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Anbe Aaruyire album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Maram Kothiye

From Anbe Aaruyire · 2005

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
Shankar Mahadevan, Pop Shalini
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Movie name
Anbe Aaruyire
Movie release year
2005
Lyrics added on
12 Jun 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Wanna wanna wanna wanna waana
Wanna wanaa wanna be a wood peckar
Wood peckar…
Wanna be a wanna be wanna be a
Wanna be a wood peckar
Wood peckar…
Ooooo…..ooooooo…..
Maram koththiyae
Maram koththiyae
Viratugiraai ennai
Udhadu koththi
Udhadu koththi
Miratugiraai nee ennai
Udhadu udhadu melae
Oyaamal nadakanum
Nadanthu pirakanum oosai
Udhadu udhadu kuzhal
Ottithaan kidakanum
Irunthu kadakanum aasai
Maram koththiyae
Maram koththiyae
Viratugiraai ennai
Udhadu koththi
Udhadu koththi
Miratugiraai nee ennai
Udhadu udhadu melae
Oyaamal nadakanum
Nadanthu pirakanum oosai
Udhadu udhadu kuzhal
Ottithaan kidakanum
Irunthu kadakanum aasai
Oh oh idhazhgal naangum kalanthu
Ingu iyatridum kavithai muththam
Ithuvae azhagai kaatum
Indha ichena ezhum saththam
Udhadum udhadum edharku
Ingu uravugal kaadhalar yudham
Kanalai kanalai thaanae
Nenjil kothikum ila raththam
Un udhatilae en kaayam
Male :Por kalathilae athuthaan nyaayam
Maram koththiyae
Maram koththiyae
Viratugiraai ennai
Udhadu koththi
Udhadu koththi
Miratugiraai nee ennai
Udhadu udhadu melae
Oyaamal nadakanum
Nadanthu pirakanum oosai
Udhadu udhadu kuzhal
Ottithaan kidakanum
Irunthu kadakanum aasai
Maram koththiyae
Maram koththiyae
Viratugiraai ennai
Udhadu koththi
Udhadu koththi
Miratugiraai nee ennai
Wanna wanna wanna wanna waana
Wanna wanaa wanna be a wood peckar
Wood peckar…
Wanna be a wanna be wanna be a
Wanna be a wood peckar
Wood peckar…wood peckar
Ooooo…..ooooooo…..
Udhadum udhadum Mela
Kavinthu earthquake
Udhadum udhadum mela
Make it a make it a squake
Udhadum udhadum mela
Fill in a fill in at you
Udhadum udhadum mela
This one is for you
Uyirgal ulagin uyilai
Than udhadugal moolam marayum
Manithan kaakum punitham
Sila tharavugal kooriduma
Paasam pesum oligai
Aabasam enbathu thavaru
Idharkoru thanikai edharku
Intha anbin varalaaru
Uh..udhadugal thaangathu
Male :Naan koduthal vali thaan ezhuthum
Maram koththiyae
Maram koththiyae
Viratugiraai ennai
Female :Udhadu koththi
Udhadu koththi
Miratugiraai nee ennai
Udhadu udhadu melae
Oyaamal nadakanum
Nadanthu pirakanum oosai
Udhadu udhadu kuzhal
Ottithaan kidakanum
Irunthu kadakanum aasai
{Ohoooo……..Female :Ohooo…} (2)
Wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna
Wanna wanna wanna be a woodpecker
Woodpecker...
Wanna be a wanna be wanna be a
Wanna be a woodpecker
Woodpecker...
Oh... oh...
Woodpecker,
Woodpecker,
You chase after me!
Pecking at my lips,
Pecking at my lips,
You tease and thrill me!
Lip upon lip,
Must step without stopping,
And make a sound be born.
Like lips pressed to a flute,
They must stay clung together,
And live out every desire.
Woodpecker,
Woodpecker,
You chase after me!
Pecking at my lips,
Pecking at my lips,
You tease and thrill me!
Lip upon lip,
Must step without stopping,
And make a sound be born.
Like lips pressed to a flute,
They must stay clung together,
And live out every desire.
Oh, when all four lips intertwine,
The poem they compose here is a kiss.
This is what reveals true beauty:
That crisp sound of a smack!
Why are lips locked against lips?
Here, love is a battle between lovers.
Isn't it like burning embers,
The young blood boiling in the chest?
On your lips is my battle scar!
Male: On the battlefield, that is only fair!
Woodpecker,
Woodpecker,
You chase after me!
Pecking at my lips,
Pecking at my lips,
You tease and thrill me!
Lip upon lip,
Must step without stopping,
And make a sound be born.
Like lips pressed to a flute,
They must stay clung together,
And live out every desire.
Woodpecker,
Woodpecker,
You chase after me!
Pecking at my lips,
Pecking at my lips,
You tease and thrill me!
Wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna
Wanna wanna wanna be a woodpecker
Woodpecker...
Wanna be a wanna be wanna be a
Wanna be a woodpecker
Woodpecker... woodpecker
Oh... oh...
Lip upon lip,
Crashing down like an earthquake!
Lip upon lip,
Make it, ah, make it a squeak!
Lip upon lip,
Fill in, ah, fill in at you!
Lip upon lip,
This one is for you!
The living testament of the world
is traced through the lips.
Can the sanctity that humans guard
be dictated by a few rules?
The sound spoken by pure affection,
it is wrong to call it vulgar.
Why should there be censorship for this?
This is the very chronicle of love!
Uh... my lips cannot take it!
Male: When I kiss you, the sweet pain itself will write poetry!
Woodpecker,
Woodpecker,
You chase after me!
Female: Pecking at my lips,
Pecking at my lips,
You tease and thrill me!
Lip upon lip,
Must step without stopping,
And make a sound be born.
Like lips pressed to a flute,
They must stay clung together,
And live out every desire.
{Oh... Female: Oh...} (2)
Chorus
Male
Female
Chorus
Chorus
Male
Chorus
Chorus
Female
Male
Female
Female
Chorus
Chorus
Male
Chorus
Male
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Chorus
Chorus
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

'Maram Koththiyae' from the 2005 movie 'Anbe Aaruyire' is a playful, romantic duet composed by A. R. Rahman and written by Vaali. The song metaphorically compares passionate kissing to a woodpecker pecking on wood, blending energetic pop and contemporary western arrangements with sensual Tamil lyricism. The lyrics explore the intense physical attraction between lovers, framing kissing as poetry, a playful battle, and an essential human emotion. The lyricist argues against censuring or viewing intimacy as taboo, highlighting it as a natural and sacred expression of love.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uruvagaim (Metaphor)

Maram koththiyae ... Udhadu koththi

Comparing the lover's playful kissing on the lips to a woodpecker ('Maram Koththi') pecking on wood.

Anaphora (Repetition)

Udhadu udhadu melae

Repetition of words like 'Udhadu' (lips) and 'Maram koththiyae' across multiple lines to emphasize rhythm and sensory imagery.

Rhyme / Ethirai (Second letter rhyming)

Ingu iyatridum kavithai muththam / Ithuvae azhagai kaatum

Tamil poetic rhyming feature where the second letter matches across consecutive lines ('Iyatridum' / 'Azhagai').

Did you know?

Trivia

The song 'Maram Koththiyae' features music composed by A. R. Rahman for the movie 'Anbe Aaruyire' (2005), directed by S. J. Suryah, who also played the male lead. Sung by Shankar Mahadevan and Vasundhara Das, the track became popular for its unconventional lyrics by legendary lyricist Vaali and its fusion of Tamil metaphors with English scat singing.

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