapers have to be “high and tight” once his bellybutton can take it.

  5. JayV, thanks for the tips! Every suggestion helps.

    Kush thanks for the Shree 420 songs. Pyar hua iqrar hua has one of the great rain/umbrella/night-time settings of all time — it’s iconic!

    As for the song from Bobby, well, let’s just say that it’s always reassuring to see that ‘item number’ outfits in Bollywood have been silly for many, many years.

  6. Cute post, Amardeep.

    When i was little, my Mom used to sing many Hindi and Punjabi lullabies. the most popular one of all times is “Lalla lalla lori, doodh ki katori”. Dad tells me that he used to sing “Neele gagan ke tale, Dharti ka pyar pale” and i would go to sleep. the lyrics of this song have nothing to do with sleep, but it worked like magic.

    The lyrics of one of my favorite lori go like this: aa jaa ri nindia tu aa kyon na jaati munne ko mere sula kyon na jaati aati hun bibi, aati hun main munne ko tere sulati hun main…..

    another favorite song of mine is: aa ja ri nindiya

    few more “songs for the sleepless” are:

    “Aahista aahista, aahista aahista NindiyaÂ… tu aa, in do nainon mein Halke se holle se, kuch sapne bhole se Nindiya tu laa, in do nainon mein hoÂ…” From Swades.

    ” chandan ka palna resham ki dori jhula jhulaaon nindiya ko tori chandan ka palna

    so ja tu aise mori sajaniya so ja tu aise mori sajaniya sajiya pe soye jaise dulhaniya chanda ka teeka maathe lagaaon taaron ki mala tujhko pihnaaon taaron ki mala tujhko pihnaaon tohe sulaaon ga ga ke lori jhula jhulaaon nindiya ko tori chandan ka palna…” From Shabab (very old movie-Music by Hemant Kumar).

    “meri aankhon ki nindiya chura le gaya” 🙂 from Jhuk Gaya Aasmaan.

  7. amardeep: don’t have any sleeplessness songs..with the exception of ‘rock a bye baby on the treetop’…but it was a pleasure to have puran’s first big outing to auntie chick pea and brother tabouli’s place last weekend :)… he slept like a log then..;)

  9. Amardeep, I remember hearing that song on my parents’ desi tapes growing up. I love it, if only for the nostalgia factor! I’m totally going to sing your version now…and I’m going to scour my iPod to see if I can find a few more.

    AMFD: GO BLUE! Don’t underestimate number 2.

  10. Try the Miracle Blanket. It’s basically a straight jacket for babies, but it works like a charm in terms of swaddling them and getting them to sleep. Babies have an inherent ability to be calm as long as you are pacing around and getting no sleep (much like floor nurses when one is on call), but as soon as you lie down……the crying begins.

  11. Oh, I just thought of the perfect one, except I don’t really know it…I think it’s a folk song type thing. We sing it at weddings dholkis, etc. It’s a Punjabi song that’s humorous and can be tailored to different situations. Of course, I can only remember parts of it, but it’s something like: “Raat de bara baje, aape meri ninder khulle….something something something…mein hauley hauely khendi an, hauley hauley khendi an, kon hai?” And then you answer with a name of someone you’re poking fun of, ie, “Ismat hai.” And then it’s sort of antakshari-like, where you sing a song that epitomizes that person. It’s supposed to be funny, but of course I’ve slaughtered it here. Can anyone help?

  14. charming post… and any fan of the vhyte album is a friend of mine. how should it go – ‘i’m soooo tired. my mind is on the blink. i wonder should i get up, and fix puran a drink… ‘ 🙂

    and there’s a hindi song whose lyrics seem very apt but i cant get the tune. it goes like – ‘neend nahin aati hai. badi lambi raat hai’ (i cant sleep, and the nite is so long).

    then, old frroooti, you can always quote the bard to the young ‘un – ‘Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast!

  15. I will eat the keyboard if that happens!

    Yet another reason to cheer for Michigan. Can you please post a photo of said eating once it happens?

  16. I have to second Asha’s Dad. Tight swaddling is definitely A+ for calming the babies. The miracle blankie was easier to use. Thank god mine didn’t need walking around. We chintzed out of buying a rocker and got away with one those Ikea “5” chairs.

  17. my dad sung a lot of ilayaraja to me and my siblings to get us to sleep… any other southies with me?

    re: the game. buckeyes? bring it. and remember to HAIL TO THE VICTORS…

  18. The Ikea chair is called the Poang. My son uses it now as a spring board to bounce (often onto other furniture). So see, furniture and toy!

  20. I have a favorite sleeplessness story and it can only be told by my mother. It’s always the same story about a king who had two queens and one he loved and the other he didn’t. There is something about having heard that story since I was a baby that I still find extremely comforting. When my mother visits I make her tell it to me at least once a week and like magic I fall asleep. I know he’s teeny but find a ritual or one or two songs or stories that you tell repeatedly. He will find a lot of comfort in it. My mother tells me it helps babies form memories. How else can anyone explain the instant gratification and sleepiness I feel when I hear that story.

  21. The Ikea chair is called the Poang.

    Sorry hadn’t read this before. I own one and love it myself. My friends actually bought a rocker super cheap and reupholstered it and use it religiously with the baby and it really helps. It helps relax you and maintain the movement for the baby as well.

  23. There’s a great lullaby in Mission Kashmir:

    So ja chanda, raja so ja chal sapno mein chal Neend ki pariyaan Pahen ke aaye Something something.

    Hope that helps. 🙂

  24. Sakshi, you are not alone 🙂 It was Jhansi Ki Rani for me too and I still love listening to/reciting it.

    With my two little ones, it is Hanuman Chalisa. Day in and Day out. I must have said it a million times already. Okay not a million but pretty close 🙂

  26. Sakshi, you are not alone 🙂 It was Jhansi Ki Rani for me too and I still love listening to/reciting it.

    Ya, me love the poem too. 🙂

  27. two more songs… they’re old but classic… and have a soothing sound to help calm kids/babies…

    “dheere se aaja ri ankhiyan mein nindiya aaja ri aajaa, dheere se aaja chhote se nainan ki bagiyan mein nindiya aaja ri aajaa, dheere se aaja”

    hawa dheere aana neend bhare pankh liye jhoola jhoola jana nanhi kali sone chali, hawa dheere aana” – this one is for little girls… but may come handy in the future 🙂

    and for whatever reason, old king cole by mother goose worked like a charm on my little cousin…

  28. very cute, sumiti. 🙂 i hope you’re taking notes ‘deep.

    btw – for the guy who suggested the mission kashmir … my local dvd store seems to have been swayed by my earthtone and has acquired a stack of hindi movies + the apu trilogy … he’s been leering suggestively at me for the past few weekends – and i think i’m going to succumb next week. please warn me now if mission kashmir is truly heinous.

  29. Pavarotti’s favourite aria, “Nessun Dorma” is about sleeplessness, although I can’t remember the specific context in the opera. It’s also one of mine.

  30. One of my favorite ‘remixes’ – ‘Chandni Raatein’ by Partners in Rhyme.

    And for Puran, there’s a little known lullaby from Salim and Suleiman Merchant’s Bhoomi – ‘So ja re’ by Shubha Mudgal. I tried to find it online with no luck, but it’s definitely worth at least a 30 sec listen to on Itunes!

  32. Actually, I’m the girl who suggested the Mission Kashmir song. 🙂 Also, I’m pretty bad with reviews – I always like some aspect of a movie, no matter how bad it is (unless it’s REALLY bad). I didn’t think the movie was bad, but again, don’t kill me if you think it is. You’ve been warned. 🙂

  34. Before my daughter was born, I collected some loris I’d heard. Some of the songs have been listed by ppl above – ones I like to sing to my daughter are Lalla Lalla Lori, Dheere Se Aaja Ri Ankhiyan Mein – the only one I could remember the lyrics to for the longest time, Aaja Nindiya Aaja, Nanhi Kali Sone Chali, So Ja Re So Ja Mere Rajdulare So Ja and a couple more. I should say lullabies were pretty much useless and just humming and rocking worked during the first six months. They work well now that she’s a toddler!

  35. My grandmother was fond of singing me a Gujarati nursery rhyme/song- Chanda Mama. Something about the moon dipped in ghee- I unfortunately do not remember much of the lyrics, but I do remember the soothing sound of her voice. And I’m sure Puran will feel the same about whatever you choose to sing him to sleep. 🙂

  36. My grandmother was fond of singing me a Gujarati nursery rhyme/song- Chanda Mama. Something about the moon dipped in ghee- I unfortunately do not remember much of the lyrics

    Chanda mama door ke is actually a movie song( Vachan (1955)). It was Asha Bhosle’s first big hit, and probably India’s national lullaby 🙂 (though maybe not South India). I do not know if the iconic children’s mag Chandamama owes its name to the song, but its a distinct possibility. Unfortunately, I don’t remember how it goes. 🙁

  38. Naani Teri Morni Ko Mor Le Gaye Baaki Jo Bacha Tha Kaale Chor Le Gaye

    Khaake Peeke Mote Hoke, Chor Baithe Rail Mein Choron Vaala Dibba Kat Kar, Pahuncha Seedhe Jail Mein Naani Teri Morni Ko…

    Un Choron Ki Khoob Khabar Li, Mote Thaanedaar Ne Moron Ko Bhi Khoob Nachaaya, Jungal Ki Sarkaar Ne Naani Teri Morni Ko…

    Achhi Naani Pyaari Naani, Roosa-Roosi Chhod De Jaldi Se Ek Paisa De De, Tu Kanjoosi Chhod De Naani Teri Morni Ko…

  40. Aw, I totally remember Chanda Mama! My mom used to sing that to me…sniff. Thanks for reminding.

  41. I found a song up on YouTube. The video is a remake with an actor named Sanjay Malhotra but the song is an old song apparently from a Dev Anand film. I don’t know the song name. Here’s the link:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExZEXfQpRQQ

    If anyone can tell me the name of the song, that would be great. I would love that song on my ipod.

  43. The best lori in terms of pure quality of lyrics and singing might well be Rafi’s “Aaj kal mein dhal gaya, din hua tamam/ Tu bhi so jaa, so gayi neend bhari shaam”.

    The earliest lori I can think of is (I think) either Pankaj Mallik’s or Saigal’s “Dheere dheere aa re baalam dheere/ Mera bulbul so raha hai, shor tu na macha. Dheere dheere…”

    I sing Rafi or Mukesh to my 4 months old daughter to try and get her to sleep. A particular favourite of hers seems to be (no idea why) Mukesh’s “Chal akela, chal akela, chal akela/ Tera mela peeche chhuta raahi chal akela.”

    She also seems to like Shanu’s “Ek din aap yun, humko mil jayenge…” from Yes Boss… 🙂

  44. The recent film Swades also had a very nice lullaby, although the song was cut out of the final cinematic version of the movie. I believe it’s still available on the soundtrack album though, and the song/video had become very famous prior to the film’s cinematic release (you may have seen it on B4U, Zee Music etc). It shows Shahrukh singing to a small boy falling asleep at night-time while the heroine (and her mother, I think) looks on.

    Well, I really liked it anyway 😉

  45. I think the soundtrack for the movie ‘Lamhe’ had a lullaby, I can’t remember the details right now…

  46. my mum used to sing “soja rajkumari”….good ol’ classic by lata. worked great. even humming it is relaxing.

  47. Why not some of the hip hop you know? It’s rhythmic, and while the content may not be soothing, who actually listens to the lyrics? 😉

  48. original song is also on You Tube here.

    very nice melodies q-man, m.ram very soothing. thanks.

    but malhotra and anand were really hamming it dont you think 🙂 I loved the white sailor jacket and the red sweater btw

  49. Just looking for poetry to recite/songs to sing? What about putting on soothing music? We used to have audio cassettes of evening raagas that I remember lulling us to sleep.