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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Neelangarayil

From Pulivaal · 2014

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
Karthik, Shreya Ghoshal
Music director
N. R. Raghunanthan
Details
Pulivaal2014

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Neelangaraiyil kaanaanguruviOn Neelankarai beach, a little sparrow
Thaanaa thavikudhaeStruggles desperately all by itself
Female
Vaanam thirandhu vaiyam kadandhuOpening up the sky, crossing the whole world
Parapom kaatrilaeLet us fly away into the breeze
Male
Udambilirundhu usura matumFrom my body, taking away only my soul
Uruvi uruvi edukadhaeDo not snatch it out again and again
Female
Maasam maasam diesel vilaipolLike the price of diesel month after month
Aasa paasam yethaadhaeDo not keep increasing affection and desire
Male
Pudava thuvaikum thuraviyapolaeLike an ascetic washing a woman's saree
Muliyaa mulikurenI blink in complete bewilderment
Female
Pulivaal pudicha eliyapolaeLike a mouse holding onto a tiger's tail
Thaviyaa thavikurenI writhe and squirm in agony
Male
Neelangaraiyil kaanaanguruviOn Neelankarai beach, a little sparrow
Thaanaa thavikudhaeStruggles desperately all by itself
Female
Vaanam thirandhu vaiyam kadandhuOpening up the sky, crossing the whole world
Parapom kaatrilaeLet us fly away into the breeze
Male
Pattaa potta thanga kattiA certified gold bar
Pattaam poochi potta kuttiA girl wearing butterfly patterns
Othupogum kaadhali ellamEvery compatible girlfriend
Fifty fifty pondatiIs fifty percent a wife
Female
Kanni ponna oramkattiSetting aside the young maiden
Kannagilli kanna kattiPinching cheeks and blindfolding her eyes
Kaadhal pannum poona kuttiThe kitten-like lover playing love games
Yetti nillu naan kettiStand at a distance, for I am clever
Male
Kaadhal erumbu oorum podhuWhen the ant of love crawls continuously
Kallum kooda theiyumaeEven a hard rock will erode
Dhooram paarthu nindra penmaiThe womanhood that stood watching from afar
Thozhil vandhu saaiyumaeWill eventually lean upon your shoulder
Female
Nee thoda thoda uchan thala kodhikudhuAs you touch me repeatedly, the crown of my head boils
Viral pada pada ullankaal kulirudhuAs your fingers touch, the soles of my feet cool down
Male
Ne sandakaari aagum podhu padharudhuWhen you turn into a feisty combatant, my heart panics
En mandakulla natchathiram sidharudhuInside my head, stars shatter into pieces
Female
Pulivaal pudicha eliyapolaeLike a mouse holding onto a tiger's tail
Thaviyaa thavikurenI writhe and squirm in agony
Male
Pudava thuvaikum thuraviyapolaeLike an ascetic washing a woman's saree
Muliyaa mulikurenI blink in complete bewilderment
Female
Neelangaraiyil kaanaanguruviOn Neelankarai beach, a little sparrow
Thaanaa thavikudhaeStruggles desperately all by itself
Male
Vaanam thirandhu vaiyam kadandhuOpening up the sky, crossing the whole world
Parapom kaatrilaeLet us fly away into the breeze
Female
Cellphone mozhi pesi pesiTalking continuously in cellphone lingo
Chinna ponna kedukadhaeDo not spoil the young girl
Noolaampada noolakattiSpinning a thread out of cobwebs
Koyil thera ilukaadhaeDo not pull the temple chariot
Male
Vellakaran pogumpodhaeWhen the white colonizers left
Vetkam kooda poyae pochaeEven modesty departed right along with them
Kaalam ippo high tech aachaeTimes have become high-tech now
Kaiya vittu pogadhaeDo not let things slip out of hand
Female
Ooh pengal konda aasai ellamOh, all the desires held by women
Fridge-il vaitha apple polaeAre like an apple kept safely in the fridge
Aangal konda aasai ellamAll the desires held by men
Veyilil vaitha vennai polaeAre like butter placed under the hot sun
Male
Nee vara vara vakkiluku padikuraAs days go by, you talk like a lawyer in court
Nee vaadham panni vaadham panni jeikuraYou argue back and forth and win every argument
Female
Nee muttalunu nambavachi nadikuraYou act foolishly to make me believe you are innocent
Un mutta kannil rettamuyal pudikuraIn your wide round eyes, you catch red rabbits
Male
Pudava thuvaikum thuraviyapolaeLike an ascetic washing a woman's saree
Muliyaa mulikurenI blink in complete bewilderment
Female :Pulivaal pudicha eliyapolaeLike a mouse holding onto a tiger's tail
Thaviyaa thavikurenI writhe and squirm in agony
Male
Neelangaraiyil kaanaanguruviOn Neelankarai beach, a little sparrow
Thaanaa thavikudhaeStruggles desperately all by itself
Female
Vaanam thirandhu vaiyam kadandhuOpening up the sky, crossing the whole world
Parapom kaatrilaeLet us fly away into the breeze

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song 'Neelangaraiyil' from Pulivaal is a playful, energetic romantic duet featuring witty banter between lovers. The lyrics draw upon quirky daily life metaphors—comparing rising emotions to monthly diesel price hikes, trapped dilemmas to holding a tiger's tail, and contrasting women's steady desires to refrigerated apples against men's melting desires like butter in the hot sun. The song captures the thrill, confusion, and passionate push-and-pull of modern romance set against urban high-tech times.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Upamai (Simile)

Pulivaal pudicha eliyapolae

Compares holding onto a risky love affair to a mouse catching a tiger's tail ('Pulivaal pudicha eliyapolae').

Upamai (Simile)

Fridge-il vaitha apple polae / Veyilil vaitha vennai polae

Compares female desires to a preserved apple in a fridge and male desires to butter melting under the sun.

Edugai (Second-letter rhyme)

Udambilirundhu usura matum / Uruvi uruvi edukadhae

Rhyming of second consonant 'da' in consecutive lines ('Udambilirundhu' / 'Uruvi uruvi').

Monaif (Alliteration / First-letter harmony)

Pattaa potta thanga katti / Pattaam poochi potta kutti

Matching starting letters 'P' across phrases ('Pattaa', 'Pattaam', 'Pondati').

Did you know?

Trivia

Pulivaal (2014) is a Tamil comedy thriller directed by Marimuthu, starring Vimal and Prasanna. The song 'Neelangaraiyil' features music composed by N. R. Raghunanthan with lyrics written by Vairamuthu. The title 'Pulivaal' translates literally to 'Tiger's Tail', symbolizing getting stuck in a situation that is dangerous to hold onto but impossible to let go.

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