Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Muthukutti Settai

From Aelay · 2021

Lyricist
Halitha Shameem
Singer
Alexander Babu
Music director
Kaber Vasuki
Details
Aelay2021

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Anne ice-u vandi horn-u adikkuthuBrother, the ice cream cart horn is honking
Muthukutti vaaranMuthukutti is coming
Innikku enna vamba avan kootti vara poranWhat trouble is he going to bring with him today?
Antha ice-u vandi raatham suththurathu avan koottaiWhere that ice cream cart wheel spins is his fort
Antha koottai kulla eppothume muthukutti settaiInside that fort, it is always Muthukutti's mischief
Male
Oru kuppi moodi sarayatha kuduchi puttuHaving drunk a capful of liquor
Kanna moodikittu dappa dance-u aadi vaaranHe comes dancing the folk dappa dance with his eyes closed
Kadankaaran veetta thedi vanthu nikkum bothuWhen the moneylender comes looking for his house
Veliya pootta pottu ulla iruppanHe locks it from the outside and hides inside
Male
Veda kozhi yethum sevathu mela paarthutannaIf he sees a tender chicken sitting on top of the wall
Sudu thanniyila sattunu thaan pottuduvanHe immediately drops it into hot boiling water
Kozhi curry koovi kitta vanthu vaasa padi vanthaIf the chicken curry aroma comes calling near the doorstep
Aavi oothi rusi paarkkatharuvanHe blows off the steam and lets you taste it
Male
Ice-u vandi horn-u adikkuthuThe ice cream cart horn is honking
Mmuthukutti vaaranMuthukutti is coming
Innikku enna vamba avan kootti vare poranWhat trouble is he going to bring with him today?
Antha ice-u vandi raatham suththurathu avan koottaiWhere that ice cream cart wheel spins is his fort
Antha koottai kulla eppothume muthukutti settaiInside that fort, it is always Muthukutti's mischief
Chorus
Muthukutti settaiMuthukutti's mischief
Muthukutti settaiMuthukutti's mischief
Muthukutti settaiMuthukutti's mischief
Muthukutti settaiMuthukutti's mischief
Muthukutti settaiMuthukutti's mischief
Muthukutti settaiMuthukutti's mischief
Aelay!Hey there!
Aelay!Hey there!
Aelay!Hey there!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song introduces the eccentric, free-spirited protagonist Muthukutti, an ice-cream vendor who roams his village causing lighthearted chaos. Through vivid local imagery, it captures his mischievous personality—from drinking alcohol and dancing uninhibitedly to cleverly hiding from moneylenders by locking his house door from the outside while staying inside.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Repetition (Solvisai)

Muthukutti settai

The phrase 'Muthukutti settai' is repeated continuously at the end to emphasize the character's core defining trait of endless mischief.

Rhyme (Edhai / Monorhyme)

Antha ice-u vandi raatham suththurathu avan koottai / Antha koottai kulla eppothume muthukutti settai

End-rhyming words such as 'koottai' and 'settai' create a rhythmic, conversational folk cadence.

Visual and Olfactory Imagery

Aavi oothi rusi paarkkatharuvan

Sensory descriptions like the steam rising from hot curry ('aavi oothi') and the spinning ice cream wheel ('raatham suththurathu') bring the rustic rural setting vividly to life.

Did you know?

Trivia

This energetic track was sung by popular stand-up comedian and musician Alexander Babu for the 2021 rural comedy-drama 'Aelay'. The lyrics were written by the film's director Halitha Shameem herself to showcase the quirky traits of the lead character played by Samuthirakani.

Keep listening

More from Aelay