Music and Inspiration

‘Gonna Fly Now’, the theme music of Rocky II starring Sylvester Stallone is played by several youngsters while working out. The piece was composed by Vince Di Cola. Some of the other numbers from the Rocky series, which have inspired many are ‘The Eye of the Tiger’, (sung by Survivor), ‘No Easy Way Out’ and others.

Music has been a source of inspiration for many. Be it patriotic songs or inspirational music, it is used on occasions where people need that extra something to go that extra mile. They are used in films to show the passion of the actors. The film, ‘Ali’, based on the life of boxer Mohammad Ali starring Will Smith has a memorable number, ‘Tomorrow’ sung by an African singer named Salif Keita. 

The lyrics of the song is not in English and cannot be understood, but blends perfectly well with the situation in the film. No other song could portray the dilemma of a black American fighting for his country and his rights at the same time.

The title track of the film, ‘Lakshya’ starring Hrithik Roshan is sung by Shankar Mahadevan. The song shows the struggles and the victory over odds by a person who is motivated by the failures of life. ‘Chak De’, a film based on the Indian women’s hockey team starring Shahrukh Khan was a hit. 

What became even more popular was the title track, which is played during sporting events in schools, colleges and others. It is sung by Sukhwinder Singh and is liked by some prominent members of the Indian cricket team. 

Several players agree that listening to music before an important match soothes their nerves. Sachin Tendulkar loves listening to Lata Mangeshkar; Sandeep Singh, a member of the Indian men’s hockey team loves fast-paced Punjabi numbers. The choice of music depends on the listener, but it remains a constant source of inspiration for them as well as several others who play to win.