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Thullatha Manamum Thullum album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Palapalakkudhu

From Thullatha Manamum Thullum · 1999

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
Gopal Rao
Music director
S. A. Rajkumar
Movie name
Thullatha Manamum Thullum
Movie release year
1999
Lyrics added on
8 Jun 2018

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Thuttu thuttu thuttu thuttu
Male :Oh oh
Chorus :Thuttu thuttu thuttu thuttu
Male :Oh
Palapalakuthu
Chorus :Puthu nottu
Male :Ennai izukkuthu
Chorus :Valai pottu
Male :Currencyil oru
Chorus :Ila pottu
Male :Kai thudaikkanum
Chorus :Puthu nottu
Kashmirai vilai kettu
Chorus: Oyae ooo
Male :Kaasaalae kodiyetru
Chorus :Oyae ooo
Sorgam sendru
Antha kathavu thattu
Visiting card kaattu
Card-a paarthum
Athu thorakkalaiyaa
Gandhi notta neettu
Thuttu thuttu thuttu thuttu
Male :Oh oh
Palapalakuthu
Chorus :Puthu nottu
Male :Ennai izukkuthu
Chorus :Valai pottu
Male :Currencyil oru
Chorus :Ila pottu
Male :Kai thudaikkanum
Chorus :Puthu nottu
Ye ye ye ye yei
Ye ye ye ye yei
Ye ye …………….
Money money money money
Makes many things
Money money money money
Makes many things
Chinna ponungalin
Saittum kodukkum
Pinbu fightum kodukkum
Intha thuttu thuttu
Puthu government
Amaichu kodukkum
Pinbu athaiyum kavukkum
Intha thuttu thuttu
Ulagam enbathu
Urundu odudhu
Thuttu sakkaram maattikittu
Antha vandiyil
Manithan pogiraan
Irandu kannaiyum moodikittu
Hei hei hei hei
{Kaasu thedi povomaa
Ekka sinnakkaa
Karuvil irunthu kaadu varai
Ellaam thuttakka} (2)
Palapalakuthu
Chorus :Puthu nottu
Male :Ennai izukkuthu
Chorus :Valai pottu
Male :Currencyil oru
Chorus :Ila pottu
Male :Kai thudaikkanum
Chorus :Puthu nottu
…………………………………….
Chinna chinna chinna
Nariya pidithu
Oru singathil amarthum
Intha thuttu thuttu
Vatta vatta vatta
Valaiyam pidithu
Athil ottagam nulaikkum
Intha thuttu thuttu
Kallarai moodiyum
Kadhava thirakkumae
Sillarai osaiyai kettu puttu
Jaathi mathamellam
Ozhinji pogumae
Pacha notta thaan paathuputtu
Hei hei hei hei
{Kaasu thedi povomaa
Ekka periyakka
Kayyil kaasu vechirundha
Thappum seriyakka} (2)
Palapalakuthu
Chorus :Puthu nottu
Male :Ennai izukkuthu
Chorus :Valai pottu
Male :Currencyil oru
Chorus :Ila pottu
Male :Kai thudaikkanum
Chorus :Puthu nottu
Kashmirai vilai kettu
Chorus :Oyae ooo
Male :Kaasaalae kodiyetru
Chorus :Oyae ooo
Sorgam sendru
Antha kathavu thattu
Visiting card kaattu
Card-a paarthum
Athu thorakkalaiyaa
Gandhi notta neettu
Thuttu thuttu thuttu thuttu
Male :Oh oh yeah
Chorus :Thuttu thuttu thuttu thuttu
Male :Oh oh yeah
Money, money, money, money!
Male: Oh, oh!
Chorus: Money, money, money, money!
Male: Oh!
It shines so bright,
Chorus: The brand-new cash!
Male: It pulls me in,
Chorus: Casting a net!
Male: Setting a dining leaf
Chorus: Made of currency,
Male: I want to wipe my hands
Chorus: With brand-new cash!
Ask for the price of Kashmir,
Chorus: Oye, oh-oh-oh!
Male: Hoist a flag with money!
Chorus: Oye, oh-oh-oh!
Go up to heaven,
Knock on that door,
And show your visiting card!
Even after seeing the card,
If it doesn't open,
Just hold out a Gandhi note!
Money, money, money, money!
Male: Oh, oh!
It shines so bright,
Chorus: The brand-new cash!
Male: It pulls me in,
Chorus: Casting a net!
Male: Setting a dining leaf
Chorus: Made of currency,
Male: I want to wipe my hands
Chorus: With brand-new cash!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
Yeah, yeah...
Money, money, money, money,
Makes many things!
Money, money, money, money,
Makes many things!
It gets young girls
To check you out,
And then it sparks fights too—
This money, money!
A brand-new government
It can put in power,
And then bring it down too—
This money, money!
This world of ours
Keeps rolling along,
Fitted onto wheels of money!
Riding in that carriage,
Man moves forward,
With both his eyes shut tight!
Hey, hey, hey, hey!
Shall we go in search of money,
Oh younger sister?
From the mother's womb to the graveyard,
Everything is money, dear sister!
It shines so bright,
Chorus: The brand-new cash!
Male: It pulls me in,
Chorus: Casting a net!
Male: Setting a dining leaf
Chorus: Made of currency,
Male: I want to wipe my hands
Chorus: With brand-new cash!
...
A tiny little
Fox it can catch,
And seat on a lion's throne—
This money, money!
Through a round, round
Little hoop,
It can squeeze a camel through—
This money, money!
Even the lid of a grave
Will swing wide open,
At the mere jingle of coins!
All caste and creed
Will fade away,
The moment they see green cash!
Hey, hey, hey, hey!
Shall we go in search of money,
Oh elder sister?
If you have cash in hand,
Even a wrong turns right, sister!
It shines so bright,
Chorus: The brand-new cash!
Male: It pulls me in,
Chorus: Casting a net!
Male: Setting a dining leaf
Chorus: Made of currency,
Male: I want to wipe my hands
Chorus: With brand-new cash!
Ask for the price of Kashmir,
Chorus: Oye, oh-oh-oh!
Male: Hoist a flag with money!
Chorus: Oye, oh-oh-oh!
Go up to heaven,
Knock on that door,
And show your visiting card!
Even after seeing the card,
If it doesn't open,
Just hold out a Gandhi note!
Money, money, money, money!
Male: Oh, oh yeah!
Chorus: Money, money, money, money!
Male: Oh, oh yeah!
Chorus
Male
Male
Male
Chorus
Male
Chorus
Male
Male
Male
Male
Chorus
Male
Chorus
Male
Male
Male
Chorus
Male
Male
Male
Chorus

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

The song 'Thuttu Thuttu' from the 1999 Tamil film 'Thullatha Manamum Thullum' serves as a satirical critique of the overwhelming influence of money on human life and societal values. Written by lyricist Vairamuthu and composed by SA Rajkumar, the song humorously describes how wealth controls everything—from political governments and romantic relationships to moral standards and religious/caste barriers. Through hyperbole, the lyrics suggest that money can buy anything, seat a fox on a lion's throne, or even open the gates of heaven with a 'Gandhi note'. The song highlights humanity's blind pursuit of material wealth from birth to death.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Hyperbole (Atisayokti)

Gandhi notta neettu

Exaggerated imagery used for comedic and dramatic effect, such as bribing heaven's gates with currency or placing a fox atop a lion.

Metaphor (Rupaka)

Thuttu sakkaram maattikittu Antha vandiyil Manithan pogiraan

Comparing money to a wheel ('Thuttu sakkaram') attached to the vehicle of human existence.

Ethirai (Second-letter Assonance)

Karuvil irunthu kaadu varai / Ellaam thuttakka

Rhyming scheme where the second letter matches across lines for rhythmic flow (e.g., 'Karuvil' and 'Ellaam', 'Kayyil' and 'Thappum').

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by SA Rajkumar for the blockbuster film 'Thullatha Manamum Thullum' starring Vijay and Simran, the song prominently features the term 'Gandhi nottu' (Gandhi note). This was a timely cultural reference to the Mahatma Gandhi Series bank notes introduced by the Reserve Bank of India in 1996, which had recently become iconic across India.

Keep listening

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