| Jai Ho (Pussycat Dolls) |
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The original version of this song is in Hindi (with some Spanish lines) and belongs to the soundtrack of the movie "Slumdog Millionaire" and was sung by A.R. Rahman (watch it here). Scherzinger, lead singer for the Pussycat Dolls, was commissioned with the task of making her own English version of the song. She rewrote the lyrics but, at the same time, tried to keep some connection with the deeply spiritual Hindi song (or so she says).
Sing this song to its karaoke version.
Jai Ho! Jai Ho!
I got shivers when you touch that way
I'll make you hot
Get all you got
I'll make you wanna say
Jai Ho! Jai Ho!
I got fever running like a fire
For you I will go all the way
I wanna take you higher
Jai Ho!
I keep it steady, uh-steady
That's how I feel it
This beat is heavy, so heavy
You gonna feel it
You are the reason that I breathe
You are the reason that I still believe
You are my destiny
Jai Ho!
No, there is nothing that can stop us
Nothing can ever come between us
So come and dance with me
Jai Ho!
Catch me, catch me, catch me, c'mon, catch me
I want you now
I know you can save me, come and save me
I need you now
I am yours forever, yes, forever
I will follow
Anywhere in anyway
Never gonna let go
Jai Ho! Jai Ho!
Escape away
I'll take you to a place
This fantasy of you and me
I'll never lose my chance
Jai Ho! Jai Ho!
I can feel you
Rushing through my veins
There's an ocean in my heart
I will never be the same
Just keep it burning, yeah baby
Just keep it coming
You're gonna find out baby
I'm one in a million
You are the reason that I breathe
You are the reason that I still believe
You are my destiny
Jai Ho!
No, there is nothing that can stop us
Nothing can ever come between us
So come and dance with me
Jai Ho!
(You and me, it's destiny)
Catch me, catch me, catch me, c'mon, catch me
I want you now
I know you can save me, come and save me
I need you now
I am yours forever, yes, forever
I will follow
Anywhere in any way
Never gonna let go
Jai Ho! Jai Ho!
I need you, gonna make it
I'm ready, so take it!
(Jai Ho)
You are the reason that I breathe (Jai Ho)
You are the reason that I still believe (Jai Ho)
You are my destiny
Jai Ho!
No, there is nothing that can stop us
Nothing can ever come between us
So come and dance with me
Jai Ho!
(You and me, it's destiny)
Jai Ho!
Baila, baila
Baila, baila
Jai Ho!
Baila, baila
Jai Ho!
JAI HO= Victory to you! (Hindi words).
I GOT= (coll.) I’ve got, I have.
SHIVERS= To shiver is to shake or tremble because you’re cold or excited. "I got shivers" means that I’m shivering, in this case because your touch makes me tremble.
WHEN YOU TOUCH THAT WAY= When you touch me the way you do.
I’LL MAKE YOU HOT, GET ALL YOU GOT= I’ll make you feel excited and I’ll get from you everything you have, everything you can give me. (the auxiliary WILL is not repeated in the second sentence but the idea is there too)
WANNA= (coll.) Want to.
I KEEP IT STEADY= I try not to lose control.
BEAT= She may refer to the beat of the drums (the sound they make when you hit them) or, more probably, to the beat of her heart.
YOU GONNA= You’re going to.
C’MON= Come on.
I WANT YOU NOW= I desire you, I need you.
I WILL FOLLOW ANYWHERE IN ANYWAY= I will follow you wherever you go, it doesn’t matter how.
CHANCE= Opportunity.
RUSHING= Going very fast.
KEEP IT BURNING= Keep the passion burning.
FIND OUT= Discover.
I’M ONE IN A MILLION= I’m an extraordinary unique person, better than most people. (a humble girl, isn’t she?).
GONNA MAKE IT= I’m going to be successful, I’ll get what I want.
BAILA BAILA= Come on, dance! (in Spanish).
This song is from India and features in the soundtrack of the movie "Slumdog Millionaire". The translation of "Jai Ho" would be "May victory be yours!", and it is sung at the end of the movie to celebrate the triumph of the hero. When Nicole Scherzinger was asked to make an English version of this song she watched the movie and was so touched by it, and by the Hindi lyrics of the song, that she was afraid of changing anything. This is what she said to MTV in an interview about this song:
"It's crazy how the whole thing came about," she said. "It just happened so quickly. I'm a writer, and I've been fortunate enough to write for the Dolls, but when they asked me to look at the movie and do my own version, I was really afraid to take on the task of rewriting the lyrics," she said. "Because I thought the movie was so profound, I didn't know how to make sure I kept the integrity of the movie and the love story, but also make it cool enough for the Pussycat Dolls and for people all over the world to connect to. "I just followed my heart and I came from a very spiritual place," she continued. "I just wanted people no matter where they are, whatever relationship they're in — be it spiritual or a guy/girl relationship — to be able to connect to the song. So it was kind of unbelievable to be able to do that."
The message of this song is very simple: I love you so much my life would be meaningless without you. She says that she wanted to keep her version of the lyrics fit both for spiritual love and for human love. Some lines can pretty much describe a love for God: "You're my destiny", "I know you can save me", "I will follow", etc. But many other lines are completely unfit for divine love: "I'll make you hot", "I'll make you wanna say: Jai Ho!", "I wanna take you higher", "come and dance with me", "Just keep it burning, yea baby", etc. So I would say that this song is definitely about human love, although it may have kind of a mystical approach to it sometimes (at least she tries hard by displaying an Indian look and outfit).
The Pussycats singer has been very successful in taking a beautiful profound song and turning it into a trivial cliché message, but at least the tune is as catchy as the original one. The original lyrics are much more poetical and beautiful. The Indian singer, A.R. Rahman is the man making the "Jai Ho" chorus on this English video here.
Watch the trailer of this movie: Slumdog Millionaire.
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