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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Sokka Irundha Namma Ooru

From Idumbankaari · 2023

Lyricist
Viky
Singer
Raakesh Maringanti
Music director
Karthick Harsha
Details
Idumbankaari2023

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Shokka iruntha namma ooruOur town, which used to be so grand and splendid,
Ippo baekka maripuduchaamHas now turned foolish and stupid, it seems.
Pattapatti trouser melaOver simple checked boxer shorts,
Jockey label otturaanHe sticks a Jockey brand label.
Male
Kaaikari kadainga koodaEven the local vegetable shops
Corporate mayama maarumAre turning into corporate entities.
Kaiyendhi bhavanum ippoEven the roadside food stalls now
Company brand ah maarumAre transforming into company brands.
Male
Thanni thaagamunu kaettaIf you ask for water because you are thirsty,
Bottle kasukku koduppaanHe sells it in a bottle for money.
Panja bhoothatha adakkiBy controlling and commodifying the five elements of nature,
Chorus :Galla kattu katraanChorus: He accumulates vast amounts of money.
Male
Ponnu velayura bhoomiThe fertile land that yields gold-like crops,
Soru podum namma saamiOur god that feeds us rice,
Ella velachalaiyum pudungiStripping away all the agricultural harvest,
Chorus :Packet pottu vikkuraanChorus: He packages and sells it.
Male
Iranooru varushama irunthomFor two hundred years we lived
Adimai vaazhkaiyappaIn a life of slavery, oh brother.
Ippo kooda antha nilamaEven today, that very plight
Chorus :Pazhaghi pochu eppaChorus: Has become something we are accustomed to.
Chorus
Hey hey hey heyHey hey hey hey
Male
Etta uyarathula irukkuAt an unreachable height,
Petrol diesel vela namakkuIs the price of petrol and diesel for us.
Patraakorai thaan ada edhukkuWhy is there such a shortage and hardship?
Chorus :Kaasu panamthaan ippo namakkuChorus: Money and wealth are all that matter now.
Male
Enga pochu namma sattamWhere did our system of law go?
Ellam orutharoda thittamEverything is a single person's hidden agenda.
Thatti kettu neeyum ninnaIf you stand up and question this injustice,
Chorus :Kambikulla unna adaikkumChorus: They will lock you up behind bars.
Male
Vaakku ketavanga ellamAll those politicians who came begging for votes
Potti vaangikittu irukaanAre now accepting suitcases full of bribes.
Voteu poatta sanam ellamAnd all the common people who voted for them
Chorus :Panja pasiyil methappanChorus: Are left floating in extreme hunger and poverty.
Male
Multiplex ah thaan thoranthaanHe opened fancy multiplex cinema halls,
Namma sambalatha thaan karachaanAnd drained away our hard-earned salary.
Tentu kotta va izhuthu mooda thaanTo pull down the shutters on old local tent theatres,
Chorus :Makka vayithil adichaanChorus: He struck directly at the livelihoods of the common people.
Male
Azugha thodaikka tissue eduthahIf you take a tissue paper to wipe your tears,
Avanga label otti irukkumEven on that, their brand label will be stuck.
Coloruh pola pala kulir baanam seiyyaTo manufacture various colorful soft drinks,
Thanniya vaari eraippanHe pumps out and drains away our natural groundwater.
Male
Engae ponaalum edho oru companyWherever we go, some corporate company
Nammal thorathumWill endlessly chase us.
Gundu oosi mudhal window AC varaiFrom a small safety pin to a window AC unit,
Avanga muthirai irukkumTheir corporate seal will be stamped.
Male
Shokka iruntha namma ooruOur town, which used to be so grand and splendid,
Ippo baekka maripuduchaamHas now turned foolish and stupid, it seems.
Pattapatti trouser melaOver simple checked boxer shorts,
Jockey label otturaanHe sticks a Jockey brand label.
Male
Kaaikari kadainga koodaEven the local vegetable shops
Corporate mayama maarumAre turning into corporate entities.
Kaiyendhi bhavanum ippoEven the roadside food stalls now
Company brand ah maarumAre transforming into company brands.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song serves as a satire on modern corporate commercialization, hyper-consumerism, and political corruption. It highlights how everyday essential aspects of life—ranging from water, agriculture, and local eateries to basic clothing and entertainment—have been taken over by corporate branding and greed. The track laments the loss of self-sufficiency and simple living, pointing out that historical colonialism has merely been replaced by economic consumerism where common people suffer under inflation and political deceit.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Edhugai (Second-letter rhyming)

Shokka iruntha namma ooru / Pattapatti trouser mela

Rhyming of the second letter across consecutive lines, a traditional Tamil poetic device (e.g., 'Shokka' and 'Pattapatti').

Monaichol (Alliteration / First-letter rhyming)

Kaaikari kadainga kooda / Corporate mayama maarum

Repetition of the opening consonant sound across words in a line or phrase (e.g., 'Kaaikari' and 'Corporate').

Satire and Irony

Pattapatti trouser mela / Jockey label otturaan

Contrasting humble traditional items like 'Pattapatti' (checked boxers) with modern luxury branding like 'Jockey' to emphasize absurd commercialism.

Did you know?

Trivia

Featured in the 2023 Tamil film 'Idumbankaari', this track uses energetic folk-pop musical arrangements composed by Karthick Harsha to deliver a strong social message about corporatization and modern capitalist traps.

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