Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Guju Guju Goods Vandi

From Aval Peyar Tamilarasi · 2010

Lyricist
Yegathasi
Singers
Nancy Silviya, Chorus
Music director
Vijay Antony
Details
Aval Peyar Tamilarasi2010

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Chorus
{Chum chikku chikku chumChum chikku chikku chum
Chum chikku chikku chumChum chikku chikku chum
Chum chikku chikku chumChum chikku chikku chum
Chum chum chum chum} (2)Chum chum chum chum (x2)
Chorus
Lala lailai la lailai lai loLala lailai la lailai lai lo
Lala lailai la la la lai lai lai lai lai laiLala lailai la la la lai lai lai lai lai lai
Female
Gujju gujju gujju goods vandiChug-chug-chug goes the goods train,
Kazhugu malai vazhiyaaPassing through Kazhugumalai,
Chorus :Kovilpatti vandiChorus: It's the train to Kovilpatti!
Female
Gujju gujju gujju railkaara annaChug-chug-chug railway brother,
Seettu velai ennaWhat is the cost of a ticket?
Chorus :EnnaChorus: What is it?
Female
Endha ooruppodhuWhich town is it heading to?
Naanum konjam vaarenI'll also tag along for a bit,
Chorus :Vandiyai konjam niruththuChorus: Stop the train for a moment,
Niruththu niruththuStop it, stop it!
Female
Gujju gujju gujju goods vandiChug-chug-chug goes the goods train,
Kazhugu malai vazhiyaaPassing through Kazhugumalai,
Chorus :Kovilpatti vandiChorus: It's the train to Kovilpatti!
Female
Gujju gujju gujju railkaara annaChug-chug-chug railway brother,
Seettu velai ennaWhat is the cost of a ticket?
Chorus :EnnaChorus: What is it?
Female
Endha ooruppodhuWhich town is it heading to?
Naanum konjam vaarenI'll also tag along for a bit,
Chorus :Vandiyai konjam niruththuChorus: Stop the train for a moment,
Niruththu niruththuStop it, stop it!
Chorus
Eppaa eppaa yaanaiyappaaOh my, big brother elephant,
Un kaalgal naalum thoongalappaaYour four legs are like huge pillars!
Engalaattam thiriyaamaInstead of roaming freely like us,
Yen paaganukku nee kattuppattaWhy did you submit to your mahout?
Female
Kottakkaattu mannulaIn the dirt of the forest clearings,
Chorus :Kittippullu adippomChorus: We play gilli-danda!
Female :Satta thuni nenaichiFemale: Drenched in sweat with soaked clothes,
Chorus :Kuttaithanni kudippomChorus: We drink water straight from the pond!
Female :Sorukattu oothikkittuFemale: Pouring water into packed cold rice,
Chorus :Boomiyathaan suthinomChorus: We wandered around the earth!
Female :Odaikkulla nadandhadhaiFemale: Whatever happened near the stream,
Chorus :Oorukkulla koovinomChorus: We shouted out to the entire village!
Female
Indha mullukkaaduthaanThis scrubby forest land
Engaloda ooruIs our hometown,
Eechammara pazhandhaanWild dates from the palm tree
ThingachoruAre our daily food!
Failakkum vaathiyaaru villan nambiyaaruThe teacher who fails us is like villain Nambiar,
Belladikkum watchman M G R-uThe watchman who rings the bell is hero M.G.R.!
Chorus
Gujju gujju gujjuChug-chug-chug
Gujju gujju gujjuChug-chug-chug
Female
Gujju gujju gujju goods vandiChug-chug-chug goes the goods train,
Kazhugu malai vazhiyaaPassing through Kazhugumalai,
Chorus :Kovilpatti vandiChorus: It's the train to Kovilpatti!
Female
Gujju gujju gujju railkaara annaChug-chug-chug railway brother,
Seettu velai ennaWhat is the cost of a ticket?
Chorus :EnnaChorus: What is it?
Female
Endha ooruppodhuWhich town is it heading to?
Naanum konjam vaarenI'll also tag along for a bit,
Chorus :Vandiyai konjam niruththuChorus: Stop the train for a moment,
Niruththu niruththuStop it, stop it!
Male
Thanatha na nanae oohoooThanatha na nanae oohooo
Thaananae nanae hooo oooooThaananae nanae hooo ooooo
Thanae nanae nananae…hoooThanae nanae nananae…hooo
Chorus
Pacha pacha kiliakkaGreen, green parrot sister,
Pesa enga kathukittaWhere did you learn to speak?
Sirichi vekkaamaWithout keeping a smile hidden,
Yesi velukka otthukittaYou agreed to scold and tease us openly!
Female
Solakattu mic-ulaInto a corn-stalk microphone,
Chorus :Sittukuruvi paaduthuChorus: A tiny sparrow sings,
Female :Samandhi poo kattikittuFemale: Wearing marigold flowers,
Chorus :Radio thaan poduthuChorus: It turns on the radio,
Female :Vilayada thaan aal illamaFemale: Having no friends to play with,
Chorus :Tv paarkudhu vilundhuChorus: It plops down to watch TV,
Female :Vaathiyaaru sattaiyilaFemale: On the back of the teacher's shirt,
Chorus :Veetu paadam eluthuChorus: Write down your homework!
Female
Veyilenga muthugulaThe heat of the sun on our backs
Eppodhumae nadakkumWalks alongside us always.
Muthiratha peinja padiWetting the bed while sleeping,
Paayil padukkumLying down on the woven mat.
Mathiyanam mulippomWe wake up at noon,
Mazhai peinja kulippomWhen it rains, we bathe in it,
Sathunavu muttaikaaga schoolukku povomAnd we only go to school for the free midday-meal egg!
Chorus
Gujju gujju gujjuChug-chug-chug
Gujju gujju gujjuChug-chug-chug
Female
Gujju gujju gujju goods vandiChug-chug-chug goes the goods train,
Kazhugu malai vazhiyaaPassing through Kazhugumalai,
Chorus :Kovilpatti vandiChorus: It's the train to Kovilpatti!
Female
Gujju gujju gujju railkaara annaChug-chug-chug railway brother,
Seettu velai ennaWhat is the cost of a ticket?
Chorus :EnnaChorus: What is it?
Female
Endha ooruppodhuWhich town is it heading to?
Naanum konjam vaarenI'll also tag along for a bit,
Chorus :Vandiyai konjam niruththuChorus: Stop the train for a moment,
Niruththu niruththuStop it, stop it!
Male
Thanatha na nanae oohoooThanatha na nanae oohooo
Thaananae nanae hooo oooooThaananae nanae hooo ooooo
Thanae nanae nananae…hoooThanae nanae nananae…hooo

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This playful folk song captures the uninhibited spirit and innocent joy of rural childhood in southern Tamil Nadu (referencing towns like Kovilpatti and Kazhugumalai). Through vibrant rhythmic chants and whimsical imagery, the children celebrate their free-spirited life—playing traditional games like gilli-danda, eating wild dates, drinking pond water, and roaming through thorny scrublands. They playfully compare school life to cinema, likening a strict teacher to legendary Tamil movie villain M.N. Nambiar and the school bell-ringer watchman to savior hero M.G.R. They humorously admit that their main motivation to attend school is the free nutritious egg provided under the state government's midday meal scheme. The track captures rural nostalgia, nature, and childish mischief with warmth and authentic folk flavor.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Onomatopoeia

Gujju gujju gujju goods vandi

The rhythmic chant 'Gujju gujju gujju' mimics the sound and motion of an old steam/diesel goods train.

Simile / Cultural Metaphor

Failakkum vaathiyaaru villan nambiyaaru / Belladikkum watchman M G R-u

Compares the strict, failing teacher to classic cinema villain M.N. Nambiar and the heroic watchman ringing the bell to beloved actor M.G. Ramachandran (M.G.R.).

Ethugai (Second-letter rhyming)

Satta thuni nenaichi / Kuttaithanni kudippom

The second letter 'tta' ('ட்ட') matches across consecutive lines ('Satta' / 'Kuttai'), creating a pleasant rhythmic rhyme.

Personification

Veyilenga muthugula eppodhumae nadakkum

The scorching heat/sunlight is personified as a companion walking along their backs.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Aval Peyar Tamilarasi' (2010) was directed by Meera Kathiravan and starred Jai and Nandhagi. The film's soundtrack was composed by Vijay Antony, with lyrics written by Yegathasi. The movie heavily focuses on traditional Tamil folk arts, specifically the dying art of shadow puppetry ('Tholu Bommalattam'). This song vividly incorporates authentic southern Tamil Nadu dialects and references the state's famous noon-meal scheme ('Sathunavu') in rural government schools.

Keep listening

More from Aval Peyar Tamilarasi