Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Iraq Yutham

From Thithikudhe · 2003

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
Udit Narayan, Anuradha Sriram
Music director
Vidyasagar
Details
Thithikudhe2003

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Maruhabaaa…..Welcome...
Female
Iraq yuthamThe Iraq war
Mudinchupochu angaHas ended over there.
Ada enakkulla yuthamBut a war inside me
Thodangiruchu ingaHas just begun here.
Male
Iraq yuthamThe Iraq war
Mudinchupochu angaHas ended over there.
Female :Ada enakkulla yuthamFemale: Oh, a war inside me
Thodangiruchu ingaHas just begun here.
Male
Hey ennai vayalHey, the oil field
Erinchupochu ingaBurned down over there.
Female :En ennai vayalFemale: My oil field
Eriyudhada ingaIs burning here, man!
Male :Kanni vediMale: The landmine
Anainchu pochu ingaHas been extinguished over there.
Female :En kanni vediFemale: My virgin landmine
Vedikkudhada inga…aa…Is exploding here, man!
Female
Iraq yuthamThe Iraq war
Male
Iraq yuthamThe Iraq war
Mudinchupochu angaHas ended over there.
Female :Ada enakkulla yuthamFemale: Oh, a war inside me
Thodangiruchu ingaHas just begun here.
Chorus
………………………....
Male
Maruhabaaa…..(2)Welcome...
Male
Hey yevi vitta yevuganaiHey, the missile launched
Podhum podhum podhumuyenaSaying enough, enough, enough,
Yedhedho erinchu pochu ingaEverything burned down over there.
Female
Engum yevaadha yevukanaiA missile unlaunched anywhere,
Venum venum venumenaSaying want it, want it, want it,
En maarbu thudikkudhu ingaMy chest is throbbing here.
Male
Vattamittu vattamittuCircling around and around,
Vallarasu kundu pottuThe superpower dropped bombs,
Kattadangal udainchu pochu angaAnd buildings shattered over there.
Female
Nee thittamittu thittamittuYou, planning meticulously,
En manasai thundu podaTo cut my heart into pieces,
Kattazhagu kalandupochu ingaStriking beauty has blended in here.
Male
Oorukkulla sedham varumaeDestruction comes upon a town,
Andha yutham yutham yutham edharku..hoiSo why have that war, war, war?
Female :Ennai koncham sedhapaduthuFemale: Cause a little damage to me,
Nee nitham nitham yutham nadathuAnd wage a war against me every day!
Male
Hey ennai vayalHey, the oil field
Erinchupochu ingaBurned down over there.
Female :En ennai vayalFemale: My oil field
Eriyudhada ingaIs burning here, man!
Male :Kanni vediMale: The landmine
Anainchu pochu ingaWas extinguished over there.
Female :En kanni vediFemale: My virgin landmine
Vedikkudhada inga…aa…Is exploding here, man!
Female
Iraq yuthamThe Iraq war
Ada enakkulla yuthamOh, a war inside me
Thodangiruchu ingaHas begun here.
Male
Beerangiyum thuppaakiyumCannons and guns
Perumoochu vittu vittuSighing deeply,
Paalaivanam karugi pochu angaThe desert scorched over there.
Female
Perazhaga unnai enniThinking of you, the great beauty,
Perumoochu vittu vittuSighing deeply,
Selaivanam karuthu pochu ingaMy forest of sarees turned dark here.
Male
Vaanvazhi tharaivazhiBy air and by land,
Rendu pakkam thaakkapattuAttacked from both sides,
Bagdhad vizhundhuruchu angaBaghdad fell over there.
Female
Kannukkulla nenjukkullaInside my eyes, inside my heart,
Rendu pakkam thaakkapattuAttacked from both sides,
Kannu muzhi pidhungiruchu ingaMy eyeballs popped out here!
Male
Annam thanni yedhum illaamaeWithout food or water,
Angae aarppaattam nadakkiradhaeA riot takes place over there.
Female :Annam thanni yedhum sellaamaFemale: Without food or water going down,
En aavi ingu thudikkiradhaeMy soul is throbbing here!
Male
Hey ennai vayalHey, the oil field
Erinchupochu ingaBurned down over there.
Female :En ennai vayalFemale: My oil field
Eriyudhada ingaIs burning here, man!
Male :Hey kanni vediMale: Hey, the landmine
Anainchu pochu ingaWas extinguished over there.
Female :En kanni vediFemale: My virgin landmine
Vedikkudhada inga…aa…Is exploding here, man!
Male
Iraq yuthamIraq war
Mudinchupochu angaEnded over there.
Female :Ada enakkulla yuthamFemale: Oh, a war inside me
Thodangiruchu ingaHas begun here.
Male
Hey ennai vayalHey, the oil field
Erinchupochu ingaBurned down over there.
Female :En ennai vayalFemale: My oil field
Eriyudhada ingaIs burning here, man!
Male :Kanni vediMale: Landmine
Anainchu pochu ingaExtinguished over there.
Female: En kanni vediFemale: My virgin mine
Vedikkudhada inga…aa…Is exploding here, man!
Female
Iraq yuthamIraq war

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song from 'Thithikudhe' (2003) uses the contemporary real-world geopolitical event of the 2003 Iraq War as a metaphorical backdrop for intense romantic passion and desire. The lyricist, Vairamuthu, juxtaposes military destruction in Iraq (oil fields burning, landmines exploding, Baghdad falling, missile strikes) with the internal turmoil of youthful love and attraction taking place within the protagonist. While the actual war far away in Iraq comes to an end, the metaphorical war of passion, longing, and heart-pounding sensation inside the lovers is just beginning. Through clever wordplay, the song contrasts physical destruction with emotional upheaval, turning military imagery into expressions of intense longing and intimacy.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uvamaani / Metaphor (உவமை)

Iraq yutham mudinchupochu anga, ada enakkulla yutham thodangiruchu inga

Comparing geopolitical war events (landmines, burning oil fields, falling cities) to romantic inner passion and sensual arousal.

Siledai / Double Entendre (ஸ்லேடை)

En kanni vedi vedikkudhada inga

Wordplay on 'Kanni vedi' which literally means 'landmine' but punningly translates to 'virgin explosion' in romantic context.

Emoni / Rhyme & Contrast (எதுகை)

Mudinchupochu anga / Thodangiruchu inga

Contrasting 'Anga' (there - Iraq) with 'Inga' (here - self) in consecutive couplets throughout the song to create rhythmic antithesis.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song composed by Vidyasagar for the film 'Thithikudhe' (2003) starring Jiiva and Sridevi Vijaykumar was written during the immediate aftermath of the US invasion of Iraq in early 2003. Lyricist Vairamuthu famously incorporated real-time news headlines into pop culture Tamil lyrics, a signature trend of his during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Keep listening

More from Thithikudhe