Nitin attended Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School and studied law at Liverpool University for a short time. He then went to London, where he met Sanjeev Bhaskar. The pair became friends and created a comedy double act, The Secret Asians, together. The show sought to turn absurdly dated Asian stereotypes on their heads. It led to a contract with BBC radio and eventually grew into the award-winning BBC TV sketch show Goodness Gracious Me.
During that time he met up with an old school friend, acid jazz keyboards-player James Taylor. He joined Taylor for a 40-date tour in as part of The James Taylor Quartet. It introduced him to the jazz club scene and provoked him into forming his own band, The Jazztones. He moved on to join forces with tabla master Talvin Singh to form the Tihai Trio and, after that collaboration ended in 1993, released his debut album, Spirit Dance on his own label. Shortly afterwards, he signed with Outcaste Records.
Sawhney's music is intensely political, commonly approaching themes of multiculturalism, empowerment, identity, immigration, poverty, and spirituality. He is active as an artist in residence for five different performing arts organisations in Europe and Asia, and along with George Martin is a patron for the British Governments Access-to-Music Program which brings music education to the inner-city students.
Sawhney's skills include classical and jazz piano and flamenco guitar. He has released six studio albums, as well as countless remixes and collaborations. After releasing Beyond Skin on London's Outcaste Records in 1999, he was signed by V2 to do six albums. His first album with the Virgin subsidiary, the millennial/apocalyptical Prophesy, in 2001 won a MOBO Award and a BBC Radio 3 Music Award.
Sawhney's music is influenced by his roots in India, utilising and featuring Urdu and Hindi lyrics, Qawwali singing, tablas and other instruments from the subcontinent, and Raga phrasings in music which is often primarily meant for the dance floor.
Sawhney's work in production and arrangement has led to his working in film and television scores. He has scored television ads for Sephora and Nike, as well as more than 25 films from his London-based Spirit Dance Studios. He was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award for Film and TV Composition in 2004 for his music on Channel Four's film, Second Generation. From there, he has begun to see acceptance from the "classical" community, and in 2004 he was commissioned by the city of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Britten Symphonia to compose new performance works. London's Royal National Theatre invited him to write, direct, and score a work to be opened in 2005.
For photographs and additional information visit Nitin's official site, www.NitinSawhney.com
Say Hello
Nitin Sawhney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Background: ]
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.
I know you needed a friend
I know you needed some blue skies
You need some laughter again
Till magic returns to your blue eyes
You're lost in a circle of pain
Where's it all going?
Each day is, the same
Where are you going?
Say hello, say hello
You're never alone
Say hello, say hello
You're never alone
Something inside of yourself
When darkness approaches your silence
Freedom's forgotten her name
Nothing makes sense you don't complain
Everything started to fall
Where's it all going?
Can't make any sense of it all
Where am I going?
Say hello, say hello
You're never alone
Say hello, say hello
You're never alone
The beginning of the song references a speech made by Enoch Powell, a controversial British politician, who was famously sacked from his position in the shadow cabinet for his extreme views on immigration. The juxtaposition of a speech made by someone with such divisive and inflammatory beliefs, contrasted with Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream of a world where people are judged by their character rather than their skin color, sets the tone for the rest of the song. The song appears to be about someone who is struggling; they are lost in a circle of pain and everything seems to be falling apart. They feel like they can't make sense of anything and are unsure of where they're going.
However, the chorus serves as a reminder that they are never alone. We all need friends, laughter, and someone to reach out to when we're struggling. There's something inside each of us that can help us through even the darkest of times. While freedom and sensibility may feel far away during difficult periods, we still have the power to say hello, to connect with others, and to find our way back to a more positive outlook on life.
Overall, the song seems to be about finding hope and connection even when things seem bleak. It acknowledges the struggles that we all face, but ultimately encourages the listener to reach out and connect with others rather than suffer alone.
Line by Line Meaning
I know you needed a friend
I understand that you require someone to be your friend.
I know you needed some blue skies
I realize that you require good times/happy thoughts.
You need some laughter again
You require some funny moments to make you happy again.
Till magic returns to your blue eyes
Until the sparkle in your eyes and the happiness returns to your life.
You're lost in a circle of pain
You're trapped in sorrow and can't seem to get out of it.
Where's it all going?
What's the endgame or direction of all this pain?
Each day is, the same
Every day is a duplicate/replication of the day before, with no change in the monotonous routine.
Where are you going?
What is your current life's purpose?
Say hello, say hello
Admit your struggle and speak out. Don't keep it to yourself.
You're never alone
Remember that you have friends, family, and loved ones who will support you throughout.
Something inside of yourself
There's a part of you that you must explore to feel better emotionally.
When darkness approaches your silence
When tough times loom near, you become quiet and shut off.
Freedom's forgotten her name
You have lost the feeling of liberation and freedom in your life.
Nothing makes sense you don't complain
You don't complain about your issues or the lack of understanding towards them.
Everything started to fall
Everything in your life began to collapse.
Can't make any sense of it all
You are unable to decipher why all these issues are happening to you.
Where am I going?
What is your future, and where will it take you?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: JACOB GOLDEN, NITIN SAWHNEY, TINA GRACE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Margo Worthington
I fell in love with this song when I heard it on CSI Miami
WorldisArt
Man this song makes me wanna cry.... so lovely
Sole Origin Meditation
I think this is one of the best songs I've ever herd!I love it!Thanks for uploading :)
DONnaYR
my favorite nitin sawhney to date! everytime i hear this one i get goosebumps all over...
kathmandoo
This song is SO beautiful.
Amberlicious1000
I discovered and fell in love with this song today.
kathmandoo
I was made aware of Nitin Sawhney though Jeff Beck when he covered "Nadia" - brilliance in itself. Subsequently I heard this song. SO emotional and beautiful.
WorldisArt
Unbelievably gorgeous! All of his stuff is!
Sud.Wolves
one of nitin's best!!!!!!!!
Rose Becke
great song thanks peace Rose