Sunday, May 20, 2007

Living in a storm drain

In a previous post, I mentioned that officials in BMC had taken a liking to the storm drain housing idea. Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) has decided to go ahead with this idea and as part of a new marketing campaign has come up with a new song (inspired by John Denver's Leaving on a Jet Plane). Here it is in full. Don't forget to thank your friendly neighbourhood babu because you saw it here first.

Gunny bags are packed
We're ready to go
We used to live right by your door
We take our daily dump as you drive by
But Mumbai is burstin
No space to crawl
The drains are waitin
They've cleared them all
All ready with restrooms
Just no sky

Don't miss us or cry for us
Tell us you won't be too jealous
That we'll ne'er have to wait to let go
Cause we're living in a storm drain
Don't know if we'll be dry again
But man, we love the flow

There'll be some times when you flush the pot
Sometimes when it will rain a lot
But I tell you man, they're few and far between
Every room at home will be filled with poo
Every corridor will stink of you
But I won't come back, soon I'll love the scene

Don't miss us or cry for us
Tell us you won't be too jealous
That we'll ne'er have to wait to let go
Cause we're living in a storm drain
Don't know if we'll be dry again
But man, we love the flow

Now the time has come to leave you
We can promise
We won't miss you
When the prices rise
You'll be on your way
Dream about the days to come
When you decide to move on down
About times, we won't have to say

Don't miss us or cry for us
Tell us you won't be too jealous
That we'll ne'er have to wait to let go
Cause we're living in a storm drain
Don't know if we'll be dry again
But man, we love the flow

Yes, we're living in a storm drain
Don't know if we'll be dry again
But man, we love the flow



Readers who think this housing idea has no merit are obviously not acquainted with other successful SRA projects incorrectly described in this article as "a decaying Stalinist-styled pile, covered with Rorschach-like mildew stains" and having "dank hallways" with "36 rooms of gloom". You be the judge.

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