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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Pudikkiren Kottaiyai

From Sivappu Nila · 1985

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
Malaysia Vasudevan
Music director
Shankar Ganesh
Details
Sivappu Nila1985

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Pudikkiraen kottaiyai paarungadaaI am going to capture the fort, look here, guys!
Pudichchathum kumbida vaarungadaaOnce I capture it, come and bow down to me!
Undaachchu thaanaa sangeetha nyaanamMusical knowledge came to me automatically.
Saaraayam thaandaa namma haei santhosha paanamLiquor is indeed our drink of happiness, hey!
Male
Pudikkiraen kottaiyai paarungadaaI am going to capture the fort, look here, guys!
Pudichchathum kumbida vaarungadaaOnce I capture it, come and bow down to me!
Undaachchu thaanaa sangeetha nyaanamMusical knowledge came to me automatically.
Saaraayam thaandaa namma haei santhosha paanamLiquor is indeed our drink of happiness, hey!
Male
Machchaana kettaen kaaveri thanniI asked my brother-in-law for Cauvery water.
Maattaennu sonnaan pidivaathaam panniHe stubbornly refused to give it.
Asalooril odum krishnaavin thanniKrishna river water flows in another region.
Madrass-yil paayaa naalaagum thambiIt will take days to flow into Madras, brother.
Male
Thaagam theera vera vazhiyaeyillaiThere is no other way to quench my thirst.
Idhaiththaan vittaa verae kadhiyae illaiIf I leave this, there is no other refuge.
Naanenna seiyattum adhanaalathaanWhat can I do? That is why...
Pudikkiraen kottaiyai paarungadaaI am going to capture the fort, look here, guys!
Male
Pudikkiraen kottaiyai paarungadaaI am going to capture the fort, look here, guys!
Pudichchathum kumbida vaarungadaaOnce I capture it, come and bow down to me!
Undaachchu thaanaa sangeetha nyaanamMusical knowledge came to me automatically.
Saaraayam thaandaa namma haei santhosha paanamLiquor is indeed our drink of happiness, hey!
Male
Yaedhetho sarkka theriyaama kudichchiUnknowingly drinking various illicit spirits,
Yaezhainga paavam seththaanga thudichchiPoor needy people died twitching in pain.
Arasaangam paaththu eduththaachchu thadaiyaSeeing this, the government lifted the prohibition ban.
Ozhunkaaga kudikka thoranthaachchu kadaiyaThey opened shops so people can drink in an orderly way!
Male
Kudichchaa ippo illa avamaanamthaanNow drinking is no longer a disgrace.
Yaaraarukko nalla varumaanamthaanIt generates good income for so many people.
Naan kooda kudichnedaa adhanaaththaanEven I have taken a drink, that is why...
Pudikkiren kottaiyai paarungadaaI am going to capture the fort, look here, guys!
Male
Pudikkiraen kottaiyai paarungadaaI am going to capture the fort, look here, guys!
Pudichchathum kumbida vaarungadaaOnce I capture it, come and bow down to me!
Undaachchu thaanaa sangeetha nyaanamMusical knowledge came to me automatically.
Saaraayam thaandaa namma haei santhosha paanamLiquor is indeed our drink of happiness, hey!
Male
Yaezhaikku naalum yaeraalam kavalaiPoor people have endless worries every day.
Athaithaanae theerkkum saaraaya kuvalaiThe glass of liquor is what solves them!
Mael mattam onnu keezh mattam onnuThere is an upper class and a lower class,
Kudikaran aanaa ellaamae onnuBut if you become a drunkard, everyone is equal!
Male
Pala saathinga konda samuthaayamaeA society filled with many castes,
Oru saathiyaa maaththum saaraayamaeLiquor turns it into a single caste!
Idhuthaandaa podhu needhi athanaalaththaanThis is common justice, my friend, and that is why...
Male
Pudikkiraen kottaiyai paarungadaaI am going to capture the fort, look here, guys!
Pudichchathum kumbida vaarungadaaOnce I capture it, come and bow down to me!
Undaachchu thaanaa sangeetha nyaanamMusical knowledge came to me automatically.
Saaraayam thaandaa namma haei santhosha paanamLiquor is indeed our drink of happiness, hey!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Pudikkiraen Kottaiyai from the 1985 movie Sivappu Nila is a satirical, high-energy track composed by Shankar Ganesh, written by Vaali, and sung in Malaysia Vasudevan's signature expressive style. In the song, a protagonist under the influence of liquor humorously boasts about capturing power while making witty observations about societal issues, water scarcity, government policies, and social class structure. Vaali cleverly weaves contemporary political and social commentaries into a upbeat song. He touches upon real-world issues such as the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu Cauvery water dispute, the delay in bringing Krishna river water to Chennai, illicit liquor deaths, the state's lifting of prohibition, and how liquor ironically acts as a social equalizer across caste and economic divisions.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Ethukai (Second Letter Rhyme)

Pudikkiraen kottaiyai paarungadaa / Pudichchathum kumbida vaarungadaa

The second letter 'di' (டி) matches across lines, creating rhythmic continuity.

Iyaibu (End Rhyme)

Machchaana kettaen kaaveri thanni / Maattaennu sonnaan pidivaathaam panni

The lines end with matching rhyming words 'thanni' and 'panni'.

Social Satire / Irony

Pala saathinga konda samuthaayamae / Oru saathiyaa maaththum saaraayamae

The lyricist satirically remarks that alcohol achieves social equality across caste and class lines faster than social reform.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song directly references real contemporary 1980s events in Tamil Nadu, including interstate water sharing disputes over the Cauvery river, the Krishna River Water Supply Scheme (Telugu Ganga Project) to supply drinking water to Madras, and the Tamil Nadu government's policy changes surrounding state-run alcohol sales.

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