Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kothaal Savadi Lady

From Kannedhirey Thondrinal · 1998

Lyricist
Ponniyin Selvan
Singer
Sabesh
Music director
Deva
Details
Kannedhirey Thondrinal1998

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Kothaalchaavadi ladyKothawalchavadi lady,
Nee koyambedu vaadiYou come to Koyambedu girl!
Chorus
Yekkov yekkov yekkovHey sister, hey sister, hey sister!
Yekkov yekkovHey sister, hey sister!
Male
Kothaalchaavadi ladyKothawalchavadi lady,
Nee koyambedu vaadiYou come to Koyambedu girl!
Chinna chinna beans venumaDo you want small beans?
Chorus :Venaamoi…Chorus: No, sir!
Male :Kokku pola nookkal venumaMale: Do you want turnip shaped like a crane?
Chorus :Venaamoi…Chorus: No, sir!
Male :Bangalore kaththiri venumaMale: Do you want Bangalore brinjal?
Chorus :Venaamoi…Chorus: No, sir!
Male :Dindugal thraatchai venumaMale: Do you want Dindigul grapes?
Chorus :Venaamoi…Chorus: No, sir!
Male :Nee pachchai milagaa kadikkumbodhuMale: When you bite into a green chili,
Kannu rendum kalangudhadiMy two eyes fill with tears!
Male
Kothaalchaavadi ladyKothawalchavadi lady,
Nee koyambedu vaadiYou come to Koyambedu girl!
Kothaalchaavadi ladyKothawalchavadi lady,
Nee koyambedu vaadiYou come to Koyambedu girl!
Male
Pattinapaakkam route-la 45 bus-laOn the Pattinapakkam route, in bus 45,
Parimalaava purushan kooda paathendaI saw Parimala with her husband.
Sungudi sela madippula kothusaavi iduppulaIn the fold of a Sungudi saree, holding keychains at her waist,
Oormilaava urasi konjam paathendaI saw Urmila brushing past slightly.
Male
Vaadiyakka thalukka minukkaa nadakkuraCome sister, you walk with glamor and shimmer!
Podiyakka silukkaa malukkaa odiyuraGo sister, running with grace and twist!
Vaadiyakka thalukka minukkaa nadakkuraCome sister, you walk with glamor and shimmer!
Podiyakka silukkaa malukkaa odiyuraGo sister, running with grace and twist!
Male
Gaajaa beedi kareem beediGaja beedi, Kareem beedi,
Governer beedi-ngooGovernor beedi, sir!
Adha valichchi paaththa pasangalellaamAll the boys who tried smoking those
Romba kedingoo…Became very spoiled, sir!
Chorus
Gaajaa beedi kareem beediGaja beedi, Kareem beedi,
Governer beedi-ngooGovernor beedi, sir!
Adha valichchi paaththa pasangalellaamAll the boys who tried smoking those
Romba kedingoo…Became very spoiled, sir!
Male
Chitlapaakkaam night-laIn Chitlapakkam at night,
Single tea kadaiyilaAt a single tea shop,
Chandirikaava silumishamaa paathendaI saw Chandrika behaving playfully.
Beach-il vachchu pesippomWe will talk at the beach,
Pinnaala dhaanae yosippomWe will think about consequences later.
Vazhakkamaaga nadakkudhindha kaadhaldhaanThis love usually happens like this!
Male
Jodi pottu aayisha nice-a nadakkuraAyesha walks nicely as a pair,
Moodi vachchu kudukka nenacha nazhuvuraIf you try to cover and give her something, she slips away.
Jodi pottu aayisha nice-a nadakkuraAyesha walks nicely as a pair,
Moodi vachchu kudukka nenacha nazhuvuraIf you try to cover and give her something, she slips away.
Male
Jaambajaaar burma bajaarJambazaar, Burma Bazaar,
Sirippu kaaringooShe is a laughing lady, sir!
Ava ravusu kaattum pasangalellaamAll the boys who try to show off to her
Ippo gaalingooAre ruined now, sir!
Chorus
Jaambajaaar burma bajaarJambazaar, Burma Bazaar,
Sirippu kaaringooShe is a laughing lady, sir!
Ava ravusu kaattum pasangalellaamAll the boys who try to show off to her
Ippo gaalingooAre ruined now, sir!
Male
Kothaalchaavadi ladyKothawalchavadi lady,
Nee koyambedu vaadiYou come to Koyambedu girl!
Kothaalchaavadi ladyKothawalchavadi lady,
Nee koyambedu vaadiYou come to Koyambedu girl!
Male
Chinna chinna beans venumaDo you want small beans?
Chorus :Venaamoi…Chorus: No, sir!
Male :Kokku pola nookkal venumaMale: Do you want turnip shaped like a crane?
Chorus :Venaamoi…Chorus: No, sir!
Male :Bangalore kaththiri venumaMale: Do you want Bangalore brinjal?
Chorus :Venaamoi…Chorus: No, sir!
Male :Dindugal thraatchai venumaMale: Do you want Dindigul grapes?
Chorus :Venaamoi…Chorus: No, sir!
Male :Nee pachchai milagaa kadikkumbodhuMale: When you bite into a green chili,
Kannu rendum kalangudhadiMy two eyes fill with tears!
Chorus
………………………….....

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This fast-paced, playful Madras-bashai track is a vibrant folk-pop song from the 1998 Tamil film Kannedhirey Thondrinal. The lyrics use local Chennai slang, references to iconic neighborhood markets like Kothawalchavadi, Koyambedu, Jambazaar, and Burma Bazaar, along with playful interactions featuring vegetable names and local city sights. The protagonist teasingly calls out to market women and describes humorous everyday encounters in Chennai bus routes and tea shops.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Rhyme (Edhugai)

Vaadiyakka thalukka minukkaa nadakkura / Podiyakka silukkaa malukkaa odiyura

Repetition of second consonant sound across consecutive lines like Kothaalchaavadi and Pattinapaakkam, or Vaadiyakka and Podiyakka.

Alliteration (Monaai)

Gaajaa beedi kareem beedi

Repetition of initial consonant sounds across words in a line such as 'silukkaa malukkaa' or 'Gaajaa beedi kareem beedi'.

Simile (Upama)

Kokku pola nookkal venuma

Comparing the vegetable shape directly to a crane ('Kokku pola nookkal').

Did you know?

Trivia

The song heavily incorporates 'Gana' music tropes and Madras Tamil (Chennai dialect), popularizing neighborhood names such as Koyambedu and Kothawalchavadi in Tamil mainstream film music during the late 1990s.

Keep listening

More from Kannedhirey Thondrinal

Song1998
Salomia

Kannedhirey Thondrinal