- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
- Music director
- Vijay Anand
- Movie name
- Naan Adimai Illai
- Movie release year
- 1986
- Lyrics added on
- 31 May 2019
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
The song 'Oru Jeevan Thaan' from 'Naan Adimai Illai' (1986) portrays the raw grief, betrayal, and rebellious frustration of a man heartbroken by social disparity and a failed marriage. Beginning with sentimental nostalgia about eternal bonds and restless memories, the song abruptly shifts into bitter laughter and sarcastic outbursts as the protagonist drinks to numb his pain. He fiercely attacks class divides, declaring that rich and poor are parallel lines that can never truly merge without crumbling like sandcastles. As the narrative unfolds, he vehemently rejects the idea of being bought or controlled by wealthy in-laws, asserting his pride with the titular sentiment 'Naan yaarukkum adimai illai' (I am a slave to no one). He mocks marriage as a mere business transaction for the affluent and sarcastically crowns alcohol as his new wife. Through a mix of tragic nostalgia and drunken defiance, Vairamuthu's lyrics capture the emotional breakdown of a proud man pushed to the edge by societal rejection.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Ethugai (Second Letter Assonance)
“Kattil sondham ennai kaivittathu / Thottil sondham ennai thodargindrathu”
The second consonant 'tt' (ட்) in 'Kattil' and 'Thottil' creates an Ethugai rhyme, contrasting marital intimacy with maternal duty.
Iyaipu (End Rhyme)
“Pirithaalum piriyaathathu / Kalaithaalum kalaiyaathathu”
The lines end with the identical rhythmic suffix '-aalum ...aathathu', establishing an elegant melancholic cadence.
Monai (Initial Letter Alliteration)
“Mani maaligai un veedu than / Maanjolaiyil enn koodu than”
The initial 'Ma' (மா) sound is repeated in 'Mani' and 'Maanjolaiyil', adding melodic flow.
Muran (Antithesis / Contrast)
“Keezhvargam melvargam / Inaiyaadha iru kodugal”
Pits 'Keezhvargam' (lower class) against 'Melvargam' (upper class), visually comparing social stratifications to non-intersecting parallel lines.
Metaphor
“Madhu than manaiviii / Ini en vazkhai thunaivi”
The singer metaphorically addresses liquor ('Madhu') as his wife and lifelong companion in his state of disillusionment.
Did you know?
Trivia
'Naan Adimai Illai' (1986), directed by Dwarkish, was notably the last film in which Rajinikanth and Sridevi starred together as lead actors. The music for the film was composed by Vijay Anand. This song, 'Oru Jeevan Thaan', rendered masterfully by S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, features Rajinikanth performing in his trademark dramatic 'drunk acting' style, effortlessly interweaving tragic singing with spoken dialogue, laughter, and cynical commentary written by lyricist Vairamuthu.
Keep listening
Songs with a similar feeling
From the same album
More songs from Naan Adimai Illai
View albumSpot an issue?
Help us improve the lyrics or English translation.