Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Oda Oda Oda Dhooram

From Mayakkam Enna · 2011

Lyricist
Dhanush
Singer
Dhanush
Music director
G. V. Prakash Kumar
Details
Mayakkam Enna2011

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Oda oda oda dhooram kuraiyalaAs I keep running and running, the distance doesn't decrease,
Paada paada paada paattum mudiyalaAs I keep singing and singing, the song doesn't end,
Poga poga poga onnum puriyalaAs time goes on, I understand nothing at all,
Aaga motham onnum velangalaOverall, nothing makes any sense.
Male
Free-ah suthum pothu figure illiyaeWhen I was wandering around free, there was no girl around,
Pudicha figure-um ippo free-ah illiyaeAnd the girl I like isn't free right now,
Kaila bat irukku bal-lu illiyaeI have a bat in hand, but there's no ball,
Life poora indha thollaiyaeMy entire life is filled with this endless trouble!
Male
Ulagamae speed-ah odi poguthuThe whole world is running at top speed,
En vandi puncture aayi nikkuthuWhile my vehicle stands still with a puncture,
Mokka piece-um kooda kindal pannuthuEven useless nobodies are making fun of me,
Saami enna bangam pannuthuGod is completely humiliating me.
Male
Crack-ah maarittenI've turned crazy,
Joker aayittenI've become a joker,
Gundu chattiyilaInside a small round pot,
Rendu kuthura vandi otturenI'm riding a two-horse chariot.
Male
Oru beachul-a thaniya alanjen alanjenI wandered alone on a beach,
Nadu rottula azhuthen puranden kizhinjenI cried, rolled around, and broke down in the middle of the road,
Bharam thangala thangala kalutha nan illiyaeI am not a donkey to carry all this heavy burden,
Jaanum yerala yerala molama sarukuranaeI climb an inch, but slip down a cubit!
Male
Crack-ah maarittenI've turned crazy,
Joker ayittenI've become a joker,
Fuse-uu pona pinnSearching for the switch...
Bulb-bu kana switch-a theduren...for a bulb whose fuse is already blown.
Male
Oda oda oda dhooram kuraiyalaAs I keep running and running, the distance doesn't decrease,
Paada paada paada paattum mudiyalaAs I keep singing and singing, the song doesn't end,
Poga poga poga onnum puriyalaAs time goes on, I understand nothing at all,
Aaga motham onnum velangalaOverall, nothing makes any sense.
Male
Meenaa neendhuren neendhurenI keep swimming like a fish,
Kadalum seralayaeYet I never reach the ocean,
Padaga poguren pogurenI keep sailing like a boat,
Karaiyum seralayaeYet I never reach the shore.
Male
Crack-ah maarittenI've turned crazy,
Joker aayitenI've become a joker,
Kelvi kettu kettuAsking questions repeatedly,
Kelvi kuri pola nikkurenI stand helpless like a question mark.
Male
Oda oda oda dhooram kuraiyalaAs I keep running and running, the distance doesn't decrease,
Paada paada paada paattum mudiyalaAs I keep singing and singing, the song doesn't end,
Poga poga poga onnum puriyalaAs time goes on, I understand nothing at all,
Aaga motham onnum velangalaOverall, nothing makes any sense.
Male
Free-ah suthum pothu Chorus : Figure illiyaeWhen I was roaming free, (Chorus:) there was no girl around,
Pudicha figure-um ippo Chorus : Free-ah illiyaeAnd the girl I like, (Chorus:) isn't free right now,
Kaila bat irukku bal-lu illiyaeI have a bat in hand, but there's no ball,
Chorus :Life poora indha thollaiyae(Chorus:) My entire life is filled with this trouble!
Male
Ulagamae speed-ah odi poguthuThe whole world is running at top speed,
En vandi puncture aayi nikkuthuWhile my vehicle stands still with a puncture,
Mokka piece-um kooda kindal pannuthuEven useless nobodies are making fun of me,
Saami enna bangam pannuthuGod is completely humiliating me.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song captures the protagonist's profound existential frustration, mental anguish, and utter lack of direction. Despite putting in effort, he feels like he is moving in circles without making any real progress—a sentiment humorously and tragically expressed through Tamil proverbs like climbing an inch only to slip down a cubit, or riding a carriage inside a small pot. His love life is failing, society mocks him, and he feels completely mocked by fate.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Iyaipu (End Rhyme)

Oda oda oda dhooram kuraiyala / Paada paada paada paattum mudiyala / Poga poga poga onnum puriyala

The lines end with the rhyming sound suffix '-ala' (kuraiyala, mudiyala, puriyala, velangala), creating a rhythmic and melancholic cadence.

Simile (Uvamai)

Kelvi kuri pola nikkuren

The lyricist compares his posture and confused state of mind directly to a question mark ('kelvi kuri pola').

Metaphor / Idiom

Gundu chattiyila rendu kuthura vandi otturen

A variation of a popular Tamil idiom ('Gundu chattiyil kuthirai ottuvadhu') used metaphorically to describe ambitious efforts yielding zero real progress within narrow confines.

Repetition (Adukkuthodar)

Oda oda oda / Paada paada paada / Poga poga poga

Words are repeated consecutively to emphasize continuous, tedious action without positive results.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Oda Oda Dhooram Kuraiyala' is a popular youth anthem from the 2011 psychological drama 'Mayakkam Enna', directed by Selvaraghavan. The lyrics were written by Dhanush, who also performed the vocals alongside the film's music composer, G. V. Prakash Kumar. The track gained wide popularity for its raw, self-deprecating lyrics and heavy usage of contemporary Chennai slang terms like 'bangam', 'mokka piece', and 'figure'.

Keep listening

More from Mayakkam Enna