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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Oorellaam Kekkudhey

From Thodari · 2016

Lyricist
Yugabharathi
Singers
Shreya Ghoshal, Marie Roe
Music director
D. Imman
Details
Thodari2016

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Aaaaa….aaaa…aaa..aaa..Aaaaa....aaaa...aaa..aaa..
Aaaaa…aaaa……aaaaaa….aaa…Aaaaa...aaaa......aaaaaa....aaa...
Female
Oorellam ketkudhaeThe whole town hears
En paattuthaanMy song alone
Kuyil ellaam pogudhaeAll the cuckoos go by
Thalai aattithaanNodding their heads in approval
Female
Thendral isai aagudhaeThe gentle breeze turns into music
Pookkal jadhi solludhaeThe flowers recite the rhythmic beats
Aarellaam raagamaai odudhaeAll the rivers flow like melodious tunes
Megangal thazhamthaan podudhaeThe clouds tap to the rhythm
Female
Oorellam ketkudhaeThe whole town hears
En paattuthaanMy song alone
Kuyil ellaam pogudhaeAll the cuckoos go by
Thalai aattithaanNodding their heads in approval
Female
Kaalai ezhundhaalUpon waking up in the morning
Paadal padhivuA song recording session
Maalai muzhudhumThroughout the entire evening
Medai nigazhvuA stage performance
Female
Ennudaiya paadal kelaamalWithout listening to my song
Orr uyirum thoonga pogaadhuNot a single living soul will go to sleep
Female
Ennudaiya perai sollaamalWithout announcing my name
Vanozhiyilum paadal podadhuEven the radio will not play a song
Female
En isai kettu palagaamalWithout getting accustomed to my music
Virudhae kidayaadhuNo awards will ever be conferred
En kural ketka marandhaalaeIf people forget to hear my voice
Uzhagae vidiyaadhuThe world itself will fail to dawn
Female
Oorellam ketkudhaeThe whole town hears
En paattuthaanMy song alone
Kuyil ellaam pogudhaeAll the cuckoos go by
Thalai aattithaanNodding their heads in approval
Chorus
…………………………………………..................................
Female
Aaa..haa..gaana kuyilaaiAh... ha... like a singing cuckoo
Paadi parakkaTo sing and fly around
Maakya mangalil adichi puzhikaTo make a splash and excel in mega-cities
Female
Nenu unna poster lae okkaIf I am featured on a movie poster
Theater lo everu undaruNo one will remain inside the theater
Naukka asasualu pondanaeOnce movie tickets are obtained
Ve v dena kukae chudadhuNot even a dog will look anywhere else
Female
Mera sundharu chahera thoMy beautiful face
Stamp ban jayaeShould become a postage stamp
Mera income taxThe income tax I pay
Desh ka karza mitzayae hai..haieee…Will wipe out the nation's entire debt!
Female
Every body all aroundEverybody all around
Listens to my songListens to my song
Birds in the tree’sBirds in the trees
Whistle it along..Whistle it along..
Female
Wazee winds blow aroundWheezy winds blow around
To my beat flowers are boundTo my beat flowers are bound
Rivers rolls singing my lullaby…aaaa….Rivers roll singing my lullaby...
Clouds drifts to my rhythm in the sky..aaeeiiiClouds drift to my rhythm in the sky...
Rivers rolls singing my lullaby…aaaa….aaRivers roll singing my lullaby...
Clouds drifts to my rhythm in the sky..aaeeiii….Clouds drift to my rhythm in the sky...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

'Oorellam Ketkudhae' from the film Thodari (2016) is a theatrical and humorous song of grand self-aggrandizement. The protagonist playfully boasts about an unmatched musical genius, asserting that all of nature—from gentle breezes and flowers to flowing rivers and drifting clouds—syncs effortlessly to their rhythm. The lyrics playfully claim that radio channels, award ceremonies, and even the daily sunrise depend entirely on their singing. Blending Tamil with comical fragments of Telugu, Hindi, and English, the track parodies the extreme hubris of an aspiring mega-star. The overall tone is lighthearted, energetic, and satirical, celebrating creative vanity through exuberant imagery.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Hyperbole

En kural ketka marandhaalae / Uzhagae vidiyaadhu

Extremely exaggerated claims used for comedic effect, asserting that the dawn will not occur if people do not listen to the singer's voice.

Personification

Pookkal jadhi solludhae / Megangal thazhamthaan podudhae

Attributing human actions to elements of nature, such as flowers reciting beats (jadhi) and clouds keeping rhythm (thalam).

Monai and Ethirai (Tamil Rhyme Schemes)

Kaalai ezhundhaal / Paadal padhivu / Maalai muzhudhum / Medai nigazhvu

Syllabic rhyming and initial letter matching in consecutive lines creating a rhythmic cadence.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Oorellam Ketkudhae' is composed by D. Imman with lyrics by Yugabharathi for the Dhanush and Keerthy Suresh starrer 'Thodari' (2016). The song uniquely incorporates broken snippets of multiple languages (Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and English) to emphasize the character's over-the-top, eccentric global aspirations.

Keep listening

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