- Lyricist
- Vaali
- Singer
- T. M. Soundararajan
- Music director
- Shankar Ganesh
- Movie name
- Idhaya Veenai
- Movie release year
- 1972
- Lyrics added on
- 4 Dec 2020
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
The song 'Oru vaalumillae naalu kaalumillae' serves as a sharp moral critique of human hypocrisy and deceit in modern society. The singer observes that wild animals in the forest are predictable and follow their natural instincts—a dog bites, a donkey kicks, and a fox tricks. In contrast, wicked human beings act like unpredictable beasts without physical tails or four legs, concealing their malice behind civilized appearances.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (உருவகம்)
“Oru vaalumillae naalu kaalumillae / Sila mirugam irukkudhu oorukkullae”
Compares deceitful, wicked human beings in society to wild beasts without tails or four legs.
Monai (மோனை - Alliteration)
“Paavam oridam pazhighal oridam”
The initial letter 'Paa' is repeated in 'Paavam' and 'pazhighal', creating a rhythmic flow.
Iyaipu (இயைபு - End Rhyme)
“Yendhendha naerathil kadippaan / Ivan yendhendha vaelaiyil udhaippaan”
Both consecutive lines end with matching rhyming suffixes ('kadippaan' and 'udhaippaan').
Muran (முரண் - Antithesis/Contrast)
“Anbu mazhalaiyil vanjamillaiyae... Valarndha pin adhu pol illai”
Contrasts the inherent purity and innocence of childhood with the deceitful nature people acquire as adults.
Did you know?
Trivia
This iconic song is from the 1972 Tamil movie 'Idhaya Veenai' starring M. G. Ramachandran (MGR), Manjula, and Lakshmi. The music was composed by the duo Shankar-Ganesh, sung by T. M. Soundararajan, with lyrics penned by Vaali. The song exemplifies MGR's signature screen persona, blending philosophical life lessons and social commentary with political messaging.
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