Shankar Mahadevan Explains Why Singers Forget Lyrics to Their Own Hit Songs
Mumbai — Music composer and singer Shankar Mahadevan has explained why artists sometimes forget the lyrics to songs they have performed countless times, saying their focus naturally shifts once a song becomes a hit and they move on to new material.
Mahadevan recently joined Ehsaan Noorani, Loy Mendonsa, playback singer Shaan and Meiyang Chang for a Spotify discussion marking 25 years of “Dil Chahta Hai.”
During the conversation, Shaan wondered why he sometimes forgets the lyrics to his own songs.
“I will tell you why. Because you have already sung that song. The song has become popular. It has become a super hit. And you have already moved ahead. So that’s no longer a priority. That’s already done,” Mahadevan said.
He added that singers are more focused when working on new music.
“If it’s a new song, a new melody, a new set of lyrics, you will be 100% focused. And you will see to it like, ‘I shouldn’t make a mistake’. Then there will be no mistakes there,” he said.
Shaan then recalled an incident in which he unintentionally began inventing his own lyrics during a recording session.
“I have a very funny story on this. During a session, I started making my own lyrics,” Shaan said.
He said he later approached lyricist Javed Akhtar and asked whether everything was correct.
“He said, ‘You are writing it yourself’. So I didn’t understand what he meant. He said, ‘No, no, these are all your songs’. I said, ‘But these weren’t my lyrics’. He then said, ‘You made your own lines’,” Shaan recalled.
“Dil Chahta Hai,” which recently completed 25 years since its release, marked Farhan Akhtar’s directorial debut and became one of the defining films of modern Hindi cinema.
The film was widely noted for its portrayal of urban friendship, romance and youthful independence, while its Goa road trip became a cultural reference point for generations of viewers.
Its casual fashion, conversational storytelling and visual style also influenced Bollywood’s portrayal of contemporary urban India.
The soundtrack, composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, was similarly influential for its blend of rock, pop and Indian musical elements. (Source: IANS)
