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Seervarisai album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Chengottai Passengeru

From Seervarisai · 1978

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
L. R. Eswari
Music director
M. S. Vishwanathan
Movie name
Seervarisai
Movie release year
1978
Lyrics added on
29 Mar 2024

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Chenkottai passenger
Engaeyum nikkumadi
Aiyyaavum appadiyae ponna kandaa
Kannadichchu nikkumadi
Chenkottai passenger
Engaeyum nikkumadi
Aiyyaavum appadiyae ponna kandaa
Kannadichchu nikkumadi
Chenkottai passenger
Engaeyum nikkumadi
Aiyyaavum appadiyae ponna kandaa
Kannadichchu nikkumadi
Thanni poda antha vandi nikkumadi
Thanni pottaa intha vandi nikkumadi
Thanni poda antha vandi nikkumadi
Thanni pottaa intha vandi nikkumadi
Chenkottai passenger
Engaeyum nikkumadi
Aiyyaavum appadiyae ponna kandaa
Kannadichchu nikkumadi
Kootti perukkadi kuppaiyirukkammaa
Kolam podungadi mudhugula summaa
Kootti perukkadi kuppaiyirukkammaa
Kolam podungadi mudhugula summaa
Ponnunnaa vaangikkadaa oorai suththi kannaa
Ullulaagi aariraaro ullulaagi aariraaro
Ponnunnaa vaangikkadaa oorai suththi kannaa
Unna ippa vittuvittaa naanum oru pennaa
Ada kannaa odha thinnaa
Rompa nanna adhu manakkum
Kannaa ada pinnaa ada mannaa thimir adangum
Chenkottai passenger
Engaeyum nikkumadi
Aiyyaavum appadiyae ponna kandaa
Kannadichchu nikkumadi
……………….
Aaththi ivarukku ullam rompa aazham
Adhu pol engalathu olakkaiyum neelam
Aaththi ivarukku ullam rompa aazham
Adhu pol engalathu olakkaiyum neelam
Parisaa naanga thara verenna venum
Bharathan thookki vantha paathugaiyae pothum
Rama rama rama rama rama rama rama rama
Harae ram
Rama rama rama rama rama rama rama rama
Ram ram
Parisaa naanga thara verenna venum
Bharathan thookki vantha paathugaiyae pothum
The Sengottai passenger train
Stops everywhere, my girl!
And our mister is just like that—whenever he sees a woman,
He winks and stops in his tracks, my girl!
The Sengottai passenger train
Stops everywhere, my girl!
And our mister is just like that—whenever he sees a woman,
He winks and stops in his tracks, my girl!
The Sengottai passenger train
Stops everywhere, my girl!
And our mister is just like that—whenever he sees a woman,
He winks and stops in his tracks, my girl!
That train stops to take on water,
But this train stops when he's had a drink!
That train stops to take on water,
But this train stops when he's had a drink!
The Sengottai passenger train
Stops everywhere, my girl!
And our mister is just like that—whenever he sees a woman,
He winks and stops in his tracks, my girl!
Sweep and clear it away, girls, there's garbage right here!
Draw patterns across his back with blows!
Sweep and clear it away, girls, there's garbage right here!
Draw patterns across his back with blows!
If you want a woman, go chase one around town, darling!
Ullulaagi aariraaro, ullulaagi aariraaro
If you want a woman, go chase one around town, darling!
If I let you go now, am I even a woman?
Hey darling, if you get a beating,
It will set you straight so nicely!
Beaten left and right, oh mister king, your arrogance will be crushed!
The Sengottai passenger train
Stops everywhere, my girl!
And our mister is just like that—whenever he sees a woman,
He winks and stops in his tracks, my girl!
...
Oh my, his mind is so deep,
But our wooden pestle is just as long!
Oh my, his mind is so deep,
But our wooden pestle is just as long!
What other gift do we need to give him?
The sandals that Bharata carried are more than enough!
Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama
Hare Ram
Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama...
Ram Ram
What other gift do we need to give him?
The sandals that Bharata carried are more than enough!
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

'Chenkottai Passenger' is a playful, cheeky folk-pop song from the 1978 movie Seervarisai, composed by M. S. Viswanathan with lyrics by Kannadasan and sung enthusiastically by L. R. Eswari. The song uses humorous metaphors comparing a local passenger train that stops at every station to a flirtatious, habituated man who halts at the sight of any woman or a drink. The female protagonist and her companions mock his flirtatious behavior and warn him that his arrogance will be put in check.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamai)

“Chenkottai passenger engaeyum nikkumadi / Aiyyaavum appadiyae...”

Compares a flirtatious man who stops for every woman to the Sengottai passenger train that halts at every small station.

Pun / Double Entendre (Iratura Mozhidhal)

“Thanni poda antha vandi nikkumadi / Thanni pottaa intha vandi nikkumadi”

Uses 'thanni poda' (filling water for a steam locomotive vs. drinking alcohol) to create clever humor.

Rhyme / Alliteration (Monai / Ethirai)

“Unna ippa vittuvittaa naanum oru pennaa / Ada kannaa odha thinnaa”

Rhyming ending words and matched internal syllable sounds like 'kannaa', 'pennaa', 'thinnaa'.

Did you know?

Trivia

L. R. Eswari was famed in Tamil cinema for delivering high-energy folk and cabaret tracks with unique vocal inflections, and Kannadasan frequently used colloquial village metaphors in songs like this to ground character dynamics in local flavor.

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