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Naveena Saraswathi Sabatham album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Vaazhkai Oru

From Naveena Saraswathi Sabatham · 2013

Lyricist
Gaana Bala
Singer
Gaana Bala
Music director
Prem Kumar
Movie name
Naveena Saraswathi Sabatham
Movie release year
2013
Lyrics added on
9 Jan 2018

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Vaazhkka oru quarter
Adhil kalakku konjam water
Adicha varum botha
Adha padicha neethaan medha
Kozhi mutta pottuduchuna
Adhu duty thaana da
Mudinju pochu da
Omlette thunna aasai irundha
Adha odachu thaana da
Neeyae poduda
Vala pottu pudicha adhu meenu
Ela pottu thinna sooru
Nee uzhacha thaan da ambani
Kashtapadalana ambo nee
Thanni adha adupula
Vacha vennee
Adha enni paathuko nee
Ethir neechal podu nee
Risk adha thottu
Thinnum rusku
Adha kotta vitta
Seiva nee romba mistake-u
Vazhukka vizhunthuduchuna
Thalaiyila seepa podatha
Vaazhkka kavunthuduchuna
Saagatha saagatha jeikaama saagatha
Vaazhkka oru quarter
Adhil kalakku konjam water
Adicha varum botha
Adha padicha neethaan medha
Aadu maadu kozhi
IT kattutha
Veedu vaasal katti
Sothu sekutha
Naalu aani oru kooni
Pothumda
Naama thaan theevulaiyum
Vaazhnthu kaatalam
Facebook illa twitter illa
Share panna yaarum illa
Aanalum indha life-ah
Like pannu da
Sun varum moon varum
Nightula thaan star varum
Mallakka paduthu paaru
Thookam varum da
Thanni adha adupula
Vacha vennee
Adha enni paathuko nee
Ethir neechal podu nee
Risk adha thottu
Thinnum rusku
Adha kotta vitta
Seiva nee romba mistake-u
Nilava paathu naanum
Sooru thunnen da
Armstrong-u anga poi
Kaala vachan da
Map-ula varanju vacha
World-ah kaanom da
Computer mouse adha
Thookinnu pochu da
Vallavana nee irundha
Pullum oru aayutham da
Try panni paakalana
Vekka keduda
Manickama neeyum iru
Neram vandha baasha vaagu
Naayagana pola
Vishwaroopam eduda
Kozhi mutta pottuduchuna
Adhu duty thaana da
Mudinju pochu da
Omlette thunna aasai irundha
Adha odachu thaana da
Neeyae poduda
Vala pottu pudicha adhu meenu
Ela pottu thinna sooru
Nee uzhacha thaan da ambani
Kashtapadalana ambo nee
Ohoo…oooo..hooo…ooo..
Ohoo…oooo..hooo…ooo..
Life is like a quarter bottle of liquor,
Mix a little water in it.
Down it, and you get a buzz.
Figure it out, and you are a genius.
Once the hen lays an egg,
its duty is over, man!
It is all done, man!
If you crave an omelet,
you have to crack the egg,
and cook it yourself, man!
Catch it in a net, and it is fish.
Serve it on a leaf and eat, and it is a meal.
Only if you work hard will you become an Ambani!
If you do not struggle, you will be left stranded!
Put water on the stove,
and it turns into hot water!
Keep that in mind,
and swim against the tide!
Taking a risk is like a rusk biscuit,
which you dip in tea and eat!
If you drop it in,
you will make a huge mistake!
If you go bald,
do not run a comb through your hair.
If your life falls apart,
do not die, do not die, do not die without winning!
Life is like a quarter bottle of liquor,
Mix a little water in it.
Down it, and you get a buzz.
Figure it out, and you are a genius.
Do goats, cows, or chickens
pay income tax?
Do they build houses
and hoard wealth?
Four nails and a gunny sack
are enough, man!
Even on a deserted island,
we can show the world how to live!
No Facebook, no Twitter,
no one around to share with.
Even so, you should still
like this life, man!
The sun will rise, the moon will rise,
stars only come out at night.
Just lie flat on your back and gaze up,
sleep will come to you, man!
Put water on the stove,
and it turns into hot water!
Keep that in mind,
and swim against the tide!
Taking a risk is like a rusk biscuit,
which you dip in tea and eat!
If you drop it in,
you will make a huge mistake!
Looking at the moon,
I used to eat my rice, man.
Armstrong went all the way there
and stepped on it, man!
The world drawn on paper maps
is nowhere to be seen, man!
A computer mouse
has carried it all away, man!
If you are capable,
even a blade of grass is a weapon!
If you do not even give it a try,
it is a total shame, man!
Lie low like humble Manickam,
and become Baashha when the time is right!
Just like the hero Nayakan,
rise up in all your power, man!
Once the hen lays an egg,
its duty is over, man!
It is all done, man!
If you crave an omelet,
you have to crack the egg,
and cook it yourself, man!
Catch it in a net, and it is fish.
Serve it on a leaf and eat, and it is a meal.
Only if you work hard will you become an Ambani!
If you do not struggle, you will be left stranded!
Oho... oh... ho... oh...
Oho... oh... ho... oh...
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

'Vaazhkka Oru Quarter' is a humorous, upbeat philosophical song written and sung by Gaana Bala for the film Naveena Saraswathi Sabatham (2013). Using playful local Chennai Tamil street slang ('Gaana') and colloquial everyday metaphors—such as comparing life to a quarter bottle of alcohol, risk to a tea-time rusk biscuit, and hard work to breaking an egg for an omelette—the lyrics deliver a message of resilience, self-reliance, and optimism. The song encourages listeners not to lose hope when faced with hardships, but to adapt, work hard, stay ground-level like Rajinikanth's character 'Manickam', and rise triumphantly when opportunity strikes.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor

“Vaazhkka oru quarter”

Compares life to a quarter bottle of liquor, suggesting it can either intoxicate or teach wisdom depending on how one approaches it.

Simile / Pun (Wordplay)

“Risk adha thottu / Thinnum rusku”

Compares taking a 'risk' to eating a 'rusk' biscuit dipped in tea, playing on English-Tamil rhyming sounds.

Emoni (Second-letter Rhyme / Etukai)

“Kozhi mutta pottuduchuna / Omlette thunna aasai irundha”

Rhyming of second letters across adjacent lines ('Vaazhkka' / 'Adhil', 'Kozhi' / 'Mudinju').

Pop Culture / Allusion

“Manickama neeyum iru / Neram vandha baasha vaagu”

Refers to famous pop culture figures and cinematic characters (Ambani, Armstrong, Baasha/Manickam, Naayagan, Vishwaroopam) to convey philosophical messages about growth and transformation.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song is written and rendered in Gaana Bala's signature local Chennai dialect ('Chennai Bhashai'), which frequently incorporates English words like 'quarter', 'water', 'risk', 'rusk', 'Facebook', and 'Twitter' paired with Tamil folk philosophy.

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