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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Oliyum Oliyum

From Comali · 2019

Lyricist
Kabilan Vairamuthu
Singers
Sathya Narayanan, Ajay Krishna
Music director
Hiphop Tamizha
Details
Comali2019

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Chorus
Tagudagu tagudagu tagudagu tagudaguTagudagu tagudagu tagudagu tagudagu
Tagudagu tagudagu tagadam taaTagudagu tagudagu tagadam taa
Tagudagu tagudagu tagudagu tagudaguTagudagu tagudagu tagudagu tagudagu
Tagudagu tagudagu tagadam taaTagudagu tagudagu tagadam taa
Male
Oru oliyum oliyum paakaTo watch the show Oliyum Oliyum
Annaikku ooru kooduchaeBack in those days, the whole village gathered together
Ippo channela maathi maathiyaeNow, by constantly changing channels
Namma oravu andhuduchaeOur relationships have broken apart
Male
Super staru jodi ellamAll the heroines paired with the Superstar
Paati aayiruchaeHave now become grandmothers
Ippo pethi ellaam valandhu vandhuNow all their granddaughters have grown up
Jodi serndhuruchaeAnd become pairs on screen
Chorus
Tagudagu tagudagu tagudagu tagudaguTagudagu tagudagu tagudagu tagudagu
Tagudagu tagudagu tagadam taaTagudagu tagudagu tagadam taa
Tagudagu tagudagu tagudagu tagudaguTagudagu tagudagu tagudagu tagudagu
Tagudagu tagudagu tagadam taaTagudagu tagudagu tagadam taa
Male
Javvu mittaai watchu kattiWearing a watch made of pull-candy
Kaalam pochu annikkuTime passed happily in those nostalgic days
BP sugar-a watchil paathuChecking blood pressure and sugar on smartwatches
Vaazhka pochu innaikkuLife passes away stressfully nowadays
Male
Emmadhamumsammadham nuSaying all religions are equal
Solli thandhiyaeYou taught us that back then
Sammadhaththa paadhiyila maathikitiyaeBut you changed that tolerance halfway through
Male
Oooh…Oooh...
Koyilukkul aandavana paatha aalathaanThe same person who saw God inside the temple
Un kalagathukku adiyaala korthuvitiyaeYou roped him in as a henchman for political disputes
Male
Thagudhi illa tharuthalaikkumEven an incompetent, useless fellow
Thimiru irukkudhuHolds so much arrogance now
Tamil naatula pozhaikkanumnaIf one wants to earn a living in Tamil Nadu
Odambu valikkudhuThe body aches with hard labor
Male
Nadar kada nair kadaIn Nadar tea shops and Nair tea shops
Ella edathilumEverywhere you look today
Nagaland um mizoram umMigrants from Nagaland and Mizoram
Vela seiyudhaeAre working tirelessly
Male
Oru oliyum oliyum paakaTo watch the show Oliyum Oliyum
Annaikku ooru kooduchaeBack in those days, the whole village gathered together
Ippo channela maathi maathiyaeNow, by constantly changing channels
Namma oravu andhuduchaeOur relationships have broken apart
Male
Super staru jodi ellamAll the heroines paired with the Superstar
Paati aayiruchaeHave now become grandmothers
Ippo pethi ellaam valandhu vandhuNow all their granddaughters have grown up
Jodi serndhuruchaeAnd become pairs on screen
Chorus
Mottaiyum mottaiyum sendhuchaamTwo bald heads met together
Murunga marathula erichaamClimbed up a drumstick tree
Katta erumbu kadichuchaamA big black ant bit them
Kaalu kaalu-nu kathuchaanAnd they screamed, 'My leg, my leg!'
Male
Ohhh ..annaiku 90’s kiduOh, back then the 90s kid
Cd -yil paarthaWatched adult content secretly on CDs
Chorus :Kasamusa kasamusadaaChorus: Whispering and secretive content
Male : Innaiku 2k kiduMale: Today's 2K kid
Tiktokil paarthu sick aagiGets addicted to TikTok videos
Kedakudhu paarAnd lies around helplessly, look!
Male
Roadhudhaan podattumLet new roads be built
Chorus :OhoooChorus: Ohooo
Male :Naadu dhaan marattumMale: Let the country progress
Chorus :AahaaChorus: Aahaa
Male :Vivasayam pannithaanMale: Only through active farming
Vivasaayi vaazhattumMay the farmer live well
Chorus :Adhu ….Chorus: That's right...
Male
Theeyaama veguraWithout burning
Aayavin dosaiyaaLike grandma's perfectly cooked dosa
Bhoomiyae aagattumMay the entire Earth prosper
Ellarum nalla irukattumMay everyone live happily
Chorus
Dang dang yaaradhu…Dang dang, who is that...
Peyadhu..It's a ghost..
Enna venum…What do you want...
Color venum…I want color...
Enna color..What color?
Pacha color..Green color..
Enna pachcha..What green?
Maa pachcha…Mango leaf green...
Enna maa…What 'maa'?
Cinema…Cinema...
Dang dang dang dang ennamaa…Dang dang dang dang, what 'maa'?
Ungammaa…heyyyYour mother! Heyyy
Male
Oru oliyum oliyum paakaTo watch the show Oliyum Oliyum
Annaikku ooru kooduchaeBack in those days, the whole village gathered together
Chorus :KooduchaeChorus: Gathered together
Male :Ippo channela maathi maathiyaeMale: Now, by constantly changing channels
Namma oravu andhuduchaeOur relationships have broken apart
Chorus :AndhuduchaeChorus: Broken apart
Male
Super staru jodi ellamSuperstar's heroines of back then
Paati aayiruchaeHave become grandmothers today
Chorus :AayiruchaeChorus: Become grandmothers
Male :Ippo pethi ellaam valandhu vandhuMale: Now their granddaughters have grown up
Jodi serndhuruchaeAnd paired up on screen as heroines
Chorus :SerndhuruchaeChorus: Joined as pairs
Male
20thu varusathulaIn twenty long years
Ithana nadanthuruchaeSo many things have changed
Thoonginom mulichu paathaWe slept and when we opened our eyes
Ulagamae maariduchaeThe whole world had transformed!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song 'Oliyum Oliyum' from the movie Comali (2019) is a witty, nostalgic, and socio-cultural commentary on how life in Tamil Nadu changed dramatically over two decades (1999 to 2019). It directly reflects the premise of the film, in which the protagonist wakes up after a 20-year coma. Lyricist Kabilan Vairamuthu and composer Hiphop Tamizha contrast the simple, communal warmth of the 1990s—where entire villages gathered around Doordarshan's 'Oliyum Oliyum' and kids enjoyed edible candy watches—with the modern 2K era dominated by smartwatches, hyper-connectivity, social media addiction, and fragmented personal relationships. Beyond simple nostalgia, the song touches upon political shifts, religious tolerance, modern work culture, labor migration, and modern media consumption. Through playful street games, nursery rhymes, and sharp satire, it celebrates childhood memories while expressing a heartfelt wish for a peaceful world, agricultural prosperity, and genuine human connection.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Antithesis (Juxtaposition)

Javvu mittaai watchu katti / BP sugar-a watchil paathu

Contrasts the innocent childhood memory of wearing a candy watch ('Javvu mittaai watchu') with the stressful adult reality of checking health stats on a smartwatch ('BP sugar-a watchil paathu').

Monai (Initial Alliteration)

Mottaiyum mottaiyum sendhuchaam / Murunga marathula erichaam

Repetition of the initial letter 'Mo' in 'Mottaiyum' and 'Murunga' across the lines.

Folk Rhyme / Call-and-Response

Dang dang yaaradhu… / Peyadhu..

Incorporation of classic 90s Tamil street game rhymes ('Dang dang yaaradhu...') to evoke nostalgia and rhythm.

Metaphor

Theeyaama vegura / Aayavin dosaiyaa / Bhoomiyae aagattum

Comparing a well-nurtured, peaceful earth to a grandmother's perfectly cooked dosa that isn't burnt.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song title 'Oliyum Oliyum' directly references the iconic weekly Tamil television program broadcast on Doordarshan (DD Podhigai) during the 1980s and 1990s, which was the primary source of film song video compilations before satellite TV exploded in Tamil Nadu. The movie 'Comali' revolves around a protagonist played by Jayam Ravi who wakes up in 2019 after being in a coma since 1999, making this track the central thematic anthem of the film.

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