gangaram kavara rah gaya
gangaram kavara rah gaya
gangaram kaun hai kaun hai ye gangaram
are gangaram kaun hai are gangaram kaun hai
gangaram hai ek tote ka naam
totaram kavara rah gaya
gangaram kavara rah gaya

ek maina thi mina naam ki
ek maina thi mina naam ki
usse choch ladi gangaram ki
ek hi daali pe dono rahte the
ek hi daali pe dono rahte the
ek duje se vo ye kahte the
prem karna to apne hath hai
pana aur khona kismat ki baat hai
bas maina ki shadi ho gayi aur kisi ke sath
dhumadham se aayi us din jagal me barat
miyan miththu ki ho gayi nind haram
gangaram kavara rah gaya

hathi ne suna vo chighada
sher ne suna to vo dahada
kaalu bhalu bhi chikha zor se
bol gaya sara jagal shor se
tote ka hamdard gidad ban gaya
is chakkar me vo leader ban gaya
gidad ji ne leader ban ke jhadi ik taqarir
akhabaro me chhap gayi tota-maina ki tasvir
phir kya hua phir kya hua
are phir vahi hua jo hamesha hota hai
he he doli baith ke maina khub royi
he he doli baith ke maina khub royi
mainu le chale ho piya le chale ve
kaha suna hamara maaf karna o
bas bairi yade assi peh chale ve
gangaram ka kissa hota hai tamam
hindu ko ram ram muslim ko salam
gangaram kavara rah gaya
gangaram bechara gangaram kavara rah gaya

Gangaram, forever alone.
Gangaram, forever alone.
Who is this Gangaram, tell me, who?
Oh, Gangaram, who is he, who?
Gangaram is a parrot's name.
Totaram, forever alone.
Gangaram, forever alone.

There was a mynah, Meena by name.
There was a mynah, Meena by name.
Her beak met Gangaram’s in a flutter of flame.
On a single branch, they did reside,
On a single branch, side by side.
They whispered to each other, so true,
“Love's a choice, mine and yours, it’s true.
To win or lose, that's fate's decree.”
Then Meena wed, to another, you see.
A grand procession filled the wood that day,
A wedding party, come to take her away.
Mr. Mynah's sleep was lost, betrayed,
Gangaram, forever alone, dismayed.

The elephant trumpeted, a mournful sound,
The lion roared, shaking the ground.
Kalu the bear, cried out with despair,
The entire forest voiced its care.
The jackal, a friend, in pity, did rise,
In this heartache, he saw a prize.
He became the leader, with a cunning plea,
Newspapers printed the lovers, for all to see.
And what then happened, tell us, what?
Oh, what always happens, what, what?
The mynah wept, in her palanquin so high,
The mynah wept, as tears fell from her eye.
“Take me, my love, away, away,
Forgive my words, what I did say.
Just memories now, our past we must forgo.”
Gangaram’s tale concludes, a heavy blow.
To the Hindu, Ram, and to the Muslim, peace,
Gangaram, forever alone, finds no release.
Gangaram, poor soul, Gangaram, alone, you see.