- Lyricist
- Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass
- Singer
- T. M. Soundararajan
- Music director
- T. R. Pappa
- Movie name
- Rambaiyin Kaadhal
- Movie release year
- 1956
- Lyrics added on
- 31 Aug 2019
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This humorous and satirical folk song uses the metaphor of sheep ('semmari aadu') to mock opportunists and conformists who blindly follow whichever direction is convenient. The singer warns these foolish followers that their true colors will soon fade away like old, decaying palm-leaf manuscripts ('pazhaya yaedugalaa'). Through vivid descriptions of different goats—black sheep with thick horns jumping around, white goats running off quietly, and blunt-horned stubborn sheep staring enviously at those moving ahead—the lyricist delivers a sharp critique of human nature wrapped in playful rural folklore.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uruvam)
“Saayira semmari aadugalaa”
Comparing opportunistic, herd-mentality people to 'semmari aadu' (blindly following sheep) and outdated ideas to 'pazhaya yaedugalaa' (faded manuscripts).
Alliteration (Moonaai)
“Saanjaa saayira pakkamae”
Repetition of the initial 'S' sound creating a rhythmic, swaying effect echoing the word 'Saanjaa' (leaning).
Repetition / Reduplication (Adukku Thodar)
“Muzhichi muzhichi paakkudhu”
Doubling of words ('Muzhichi muzhichi', 'Pazhichi pazhichi') to emphasize continuous action and create rhythmic folk tempo.
Did you know?
Trivia
Rambaiyin Kaadhal (1956) is a classic Tamil fantasy comedy starring P. Bhanumathi and T. R. Ramachandran. The soundtrack was composed by T. R. Pappa, and legendary lyricist Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass was acclaimed for incorporating sharp social commentary and traditional Tamil folk idioms into popular cinema songs.
Keep listening
Songs with a similar feeling
From the same album
More songs from Rambaiyin Kaadhal
View albumSpot an issue?
Help us improve the lyrics or English translation.