Chenna Vaannaa
From Appu VI Std · 2024
- Lyricist
- Mani Amuthavan
- Singer
- Anthony Daasan
- Music director
- Allen Vijay
- Details
- Appu VI Std2024
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Chenna vaannaa | Welcome to Chennai, dear |
| Nee yaararundha enna | Who cares who you are? |
| You welcome kanna | You are welcome, my dear |
| Namma gaana | Our Gaana music |
| Vaa dola thatum | Come, play the dholak drum |
| Un life um synck aagumna | If your life syncs up with it |
| Male | |
| Avaa melannaalu | Even if she is high class |
| Ivaa keezhanaalu | Even if she is low class |
| Nanga paathu pazhakkam illai | We are not accustomed to judging people by class |
| Ada vaa gopalu | Hey Gopalu, come on |
| Polam beach maalu | Let us go to the beach and mall |
| Vaazhum naalu smallu | The days we live are short |
| Male | |
| Vaa hey poda bigilu | Come on, whistle out loud! |
| Podadha civilu | Don't act all civilized or subdued |
| Ada enga mela enna foulu | Hey, what fault do you find in us? |
| Yei enga chennai tamilu | Hey, our Chennai Tamil dialect |
| Adangaadha thimilu | Has an untamable pride and stubbornness |
| Nee vachukinaa aava dumeelu | If you mess with it, you will explode! |
| Male | |
| Palichunnu chennai minna | As Chennai shines brightly |
| Polachome naanga thaane | We were the ones who survived and built it |
| Alukunnu engalathaan verati veesuriye | Yet you chase us away calling us dirty |
| Oru naal enga koralum kekkum | One day, our voice too will be heard |
| Appa theerum enga yekkam | Then our longings and pain will end |
| Varumai thaandi jeyichu kaattum | We will overcome poverty and win |
| Nikkadhu enga ootam | Our run will never stop |
| Male | |
| Dai en manna pudungi | Hey, snatching away my land |
| En kannu kalangi | Leaving my eyes filled with tears |
| Naan nikkirene roatoram thaane | Here I stand by the roadside |
| Naan odi thirincha | Where I used to run around freely |
| Naan paadi thirincha | Where I used to sing around freely |
| En veeta vittu porene naane | Now I am forced to leave my own home |
| Male | |
| Chenna vaannaa | Welcome to Chennai, dear |
| Nee yaararundha enna | Who cares who you are? |
| You welcome kanna | You are welcome, my dear |
| Namma gaana | Our Gaana music |
| Vaa dola thatum | Come, play the dholak drum |
| Un life um synck aagumna | If your life syncs up with it |
| Male | |
| Avaa melannaalu | Even if she is high class |
| Ivaa keezhanaalu | Even if she is low class |
| Nanga paathu pazhakkam illai | We are not accustomed to judging people by class |
| Ada vaa gopalu | Hey Gopalu, come on |
| Polam beach maalu | Let us go to the beach and mall |
| Vaazhum naalu smallu | The days we live are short |
| Male | |
| Vaa hey poda bigilu | Come on, whistle out loud! |
| Podadha civilu | Don't act all civilized or subdued |
| Ada enga mela enna foulu | Hey, what fault do you find in us? |
| Yei enga chennai tamilu | Hey, our Chennai Tamil dialect |
| Adangaadha thimilu | Has an untamable pride and stubbornness |
| Nee vachukinaa aava dumeelu | If you mess with it, you will explode! |
சென்னை வாண்ணா
நீ யாரருந்தா என்ன
யூ வெல்கம் கண்ணா
நம்ம கானா
வா டோலா தட்டும்
உன் லைப்பும் சிங்க் ஆகும்னா
Welcome to Chennai, dear
Who cares who you are?
You are welcome, my dear
Our Gaana music
Come, play the dholak drum
If your life syncs up with it
அவா மேல்லான்னாளு
இவா கீழான்னாலுளு
நாங்க பாத்து பழக்கம் இல்லை
அட வா கோபாலு
போலாம் பீச் மாலு
வாழும் நாலு ஸ்மால்லு
Even if she is high class
Even if she is low class
We are not accustomed to judging people by class
Hey Gopalu, come on
Let us go to the beach and mall
The days we live are short
வா ஹே போடா பிகிலு
போடாத சிவிலு
அட எங்க மேல என்ன பௌலு
ஏய் எங்க சென்னை தமிழ்லு
அடங்காத திமிலு
நீ வச்சிகின்னா ஆவ டுமீலு
Come on, whistle out loud!
Don't act all civilized or subdued
Hey, what fault do you find in us?
Hey, our Chennai Tamil dialect
Has an untamable pride and stubbornness
If you mess with it, you will explode!
பளிச்சின்னு சென்னை மின்னா
பொழச்சோமே நாங்க தானே
அலுக்குன்னு எங்களைத்தான் வெரட்டி வீசுறியே
ஒரு நாள் எங்க கொரலும் கேட்க்கும்
அப்ப தீரும் எங்க ஏக்கம்
வறுமை தாண்டி ஜெயிச்சு காட்டும்
நிக்காது எங்க ஓட்டம்
As Chennai shines brightly
We were the ones who survived and built it
Yet you chase us away calling us dirty
One day, our voice too will be heard
Then our longings and pain will end
We will overcome poverty and win
Our run will never stop
டேய் என் மண்ண புடுங்கி
என் கண்ணு கலங்கி
நான் நிக்கிறேனே ரோட்டோரம்தானே
டேய் நான் ஓடி திரிஞ்ச
நான் பாடி திரிஞ்ச
என் வீட்ட விட்டு போறேனே நானே
Hey, snatching away my land
Leaving my eyes filled with tears
Here I stand by the roadside
Where I used to run around freely
Where I used to sing around freely
Now I am forced to leave my own home
சென்னை வாண்ணா
நீ யாரருந்தா என்ன
யூ வெல்கம் கண்ணா
நம்ம கானா
வா டோலா தட்டும்
உன் லைப்பும் சிங்க் ஆகும்னா
Welcome to Chennai, dear
Who cares who you are?
You are welcome, my dear
Our Gaana music
Come, play the dholak drum
If your life syncs up with it
அவா மேல்லான்னாளு
இவா கீழான்னாலுளு
நாங்க பாத்து பழக்கம் இல்லை
அட வா கோபாலு
போலாம் பீச் மாலு
வாழும் நாலு ஸ்மால்லு
Even if she is high class
Even if she is low class
We are not accustomed to judging people by class
Hey Gopalu, come on
Let us go to the beach and mall
The days we live are short
வா ஹே போடா பிகிலு
போடாத சிவிலு
அட எங்க மேல என்ன பௌலு
ஏய் எங்க சென்னை தமிழ்லு
அடங்காத திமிலு
நீ வச்சிகின்னா ஆவ டுமீலு
Come on, whistle out loud!
Don't act all civilized or subdued
Hey, what fault do you find in us?
Hey, our Chennai Tamil dialect
Has an untamable pride and stubbornness
If you mess with it, you will explode!
Chenna vaannaa
Welcome to Chennai, dear
Nee yaararundha enna
Who cares who you are?
You welcome kanna
You are welcome, my dear
Namma gaana
Our Gaana music
Vaa dola thatum
Come, play the dholak drum
Un life um synck aagumna
If your life syncs up with it
Avaa melannaalu
Even if she is high class
Ivaa keezhanaalu
Even if she is low class
Nanga paathu pazhakkam illai
We are not accustomed to judging people by class
Ada vaa gopalu
Hey Gopalu, come on
Polam beach maalu
Let us go to the beach and mall
Vaazhum naalu smallu
The days we live are short
Vaa hey poda bigilu
Come on, whistle out loud!
Podadha civilu
Don't act all civilized or subdued
Ada enga mela enna foulu
Hey, what fault do you find in us?
Yei enga chennai tamilu
Hey, our Chennai Tamil dialect
Adangaadha thimilu
Has an untamable pride and stubbornness
Nee vachukinaa aava dumeelu
If you mess with it, you will explode!
Palichunnu chennai minna
As Chennai shines brightly
Polachome naanga thaane
We were the ones who survived and built it
Alukunnu engalathaan verati veesuriye
Yet you chase us away calling us dirty
Oru naal enga koralum kekkum
One day, our voice too will be heard
Appa theerum enga yekkam
Then our longings and pain will end
Varumai thaandi jeyichu kaattum
We will overcome poverty and win
Nikkadhu enga ootam
Our run will never stop
Dai en manna pudungi
Hey, snatching away my land
En kannu kalangi
Leaving my eyes filled with tears
Naan nikkirene roatoram thaane
Here I stand by the roadside
Naan odi thirincha
Where I used to run around freely
Naan paadi thirincha
Where I used to sing around freely
En veeta vittu porene naane
Now I am forced to leave my own home
Chenna vaannaa
Welcome to Chennai, dear
Nee yaararundha enna
Who cares who you are?
You welcome kanna
You are welcome, my dear
Namma gaana
Our Gaana music
Vaa dola thatum
Come, play the dholak drum
Un life um synck aagumna
If your life syncs up with it
Avaa melannaalu
Even if she is high class
Ivaa keezhanaalu
Even if she is low class
Nanga paathu pazhakkam illai
We are not accustomed to judging people by class
Ada vaa gopalu
Hey Gopalu, come on
Polam beach maalu
Let us go to the beach and mall
Vaazhum naalu smallu
The days we live are short
Vaa hey poda bigilu
Come on, whistle out loud!
Podadha civilu
Don't act all civilized or subdued
Ada enga mela enna foulu
Hey, what fault do you find in us?
Yei enga chennai tamilu
Hey, our Chennai Tamil dialect
Adangaadha thimilu
Has an untamable pride and stubbornness
Nee vachukinaa aava dumeelu
If you mess with it, you will explode!
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
Chenna vaannaa from Appu VI Std is an energetic yet emotionally charged Chennai Gaana song that captures the spirit, resilience, and struggles of the working-class people of Chennai. The opening sections celebrate the warm, inclusive, and egalitarian nature of the city street culture where class barriers do not matter, inviting everyone to enjoy life through beat, dance, and togetherness.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Iyaibu (End Rhyme)
“Vaa hey poda bigilu / Podadha civilu”
The rhyming of 'bigilu' (whistle) and 'civilu' (civilized/subdued) creates rhythmic momentum characteristic of North Chennai Gaana songs.
Code-Mixing / Madras Baashai
“Un life um synck aagumna”
Seamlessly blending English terms ('life', 'sync') with local Tamil verb endings ('aagumna') to reflect authentic urban slang.
Ethirpaadhu (Antithesis)
“Avaa melannaalu / Ivaa keezhanaalu”
Juxtaposing 'melannaalu' (high status) against 'keezhanaalu' (low status) to emphasize equality and rejection of social discrimination.
Metaphor / Onomatopoeia
“Adangaadha thimilu / Nee vachukinaa aava dumeelu”
Comparing Chennai Tamil's attitude to an untamed bull's hump ('thimilu') and using 'dumeelu' (blast/explosion) to describe the reaction to provoking it.
Did you know?
Trivia
The song is rendered by Anthony Dasan, one of Tamil cinema's most prominent folk and Gaana singers. The lyrics heavily incorporate 'Madras Baashai', the distinct slang dialect spoken in Chennai, blending Tamil with English loanwords.
Keep listening
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