- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- Malaysia Vasudevan
- Music director
- Shankar Ganesh
- Movie name
- Sigappu Thali
- Movie release year
- 1988
- Lyrics added on
- 20 May 2021
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This cynical philosophical song highlights the supreme influence of money in human society from birth to death ('from the womb to the grave'). It emphasizes that without financial power, social bonds and familial relationships lose their value entirely. The song conveys a harsh realistic message that virtues like compassion and gratitude exist only in stories, while wealth can bend reality to the extent of symbolically making even a grave open its mouth.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Moonaai (Initial Alliteration)
“Karbaththilirunthu kaadu varaikkum”
Repetition of the initial 'Ka' sound in 'Karbaththilirunthu' and 'kaadu' creates a rhythmic cadence.
Edukka (Second Letter Rhyme)
“Sillarai konjam veesi erinjaa / Kallarai kooda vaai thirakkum”
Matching of the second consonant sound 'lla' in 'Sillarai' and 'Kallarai'.
Hyperbole (Exaggeration)
“Sillarai konjam veesi erinjaa / Kallarai kooda vaai thirakkum”
Exaggerating the power of money by claiming that even a grave will open its mouth if coins are thrown.
Did you know?
Trivia
Written by poet Vairamuthu for the 1988 Tamil drama 'Sigappu Thali', this track reflects the classic trope of background philosophical songs popular in 1980s Tamil cinema that critique materialism and social pretense.
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