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Oru Kal Oru Kannadi album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Venam Machan Venam

From Oru Kal Oru Kannadi · 2012

Lyricist
Na. Muthu Kumar
Singers
Naresh Iyer, Velmurugan
Music director
Harris Jayaraj
Movie name
Oru Kal Oru Kannadi
Movie release year
2012
Lyrics added on
25 Mar 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
{ Vanjaram meenu vavaalu
Kidacha keluthi viraalu
Iruku meesai yeraalu
Irangi kalaku gopaalu } (2)
{ Venam machan venam
Indha ponnunga kaadhalu
Adhu moodi thorakum podhae
Unna kavukum quaterru } (2)
Kadala polae kaadhal
Oru saltu wateru
Adhu konjam karikum podhae
Nee thooki potudu
{ Mummy sonna ponna
Katina torcher illada
Neeyum davadikum ponna
Katina trouser avurunda } (2)
Kanna kalanga vaikum
Figureu venanda
Namaku kanneer anjali poster
Ottum nanban pothunda
{ Vanjaram meenu vavaalu
Kidacha keluthi viraalu
Iruku meesai yeraalu
Irangi kalaku gopaalu } (2)
{ Bikela thinamum onnaa ponom
Backla ippo avala kaanom
Beachla sugama kadala potom
Kadalukum ippo kanneer mutum } (2)
Kaadhalikum bodhu
Ada kannu theriyadhu
Un kanna muzhichikita
Anga kaadhal kidaiyathu
Ava ponaalae pona
Thanneera vitu meena
Naan kaayam patta maina
Ippo paaduren gaana
Figureu sugaru maathiri
Janaku janaku vavaalu
Natpu thadupu ooseeda
Janaku jaanu gopalu
Figureu sugaru maathari
Pasanga odamba urukidum
Natpu thadupu ooseeda
Odancha manasa thethidum
Venam machan venam
Indha ponnunga kaadhalu
Adhu moodi thorakum podhae
Unna kavukum quaterru
Kadala polae kaadhal
Oru saltu wateru
Adhu konjam karikum podhae
Nee thooki potudu
Paadhiyil vandha ponna nambi
Aadhiyil valarntha natpa viten
Thethiya polae kizhichi putta
Devathai avala nambi ketten
Tholu matum vella
Unna kavuthuputa mella
Yenna panni yenna ada
Appavae naan sonnen
Ava potaalae potaa
Nalla dhindukallu poota
Oru chaavi kondu vaada
Enna thorandhu vedenda
Kannula maiya veipaada
Adhula poiya veipaada
Udhatil saayam veipaada
Unaku kaayam veipaada
Kannula maiya veipaada
Adhula poiyo poiyaiyo
Udhatil saayam veipaada
Unaku kaiyo kaiyaiyo
Venam machan venam
Indha ponnunga kaadhalu
Adhu moodi thorakum podhae
Unna kavukum quaterru
Kadala polae kaadhal
Oru saltu wateru
Adhu konjam karikum podhae
Nee thooki potudu
{ Mummy sonna ponna
Katina torcher illada
Neeyum davadikum ponna
Katina trouser avurunda } (2)
Kanna kalanga vaikum
Figureu venanda
Enaku kanneer anjali poster
Ottum nanban pothunda
{ Kingfish and pomfret fish,
We got catfish and snakehead murrel,
There is whiskered prawn as well,
Jump in and rock it, Gopalu! } (2)
{ Don't do it, brother, just don't!
Falling in love with these girls,
The moment its cap is opened,
It will knock you out like a liquor bottle! } (2)
Love is just like the ocean,
Full of salty water.
The moment it starts tasting salty,
Just dump it and throw it away!
{ If you marry the girl your mom chooses,
There won't be any torture, buddy.
But if you marry the girl you chased,
You will lose your pants for sure, buddy! } (2)
A girl who brings tears to your eyes,
We don't need a girl like that, buddy!
For us, a true friend who pastes
Our memorial tribute poster is enough, buddy!
{ Kingfish and pomfret fish,
We got catfish and snakehead murrel,
There is whiskered prawn as well,
Jump in and rock it, Gopalu! } (2)
{ We rode together on the bike every single day,
Now she is missing from the back seat.
We chilled out and flirted happily by the beach,
Now even the sea is about to burst into tears. } (2)
When you are in love,
Hey, you cannot see a thing!
But once you open your eyes,
You will realize there is no love there!
She just walked away, she left,
Like a fish taken out of water.
Now I am an injured myna bird,
Singing a sad gaana song.
A girlfriend is like diabetes,
Janakku janakku pomfret fish!
Friendship is the vaccine, my friend!
Janakku jaanu Gopalu!
A girlfriend is like diabetes,
It melts a guy's body away.
Friendship is the vaccine, my friend,
It consoles a broken heart!
Don't do it, brother, just don't!
Falling in love with these girls,
The moment its cap is opened,
It will knock you out like a liquor bottle!
Love is just like the ocean,
Full of salty water.
The moment it starts tasting salty,
Just dump it and throw it away!
Trusting a girl who came into my life halfway,
I gave up the friendship that grew from the start.
She tore me off like a calendar sheet,
I got ruined trusting that angel of a girl.
Only her fair skin looks good,
And slowly, she brought you down!
What is the use of regretting now?
I warned you right back then!
She locked me up completely,
With a sturdy Dindigul lock!
Bring a key, buddy,
And unlock me from this!
She will apply kohl to her eyes,
And put lies in those very eyes, man!
She will apply colour to her lips,
And leave you with a wound, man!
She will apply kohl to her eyes,
And fill them with nothing but lies!
She will apply colour to her lips,
And leave you empty-handed and helpless!
Don't do it, brother, just don't!
Falling in love with these girls,
The moment its cap is opened,
It will knock you out like a liquor bottle!
Love is just like the ocean,
Full of salty water.
The moment it starts tasting salty,
Just dump it and throw it away!
{ If you marry the girl your mom chooses,
There won't be any torture, buddy.
But if you marry the girl you chased,
You will lose your pants for sure, buddy! } (2)
A girl who brings tears to your eyes,
We don't need a girl like that, buddy!
For me, a true friend who pastes
My memorial tribute poster is enough, buddy!
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

'Venam Machan' from 'Oru Kal Oru Kannadi' (2012) is a popular, upbeat Tamil 'soup song' (heartbreak anthem) celebrating male friendship over romantic heartbreak. The lyrics deliver lighthearted warning advice to men about the perils of falling in love with untrustworthy women and forgetting lifelong friendships. Using vibrant local Chennai slang, food metaphors, and street wisdom, the song argues that romance often brings pain and confusion, whereas true friends stick by you through thick and thin.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Uwamai)

Kadala polae kaadhal / Oru saltu wateru

Compares romantic heartbreak to consuming salty seawater or drinking a strong quarter bottle of liquor.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Figureu sugaru maathari / Pasanga odamba urukidum / Natpu thadupu ooseeda

Compares a girl's deceptive nature to high blood sugar (diabetes) that slowly wears down a man's health, while friendship is metaphorically called a protective vaccine shot.

Rhyme / Alliteration (Monai & Ethirai)

Thanneera vitu meena / Naan kaayam patta maina / Ippo paaduren gaana

Features folk/gaana rhyme schemes and wordplay common in Chennai street music (e.g., 'meena', 'maina', 'gaana').

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by Harris Jayaraj and sung by popular folk singer Velmurugan along with Naresh Iyer, this song became an instant chartbuster among youth upon release in 2012. It popularized Chennai street gaana imagery inside mainstream Tamil cinema and prominently features dynamic comic interactions between actors Udhayanidhi Stalin and Santhanam.

Keep listening

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