QUE SERA SERA #WRITEAPAGEADAY #BLOGCHATTER
The Nautical Wheeler
When I was growing up, one of the songs I always heard my
mother sing was ‘Que Sera Sera’. Mom had a repertoire of songs, both peppy and sometimes crazy which she
would bring out on occasion, and the manner in which she belted out those
numbers was inimitable. Of course, we enjoyed the original sung by Doris Day who
introduced it in the film titled ‘The Man Who Knew Too Much’ by Alfred
Hitchcock where the song played a significant part to alert their onscreen
kidnapped son.
I had no idea what ‘Que Sera Sera’ meant in those days.
All I knew was that listening to my mother singing gave me a warm feeling
within. There were times when she would regale the audience by singing the song
in Carnatic music style, another performance that I have never heard anyone else
even attempt.
My mother and her two brothers formed a musical ensemble
on their own. She was the dancer, her middle brother played the violin and her
youngest brother played the mridangam. My uncles sang olden goldies like ‘Congratulations
and Celebrations’ and ‘Delilah’ brilliantly. There was a particular song called
‘On A Cool Summer Morning’ which needed a particular South Indian accent to
make it shine and it was a hit wherever it was sung.
‘Que Sera Sera’ being a meaningful but uncomplicated
song, I found that the singing gene travelled to the next generation and my
sisters and I also managed to flaunt it once in a while. I remember singing it
at our Army get-togethers where often, the noise of the voices around and the
accompanying orchestra were loud enough to mask the actual singing, which made
it easier.
When I look back, the song has become a kind of anthem in
my life. Que Sera Sera can be translated to mean ‘Whatever will be, will be’. The
verses start with childhood and school and move on to falling in love, and
finally parenthood. The refrain remains the same throughout.
Verse one and two speak of the joy of childhood:
“When I was just a little girl, I asked my mother what
will I be?
Will I be pretty,
will I be rich, here’s what she said to me.
Que Sera Sera, whatever will be will be, the future’s not
ours to see
Que Sera Sera, what will be will be.”
The second verse goes:
“I asked my teacher what should I try?
Should I paint pictures, should I sing songs?”
How beautifully the song encompasses the magic of
childhood, where the mother is the first confidant of the child, followed by
the teacher who guides her across school. The words speak of art and music,
painting and singing, not about academics and learning, which will come
naturally to the child in school. They point to a world beyond school learning,
a richer and a more fulfilling realm which will enhance the personality of the
child.
Verse three moves on to a world of romance and love:
“I ask my sweetheart what lies ahead,
Will there be rainbows day after day?”
The image is one of beauty, harmony and love, all of
which encompass a world of companionship that is so rewarding. It is every
person’s hope that the object of one’s adoration will be the ideal match. After
all, there is a lifetime ahead that needs to be lived and love makes it
pleasing.
Verse four is almost a repetition of verse one:
“Now I have children of my own, they ask their mother, “What
will I be?
Will I be handsome, will I be rich, I tell them tenderly…”
It is as though life has taken a full circle and come
around again. The word to be noted here is ‘tenderly’. That evokes the feeling
of maternal love as the mother explains to her little ones that the future is
not theirs to see, for what will be will be.
Quotes
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