- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singers
- Vasundhara Das, Pravin Mani
- Music director
- A. R. Rahman
- Movie name
- Mudhalvan
- Movie release year
- 1999
- Lyrics added on
- 1 Jun 2017
Lyrics & meaning
♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Shakalaka baby shakalaka baby
Shakalaka baby shakalaka baby
Paara raa ra baa…aaaaa…ohoooo..
Shakalaka baby shakalaka baby
Lookku vida thonalaiyaa
Shakalaka baby shakalaka baby
Love panna thonalaiyaa
No no no no no no no no no no no
No no no no no no no no no no no
No no no no no no no no no no no
No no no no no no no no no no no
Shakalaka baby shakalaka baby
Lookku vida thonalaiyaa
Shakalaka baby shakalaka baby
Love panna thonalaiyaa
No no no no no no no no no no no
No no no no no no no no no no no
Vaarthai yendru sollivizhum
Rojaa ondrai veesi paaru
Shaiyo shaiyo shaiyo shaiyo
No no no no no no no no no no no
No no no no no no no no no no no
Papapa papapapapa bayam yenna
Thathatha thathathathatha thadai yenna
Ullaththil ulladhu ellaam
Letter ondril pottaal yenna
No no no no no no no no no no no
No no no no no no no no no no no
Yeh shakalaka baby shakalaka baby
Lookku vida thonalaiyaa
Shakalaka baby shakalaka baby
Love panna thonalaiyaa
Incircle incircle incircle
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
Kadarkaraiyil sudum veyil tharaiyil
Pagal pannirandil sandhithiruppom
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oru coca colavil rendu kuzhalgallittu
Saayangaalam varai kudithiruppom
No no no no no no no no no no no
No no no no no no no no no no no
En sattai mela icecream koottipo
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Adhai thudaikkindra saakkil ennai thottuppo
Shai yaiyai yaiyai yaiyai yaiyyaa
Fridayil templekku koottittuppo
Saturdayil discotheque koottittuppo
Sundayil titanic koottittuppo koottittuppo
Na na na na na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na na na na na
Yeh shakalaka baby shakalaka baby
Lookku vida thonalaiyaa
Yeh karobaa…
Shakalaka baby shakalaka baby
Love panna thonalaiyaa
No no no no no no no no no no no
No no no no no no no no no no no
Female :Yei yei yei yei…..
Naan pennaanadhum nee aanaanadhum
Yen yekku dhujae kae liyae
Kitta vaa yekku dhujae yekku dhujae
Yekku dhujae kae liyae
Yekku dhujae yekku dhujae
Yekku dhujae kae liyae
No no no no no no no no no no no
No no no no no no no no no no no
Kissaan dhoosa bhisaa
Hakkaa rambhaa
Hey hey hey hey
Yennaangadaa aachu ungalukku
Male :Ooooo…oooo….
Pengalai verupavanaa
Nee irubhadhil mudhiyavanaa
Indiraththin kadaikkuttiyaa
Shaiyo horae…
Aasai innum varavillaiyaa
Nee meesai vaitha chedi kodiyaa
Haahaahaaha
Kimuvil pirandhavanaa shaiyo horae…
Lovela vizhundhu
Lifela yezhundhu
Aanghal dhaadi vechom podhum podhum
Ponnunga padippil
Adhigam jeyikka
Naanga kotta vittom kotta vittom
Lovela layichaa lovela layichaa
Vaazhkkai odi vidum odi vidum
Lifela jeyichaa lifela jeyichaa
Ponnunga thedivarum odi varum
Ya shakalaka baby shakalaka baby
Lookku vida thonalaiyaa
Shakalaka baby shakalaka baby
Love panna thonalaiyae
Ya shakalaka baby shakalaka baby
Love panna thonalaiyaa
{I don’t want i don’t want i don’t want to love
I don’t want i don’t want i don’t want to lose} (2)
Hey poyaa adios sum ego
Shakalaka baby, shakalaka baby
Shakalaka baby, shakalaka baby
Pa ra ra ra pa... aaaa... ohooo...
Shakalaka baby, shakalaka baby
Don't you feel like checking me out?
Shakalaka baby, shakalaka baby
Don't you feel like falling in love?
No no no no no no no no no no no
No no no no no no no no no no no
No no no no no no no no no no no
No no no no no no no no no no no
Shakalaka baby, shakalaka baby
Don't you feel like checking me out?
Shakalaka baby, shakalaka baby
Don't you feel like falling in love?
No no no no no no no no no no no
No no no no no no no no no no no
In place of spoken words,
try tossing a rose and see!
Shaiyo shaiyo shaiyo shaiyo
No no no no no no no no no no no
No no no no no no no no no no no
Pa-pa-pa pa-pa-pa-pa, what is there to fear?
Tha-tha-tha tha-tha-tha-tha, what is holding you back?
Everything that is in your heart,
why not put it down in a letter?
No no no no no no no no no no no
No no no no no no no no no no no
Hey shakalaka baby, shakalaka baby
Don't you feel like checking me out?
Shakalaka baby, shakalaka baby
Don't you feel like falling in love?
Encircle, encircle, encircle
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
On the beach, on the scorching hot sand,
let us meet at twelve noon.
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Putting two straws into one Coca-Cola,
we could sip it together until evening.
No no no no no no no no no no no
No no no no no no no no no no no
Spill some ice cream on my shirt,
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
and touch me on the excuse of wiping it away!
Shai yai yai yai yai ya
Take me to the temple on Friday!
Take me to the discotheque on Saturday!
Take me to Titanic on Sunday, take me along!
Na na na na na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na na na na na
Hey shakalaka baby, shakalaka baby
Don't you feel like checking me out?
Hey garoba...
Shakalaka baby, shakalaka baby
Don't you feel like falling in love?
No no no no no no no no no no no
No no no no no no no no no no no
Female: Hey hey hey hey...
Me being born a woman and you a man,
isn't it made for each other?
Come closer, for each other, for each other,
made for each other!
For each other, for each other,
made for each other!
No no no no no no no no no no no
No no no no no no no no no no no
Kissan dhoosa pisa
Hakka ramba
Hey hey hey hey
Guys, what on earth happened to you?
Male: Oooo... ooo...
Are you someone who hates women?
Are you an old man at twenty?
Are you the pampered youngest child of Indra?
Shaiyo hore...
Has desire not awakened in you yet?
Are you an unfeeling plant with a moustache?
Hahahaha
Were you born before Christ? Shaiyo hore...
Falling in love,
and getting ruined in life,
we men grew beards in grief—enough is enough!
While girls in their studies
succeeded more and more,
we just stayed dazed and lost our chances!
If you get lost in love, lost in love,
life will just slip away, slip away!
If you succeed in life, succeed in life,
girls will come searching and running to you!
Yeah, shakalaka baby, shakalaka baby
Don't you feel like checking me out?
Shakalaka baby, shakalaka baby
I don't feel like falling in love!
Yeah, shakalaka baby, shakalaka baby
Don't you feel like falling in love?
{I don't want, I don't want, I don't want to love,
I don't want, I don't want, I don't want to lose} (x2)
Hey, get lost! Adios amigos!
Female
Chorus
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Female
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Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
'Shakalaka Baby' from the 1999 political thriller film 'Mudhalvan' is a vibrant, western-infused pop track that captures a playful battle of the sexes between modern youth. The song features young women teasing a group of career-focused, reticent men, urging them to drop their reservations, express romantic feelings, and go on dates. The women propose trendy youth activities of the late 90s, such as sharing a Coca-Cola, visiting discotheques, going to the movies, and writing love letters, while taunting the men for acting like ancient ascetic old souls.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Rhyme / Ethukai (Monai and Ethukai)
“Lovela vizhundhu / Lifela yezhundhu”
The second letter rhyme standard in Tamil poetry is used in lines like 'vizhundhu' / 'ezhundhu', creating rhythmic musicality.
Metaphor / Humor
“Nee meesai vaitha chedi kodiyaa”
A humorous metaphor comparing a young man with a moustache who lacks romantic interest to a plant or creeper that happened to grow a moustache.
Code-mixing / Tanglish
“Lookku vida thonalaiyaa / Love panna thonalaiyaa”
Extensive blending of English modern colloquial phrases ('Lookku vida', 'Love panna') with Tamil verbs to reflect urban late-90s youth culture.
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed by A. R. Rahman with lyrics by Vairamuthu and sung by Vasundhara Das, Pravin Mani, and Suchitra, 'Shakalaka Baby' became a massive pop culture phenomenon across India. The track was so wildly popular internationally that A. R. Rahman re-used and adapted it for the West End musical 'Bombay Dreams' produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber in 2002.
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