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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Uthira Uthira

From Pon Manickavel · 2019

Lyricist
Madhan Karky
Singers
Shreya Ghoshal, Sreekanth Hariharan, Maria Roe Vincent
Music director
D. Imman
Details
Pon Manickavel2019

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Ah aa aaa aaAh aa aaa aa
Ah aa aaa aaAh aa aaa aa
Ah aa aaa aaAh aa aaa aa
Ah aa aaa aaAh aa aaa aa
Female
Uthiraa uthiraaOh Uthira, Uthira
Vinaval kodi ennilMillions of questions are within me
Uthiraa uthiraaOh Uthira, Uthira
Vidaigal yaavum unnilAll the answers lie within you
Female
Ah aa aaa aaAh aa aaa aa
Ah aa aaa aaAh aa aaa aa
Ah aa aaa aaAh aa aaa aa
Ah aa aaa aaAh aa aaa aa
Female
Aaa….aa.a…Aaa….aa.a…
Uthiraa uthiraaOh Uthira, Uthira
Vinaval kodi ennilMillions of questions are within me
Uthiraa uthiraaOh Uthira, Uthira
Vidaigal yaavum unnilAll the answers lie within you
Female
Enai urasidum meesai konduWith your mustache brushing against me
Erumbiyal padiththaenI learned myrmecology
Enai mayakkidum sorkkal konduWith your intoxicating words
Madhuviyal padiththaenI learned oenology
Naa rendum pinni kollaAs our tongues intertwine
Vedhiyal padithiduvenI shall learn chemistry
Female
Ah aa aaa aaAh aa aaa aa
Ah aa aaa aaAh aa aaa aa
Ah aa aaa aaAh aa aaa aa
Ah aa aaa aaAh aa aaa aa
Male
Aaa….aa.a…Aaa….aa.a…
Uthiraa uthiraaOh Uthira, Uthira
Vinaval yenoo kannilWhy are there questions in my eyes?
Female :Haa…aa…aa…Female: Haa…aa…aa…
Male
Uthiraa uthiraaOh Uthira, Uthira
Vidaigal yaavum unnilAll the answers lie within you
Female :Haa…aa…aa…Female: Haa…aa…aa…
Male
Kannagaru karu koondhal podhumYour deep black hair is enough
Vanaviyal vilakkaTo explain forestry and botany
Female :Haa…aa…aa…Female: Haa…aa…aa…
Male :Chinnachiru siru kangal podhumMale: Your tiny little eyes are enough
Vaaniyal vilakkaTo explain astronomy
Un nenjin aalam podhumThe depth of your heart is enough
Kadaliyal nee padikkaFor you to study oceanography
Female
Ah aa aaa aaAh aa aaa aa
Ah aa aaa aaAh aa aaa aa
Ah aa aaa aaAh aa aaa aa
Ah aa aaa aaAh aa aaa aa
Female
Oru paritchaikkenaWhile she meditates intently for an exam
Ival thavam kidakkaSitting in deep concentration
Ennai thottu thottuYou touch me again and again
Thottu thottu neeyum kalaikkaTouching me repeatedly to distract me
Angae paanipattu porThere was the Battle of Panipat over there
Inge meanipattu porHere is the battle of skin touching skin
Muththam ittu ittuShowering kiss upon kiss
Ittu enai neeyum kavilkkaKissing me until I collapse in love
Male
Thevaigal aayiramThere are a thousand needs in life
Thervukenna theeviramWhy this extreme obsession with exams?
Nadandhu mudintha porgal ellaamAll those wars that happened in history
Namakku yenadiWhy should we care about them, my girl?
Vidiya vidiya porgal seithaeBy waging battles till dawn breaks
Saritham eluthadiWrite our own history, my girl!
Female
Nithinilai naan ketkkaWhen I ask about the financial situation
En aadai nee neekkaYou remove my clothing
Pana mathippin yettramThe rise and fall of currency value
Irakkangal nee kaattaYou demonstrate through physical affection
Male
Arasiyalai arinthidavaeTo understand political science
Urasiyal arinthidu maanaeFirst understand the science of intimacy, my dear
Female
Oru iravil mathippilanthaeLosing value overnight
Namm moththa muthangal rathaanathaalaeBecause all our kisses were demonetized!
Female
Uthiraa uthiraaOh Uthira, Uthira
Vinaval kodi ennilMillions of questions are within me
Male :Haa…aa…aa…Male: Haa…aa…aa…
Uthiraa uthiraaOh Uthira, Uthira
Vidaigal yaavum unnilAll the answers lie within you
Female :Haa…aa…aa…Female: Haa…aa…aa…
Unai unai unai thooram thalliPushing you far away
Ulaviyal padippenI shall study psychology
Male :Hmm idai idai-veli neekkathaanaeMale: Hmm, just to eliminate this distance
Kalaviyal padithaenI studied the art of secret lovemaking
Both :Kaalathtin kaalai kattiBoth: Tying down the morning of time itself
Kalaviyal mudithiduvenI will master the art of intimacy
Female
Ah aa aaa aaAh aa aaa aa
Ah aa aaa aaAh aa aaa aa
Ah aa aaa aaAh aa aaa aa
Ah aa aaa aaAh aa aaa aa
Female
Uthiraa uthiraaOh Uthira, Uthira
Male :Mmhmm mhmm aah ahhMale: Mmhmm mhmm aah ahh
Female :Haa..aaa…uthiraa uthiraaFemale: Haa..aaa…uthiraa uthiraa
Male :Mmhmm mhmm aah ahhMale: Mmhmm mhmm aah ahh

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

'Uthiraa Uthiraa' is a playful and romantic track from the movie 'Pon Manickavel', composed by D. Imman and penned by Madhan Karky. The song cleverly weaves various academic disciplines—ranging from chemistry, oceanography, and astronomy to economics and history—into metaphors for romance and physical intimacy. The lovers debate studying for actual academic exams versus engaging in the 'geography' and 'chemistry' of their own romance. Throughout the track, Madhan Karky's distinctive lyrical style shines as modern terms such as 'demonetization' (pana mathippizhappu) and 'Panipat war' are subverted into cheeky double entendres. Musically, D. Imman combines breezy melodies with lush vocal harmonies sung by Sreekanth Hariharan and Shreya Ghoshal, making the song both intellectually witty and melodiously romantic.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Iyaibu (Rhyme / Wordplay Metaphor)

Erumbiyal padiththaen ... Madhuviyal padiththaen ... Vedhiyal padithiduven

Madhan Karky uses academic discipline suffixes '-iyal' (study of) across lines to build rhythmic harmony: Erumbiyal (myrmecology), Madhuviyal (oenology), Vedhiyal (chemistry).

Pun / Wordplay (Sledhai)

Angae paanipattu por / Inge meanipattu por

Contrasting 'Paanipattu por' (Battle of Panipat) with 'Meenipattu por' (Battle of body skin touching body skin), making a clever homophonic pun.

Metaphor (Uruvam)

Oru iravil mathippilanthae / Namm moththa muthangal rathaanathaalae

Comparing financial currency fluctuation and demonetization overnight to sudden passionate physical intimacy.

Did you know?

Trivia

Lyricist Madhan Karky is well-known for introducing novel Tamil terminology and technical/academic vocabulary into film songs. In 'Uthiraa Uthiraa', he brought in rarely used formal Tamil translations for various fields of science ending in '-iyal' (such as Vanaviyal for forestry, Kadaliyal for oceanography, and Ulaviyal for psychology).

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