I Can’t Breathe: An Anthology of Songs Book Review; It Is An Outpouring Of Anguish

Book: I Can’t Breathe: An Anthology of Songs

Author: Arman Chaturvedi

Publisher: ‎Notion Press

Pages: 114; Price: Rs 299

The title of this book comes from the infamous assault on Eric Garner, an unarmed Black man who was killed in 2014 after being restrained in a chokehold by a New York City police officer. He is filmed saying “I can’t breathe” some 11 times before he became unconscious and died. Following this, there were other instances of Black people unjustly incarcerated, beaten up, sometimes killed on the spot by the police – for no reason other than the colour of their skin. One of the most famous of such incidents was the death of George Floyd, which had a profound effect on young Arman, and spurred him to express his feelings in words.

The slim volume of songs is divided into three sections. The first, titled On Freedom, Tyranny, Oppression, Racism, Division, Bullying, God and Country, starts with “I Can’t Breathe”, the song about George Floyd. A young person’s anguish at the injustice and oppression in the world is palpable in the songs here. The last song in the section, “Take a Stand”, can in fact apply to anyone questioning authority, anywhere. The chorus goes:

Defy authority, and take a stand

Believe in yourself and make a plan

Disagreement is not treason

It’s a chance to find a new reason

The words strongly remind me of my own teenage self, tormented inwardly at the state of the world, longing to do something to change things for the better. With his background in music (Arman is an accomplished drummer), writing songs was probably the natural outlet for his feelings.

The second section is also thought-provoking but more personal; it’s titled On Love – Family, Friends & Self, and the songs here are about people and events in Arman’s personal life which have affected him and led him to deeper reflection. Grandmother, brother, friends, love, vacations… sounds like a slice of one’s young life – except that Arman has voiced his thoughts and feelings whereas most young people don’t.

It would be great if the songs could be set to music!

The third section is not songs, but equally interesting – it’s Arman’s “Philosophy of Life”. Sayings, thoughts, one-liners; these are short reflections and some do make you stop in your tracks, such as this one: “Time is the ultimate luxury. Minor luxuries come in brands.”

An excellent piece of work by a 17-year-old, and one certainly looks forward to more from this young author.