- Lyricist
- Mohan Rajan
- Singer
- G. V. Prakash Kumar
- Music director
- Gersan
- Movie name
- Coffee
- Movie release year
- 2022
- Lyrics added on
- 1 Nov 2022
Lyrics & meaning
♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Dhinamum pozhuthu
Vidiya vidiya …vidiya vidiya
Kanavum kadanum
Niraiya niraiya …niraiya niraiya
Agamum puramum
Araiya araiya…. araiya araiya
Idhayam idindhu
Udaiya udaiya… udaiya udaiya
Naalu pera nenachi nenachi
Vazukaipura thavichi thavichi
Uravukkaga nadichi nadichi
Viruppam yaavum tholachi tholachi
Nanga vazhuromae middle classa
Adha nenaikiringa romba lesa
Nattathula naduthramthan
Ketkamaatanga orutharumthan
Nattatula naduthramthan
Ketkamaatanga orutharumthan
Adimai illa
Nanga arasanilla
Ada eppavumae
Yarukkumae bayanthathilla
Ezhai illa
Oru kozhai illa
Enga pasathukku munna
Edhum osandhadhilla
Kasu paanam seruthu vida
Naduvittu nadu povom
Karpu manam
Rendukkum kattuppattu
Vaznthu povom
Innum kadhai irukku
Nee keluda nee keluda
Sonnathulaam konjunduda
Kudumba bharam
Ganakka ganakka
Velaivendi
Thavikka thavikka
Theruvil nanga
Nadkka nadakka
Kamaparva
Nerukka nerukka
Kastam kavalai
Nasukka nasukka
Nermai nenjil
Thunivai kodukka
Suzhnilaiya payanpaduthi
Karpai vangum oru kootam
Aan pen bedhamindri
Seiyum ingae dhrogam indru …ehu…
Bodhai yetri paadhai mattri
Thavarai ellaam nyayam aaki
Bayathai kaati panathai ootti
Varumaiyathan vaippaakki..
Nattathula naduthramthan
Ketkamaatanga orutharumthan
Nattatula naduthramthan
Ketkamaatanga orutharumthan
Adimai illa
Nanga arasanilla
Ada eppavumae
Yarukkumae bayanthathilla
Ezhai illa
Oru kozhai illa
Enga pasathukku munna
Edhum osandhadhilla
Kasu paanam seruthu vida
Naduvittu nadu povom
Karpu manam
Rendukkum kattuppattu
Vaznthu povom
Innum kadhai irukku
Nee keluda nee keluda
Sonnathulaam konjunduda
Kottu suttu pottukkittu
Mirugam kudi alaiyuthae
Engala varumaikottu kizha thali
Kottai katti vazhuthae
Vellai vetti kattkittu
Veliyil veshampodathae
Sattathellam sattaipaiyil
Vachikkittu adathae
Kuniya kuniya
Adikkum koottam
Nimirndhu ninna
Edukkum ottam
Varumaiyala edhukku vattam
Thiramai naamai eduthukkattum
Thadaiyai udaikka
Thavarai azhikka
Theeyaai namum
Thalayai usatha
Thokkadhu nadutharamthan
Ninnu poradi jeyichidamthan ye….
As every single day
dawns on and on...
dreams and debts
pile up more and more...
From inside and outside,
blow after blow strikes us down...
and our hearts collapse,
shattering again and again...
Hey, always worrying about what society thinks,
struggling through our entire lives,
putting on a smile for our relatives,
letting go of all our own desires,
we live as the middle class!
Do you think our life is easy?
Stranded midstream, the middle class,
and not a single soul comes to ask about us.
Stranded midstream, the middle class,
and not a single soul comes to ask about us.
We are not slaves,
nor are we kings.
Hey, never once
have we feared anyone!
We are not paupers,
nor are we cowards.
Before the love we share,
nothing else ranks higher.
To earn and save some money,
we leave our homeland and go far away.
Dignity and honor,
bound strictly by both,
we live our lives.
There is still more to the story,
listen to it, my friend, just listen!
What I have told you so far is only a fraction.
As family burdens
grow heavier and heavier,
desperately searching
for a job,
as we walk down
the streets,
lustful gazes
crowd all around us.
When pain and worries
crush us down,
honesty in our hearts
gives us the courage to go on.
Taking advantage of vulnerable situations,
a gang buys dignity for a price.
Without sparing man or woman,
betrayal is committed here today...
Getting people hooked on vices, leading them astray,
making every wrong deed look justified,
striking fear and dangling money,
turning poverty into an opportunity...
Stranded midstream, the middle class,
and not a single soul comes to ask about us.
Stranded midstream, the middle class,
and not a single soul comes to ask about us.
We are not slaves,
nor are we kings.
Hey, never once
have we feared anyone!
We are not paupers,
nor are we cowards.
Before the love we share,
nothing else ranks higher.
To earn and save some money,
we leave our homeland and go far away.
Dignity and honor,
bound strictly by both,
we live our lives.
There is still more to the story,
listen to it, my friend, just listen!
What I have told you so far is only a fraction.
Dressed up in coats and suits,
beasts roam around together.
Pushing us below the poverty line,
they build fortresses and live in luxury.
Wearing a spotless white veshti (traditional wrap),
do not put on a fake front for the world!
Tucking the law inside your shirt pocket,
do not throw your weight around!
As long as you bow down,
this crowd will keep hitting you.
But if you stand up tall,
they will turn and run!
Why lose heart over poverty?
Our talent will prove our worth to the world.
To break through obstacles,
to wipe out wrongdoing,
blazing like fire,
let us hold our heads high!
The middle class will never lose!
We will stand, fight, and win! Yeah...
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Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This anthem from the movie 'Coffee' (2022) strongly voices the economic struggles, social pressure, and unyielding dignity of the middle-class working people. The song highlights how middle-class individuals navigate daily debts, family burdens, societal expectations, and predatory exploitation from corrupt individuals in power, while retaining their self-respect, moral compass, and affection for loved ones.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Adukkuthodar (Repetition for Emphasis)
“Vidiya vidiya …vidiya vidiya”
Repeated words like 'vidiya vidiya', 'niraiya niraiya', 'araiya araiya', and 'udaiya udaiya' emphasize the relentless, routine grind faced daily by working-class families.
Ethirai (Second-letter Rhyme / Assonance)
“Adimai illa / Ezhai illa”
Matching second consonants across lines ('Adimai' / 'Ezhai') creates a rhythmic cadence characteristic of classical Tamil poetry.
Metaphor
“Kottu suttu pottukkittu / Mirugam kudi alaiyuthae”
Corrupt elite people in suits are metaphorically compared to wild beasts ('mirugam') preying on the vulnerable.
Did you know?
Trivia
Sung by playback singer and composer G. V. Prakash Kumar for music director Gersan, this song captures the daily struggles, pride, and resilience of middle-class life in the 2022 Tamil film 'Coffee'.
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