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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Yea Otta Caru

From Mappillai Sir · 1988

Lyricist
Idhaya Chandran
Singer
S. P. Shailaja
Music director
Shankar Ganesh
Details
Mappillai Sir1988

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Chorus
……………………
Female
Ae…..ottak car-ru nee thallip paaruHey... single-seated car, try pushing it!
Yaen nikkuraaru kai vachchi paaruWhy is he standing there? Go check on him!
Katta vandi intha caru-ruThis car is like a wooden bullock cart!
Ninnu pochchi dappaa car-ruThis tin-can car has broken down!
Hoi katta vandi intha caru-ruHoi, this car is like a wooden bullock cart!
Ninnu pochchi dappaa car-ruThis tin-can car has broken down!
Driver ippa muzhikkiraaru aiyo paavamThe driver is blinking helplessly now, oh poor thing!
Female
Ae…..ottak car-ru nee thallip paaruHey... single-seated car, try pushing it!
Yaen nikkuraaru kai vachchi paaruWhy is he standing there? Go check on him!
Chorus :Katta vandi intha caru-ruChorus: This car is like a wooden bullock cart!
Ninnu pochchi dappaa car-ruThis tin-can car has broken down!
Driver ippa muzhikkiraaruThe driver is blinking helplessly now!
Female :Aiyo paavamFemale: Oh poor thing!
Female
Ae…..ottak car-ru nee thallip paaru hoiHey... single-seated car, try pushing it, hoi!
Female
Eruma maattu vandikkedhadi maalathiWhat is this, a buffalo cart, Malathi?
Katti pottu izhukkaalaandi meenaaShould we tie it up and pull it, Meena?
Otti vantha aala keladi gomathiAsk the guy who drove it, Gomathi!
Oththukittaa thallalaandi reenaaIf he agrees, we can push it, Reena!
Female
Veyyil kaalam vanthathaalaeBecause the summer season has arrived,
Car-rum kooda manushan polaeEven the car, just like a human being,
Kalaichchu poyi ninnu pochchudiGot tired and stopped dead, girl!
Female
Thallu model vandi ottaTo drive a push-start model vehicle,
Minor ippo thuraiyai polaThe young man now acts like a lord,
Vanthuttaaru vekka kedadiHe came here, what a shame, girl!
Female
Ippa tyre-ah kayaraa wire-ah edhu venumNow does he need a tyre, a rope, or a wire?
Ivan thaniyaa pulambiMuttering to himself all alone,
Azhaththaan venum aiyo paavamHe can only weep now, oh poor thing!
Female
Ae…..ottak car-ru nee thallip paaruHey... single-seated car, try pushing it!
Yaen nikkuraaru kai vachchi paaruWhy is he standing there? Go check on him!
Chorus :Katta vandi intha caru-ruChorus: This car is like a wooden bullock cart!
Ninnu pochchi dappaa car-ruThis tin-can car has broken down!
Driver ippa muzhikkiraaruThe driver is blinking helplessly now!
Female :Aiyo paavamFemale: Oh poor thing!
Female
Ae…..ottak car-ru nee thallip paaruHey... single-seated car, try pushing it!
Thallu thalluPush it, push it!
Chorus
Thanni konjam kettu paaradi rohiniAsk if he wants some water, Rohini!
Ooththivitaa odumadi seethaaIf we pour water, it will run, Seetha!
Car-ru mattum weak-u illadi raginiIt is not just the car that is weak, Ragini!
Sir-ru kooda pekku thaandi geethaaSir himself is a fool, Geetha!
Female
Rediator pola ippo soodu yaeri nikkuraarLike a radiator, he now stands heated up!
Kaaththu vaanga vazhiya vidungadiMake way for him to catch some air, girls!
Maari mari gear-ah pottuShifting gears repeatedly,
Break-ka mella kazhatti vittuSlowly releasing the brake,
Car-ah konjam oram kattadiPark the car to the side, girl!
Female
Intha maramoHere, there is no tree,
Sediyo kodiyo kedaiyaathuNo plant or vine to be found!
Ada odhunga nenachchaa idamum yaedhuAh, if you want to seek shade, where is the space?
Aiyo paavamOh poor thing!
Female
Ae…..ottak car-ru nee thallip paaruHey... single-seated car, try pushing it!
Yaen nikkuraaru kai vachchi paaruWhy is he standing there? Go check on him!
Chorus :Katta vandi intha caru-ruChorus: This car is like a wooden bullock cart!
Ninnu pochchi dappaa car-ruThis tin-can car has broken down!
Driver ippa muzhikkiraaruThe driver is blinking helplessly now!
Female :Aiyo paavamFemale: Oh poor thing!
Chorus
Ae…..ottak car-ruHey... single-seated car!
Female :AamamFemale: Yes!
Chorus :Nee thallip paaruChorus: Try pushing it!
Female :Thallu thalluFemale: Push it, push it!
Chorus :Ae…..ottak car-ru nee thallip paaru…..Chorus: Hey... single-seated car, try pushing it...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

'Ottak Caru' from the 1988 Tamil movie 'Mappillai Sir' is a comedic, lighthearted track written by Idhaya Chandran. The song captures a humorous situation where a group of women tease a pretentious young man ('minor') whose rickety old car breaks down in the sweltering summer heat. The women playfully compare his vehicle to a wooden bullock cart or a tin box, mocking his aristocratic demeanor as he stands helpless on the road. Throughout the song, the women call out to each other by name—Maalathi, Meena, Gomathi, Reena, Rohini, Seetha, Ragini, and Geetha—suggesting absurd solutions like pulling the car like a buffalo cart, pouring water on it, or pushing it. The narrative offers a colorful look at rural/semi-urban Tamil street banter, blending mock sympathy ('aiyo paavam') with playful teasing over the driver's predicament.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Katta vandi intha caru-ru

The singer metaphorically calls the broken-down car a primitive wooden bullock cart ('katta vandi').

Simile (Upamai Ani)

Car-rum kooda manushan polae

The lyricist compares the car breaking down in summer to a human being getting exhausted from heat.

Simile (Upamai Ani)

Rediator pola ippo soodu yaeri nikkuraar

The driver's rising anger and frustration are explicitly compared to an overheated radiator using 'pola'.

Iyaipu (End Rhyme)

Eruma maattu vandikkedhadi maalathi / Katti pottu izhukkaalaandi meenaa

End rhymes with female names (Maalathi, Meena, Gomathi, Reena) create a rhythmic, conversational folk structure.

Did you know?

Trivia

This song was written by lyricist Idhaya Chandran for the 1988 Tamil comedy film 'Mappillai Sir'.

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