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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Muttalai Muttalai

From Yennamo Yedho · 2014

Lyricist
Madhan Karky
Singers
D. Imman, Maria Roe Vincent
Music director
D. Imman
Details
Yennamo Yedho2014

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics↻ English translation
Male
Muttalaai muttalaaiLike a fool, like a fool
Hey muttalaai muttalaaiHey, like a fool, like a fool
Muttalaai muttalaaiLike a fool, like a fool
Yen maarinen…Why did I change...
En nenjai pandhaakkiMaking a ball out of my heart
Yen veesinenWhy did I throw it away?
Male
Vaan engum pul megamGrass clouds across the sky
Naan meigirenAnd I am grazing there
Maatrangal yen endruWondering why these changes occur
AaraaigirenI am researching
Male
{Sathiyamaai idhu boomi illai{Truly, this is not the Earth
Sathiyamaai idhu naanum illaiTruly, this is not me
Sathiyamaai naan poi solvenaeTruly, I would tell a lie and say
Adhan kaaranam nee illai} (2)That you are not the reason for it} (2)
Male
Muttalaai muttalaaiLike a fool, like a fool
Hey muttalaai muttalaaiHey, like a fool, like a fool
Chorus
Life is like a storyLife is like a story
You can take it anywhere u wantYou can take it anywhere you want
What u feeling babyWhat you feeling baby
Just come out and say anyhow u wantJust come out and say anyhow you want
Gotta take it slowlyGotta take it slowly
Dontwanna miss little thinghs that come our wayDon't want to miss little things that come our way
Wannna be a blessing and light up everyone todayWanna be a blessing and light up everyone today
Male
Aayiram pengalai kadandhiruppenI might have crossed paths with a thousand women
Aaro ezho kaadhal adhilWith maybe six or seven loves among them
Appodhellaam maaraa ulagamBack then, the world never changed
Indru eppadi maariyadhu..How did it change today?
Male
Suvarai kaagidham aakkugiren – enI turn the wall into paper - my
Mookkai penaa aakkugirenI turn my nose into a pen
Maiyil endhan mookkai vittuDipping my nose into the ink
Un peyarai theettugiren..I etch your name...
Male
Viralai kondu suvaasikirenI breathe through my fingers
Thalai keezhaaga yosikkirenI think upside down
Kaadhil unnai ootugirenI pour you into my ears
Male
Sathiyamaai idhu boomi illaiTruly, this is not the Earth
Sathiyamaai idhu naanum illaiTruly, this is not me
Sathiyamaai naan poi solvenaeTruly, I would tell a lie and say
Adhan kaaranam nee illaiThat you are not the reason for it
Chorus
…………………………[Musical Interlude]
Male
Muttalaai muttalaaiLike a fool, like a fool
Hey muttalaai muttalaaiHey, like a fool, like a fool
Muttalaai muttalaaiLike a fool, like a fool
Yen maarinen…Why did I change...
En nenjai pandhaakkiMaking a ball out of my heart
Yen veesinenWhy did I throw it away?
Male
Vaan engum pul megamGrass clouds across the sky
Naan meigirenAnd I am grazing there
Maatrangal yen endruAsking why these changes happen
Yen endru..yen endruAsking why... asking why
Yen yen yen yen endruuuu….Why, why, why, why...
Male
Sathiyamaai idhu boomi illaiTruly, this is not the Earth
Sathiyamaai idhu naanum illaiTruly, this is not me
Sathiyamaai naan poi solvenaeTruly, I would tell a lie and say
Adhan kaaranam nee illaiThat you are not the reason for it
Male
Oh hoo hooooOh hoo hoooo
Nana naa nan naaa naNana naa nan naaa na
Oh hoo hooooOh hoo hoooo
Nana naa nan naaa naNana naa nan naaa na
Nana nana na na naana nanaNana nana na na naana nana
nana naaanan naaaaa….nana naaanan naaaaa….

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Muttalaai Muttalaai from the movie Yennamo Yedho (2014) is a whimsical and lively track expressing the surreal sensation of falling head over heels in love. The protagonist finds himself behaving erratically and foolishly, feeling as if the fundamental laws of nature and perception have completely shifted around him. He experiences sensory confusion—imagining clouds made of grass, turning his nose into a pen to write her name, and breathing through his fingers. Despite having experienced past relationships where the world remained ordinary, this new love turns his entire reality upside down. He playfully tries to deny that she is the reason behind his bizarre transformation, but his comical confessions and joyous confusion reveal how deeply enamored he truly is.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Surrealism & Synesthesia

“Viralai kondu suvaasikiren / Kaadhil unnai ootugiren”

The lyricist blends distinct senses and impossibilities (breathing through fingers, pouring a person into ears, using a nose as an ink pen) to portray how love disrupts conventional human perception.

Metaphor

“Vaan engum pul megam / Naan meigiren”

Compares clouds floating in the sky to fields of grass where his mind 'grazes', symbolizing feelings of lightness and floating far above ground.

Anaphora (Repetition for Emphasis)

“Sathiyamaai idhu boomi illai / Sathiyamaai idhu naanum illai”

Repeating 'Sathiyamaai' (Truly / On oath) at the beginning of consecutive lines creates a rhythmic, dramatic irony as he swears a lie about her not being the cause.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song 'Muttalaai Muttalaai' was composed by D. Imman for the film Yennamo Yedho (a remake of the Telugu hit Ala Modalaindi). The song features creative and quirky Tamil lyrics penned by Madhan Karky, who is celebrated for introducing unique modern concepts and sensory metaphors into contemporary Tamil film music.

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