- Lyricist
- Na. Muthu Kumar
- Singers
- G. V. Prakash Kumar, Jithin Raj
- Music director
- Vishal Chandrasekhar
- Movie name
- Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae
- Movie release year
- 2017
- Lyrics added on
- 1 Apr 2017
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
'Govinda Govinda' is a high-energy, humorous song about facing continuous life setbacks and bad luck. The protagonist comically details his misfortunes—ranging from financial struggles and failed dreams of buying a home to metaphorical absurdities like trying to catch fish in a mirage or losing his vada to a thief fox. In Tamil pop-culture slang, shouting 'Govinda' humorously signifies that everything is lost or ruined. Despite the comedic lamentation over his tough luck and astrological woes, the song carries a strong message of resilience. Realizing that life is a continuous circle of ups and downs ('Vaazhka oru vattam'), the protagonist spots a ray of hope in the distance and vows to dust himself off, bounce back, and overcome every obstacle.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor
“Naan kaanal neerila meena thedi”
'Searching for fish in a mirage' serves as a metaphor for chasing impossible or deceptive goals.
Iyaipu (End Rhyme)
“Velangavae illa / Thirumbavae illa / Erangavae illa / Kaanavae illa”
The repetitive ending 'illa' (meaning 'not at all') across consecutive lines reinforces the hopeless state of the protagonist's affairs.
Cultural Allusion
“Naan sutta vadaiya sutta nariya”
References and humorously subverts the classic Tamil children's fable of the crow, fox, and vada.
Philosophical Metaphor
“Ada vaazhka oru vattamunu”
Compares life to a circle ('vattam'), expressing the cyclic nature of hardship and success.
Did you know?
Trivia
In Tamil colloquial usage, 'Govinda' is an slang exclamation used when a effort fails completely or money is lost. Though the song context listed music details as unknown, the music for 'Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae' was composed by Vishal Chandrashekhar, and this song features vocals by iconic 'Gaana' singer Deva alongside Premgi Amaren. Late lyricist Na. Muthu Kumar cleverly mixed street humor with Tamil folklore references in these lyrics.
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