El Shahwa Wel Soaar
Maryam Saleh Lyrics

Maryam Saleh's song El Shahwa Wel Soaar is a reflection on what she perceives as a society obsessed with superficiality and pleasure-seeking. The opening lines, "El Shahwa Wel Soaar Wel Helw El Mestaar" (Desire, intoxication, and sweetness that's just a facade), sets the tone for the song's theme. She sings about the illusion of happiness and how people will go to great lengths to maintain their facade, often at the expense of others. The use of the word "Mestaar" (facade) is crucial because it emphasizes that the happiness and sweetness that people often show to the world are just an image that they have crafted to avoid being judged.

Saleh also criticizes society's tendency to prioritize the superficial and the materialistic over the genuine and the truthful. Lines such as "La Tekteb El Haqeeqa Wala Tanthor El Kawaarth" (Don't write the truth, nor look at the catastrophes) shed light on the censorship that exists within the society and how people are encouraged to keep up the pretense of happiness even when their lives may be falling apart. The line "Saigara El Farar" (The cigarette of escape) serves a dual purpose in the song. On one hand, it represents the physical act of smoking that people turn to as a way of escaping reality. On the other hand, it can also be seen as a metaphor for the various distractions that people use to distract themselves from their problems.

Overall, El Shahwa Wel Soaar can be seen as a warning against the toxic culture of hedonism and superficiality that exists in our society. It serves as a reminder that true happiness comes not from material possessions or superficial pleasures but from authenticity and honesty.