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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Yethi Yethi

From Vaaranam Aayiram · 2008

Lyricist
Na. Muthu Kumar
Singers
Benny Dayal, Kunal Ganjawala, Naresh Iyer, Solar Sai
Music director
Harris Jayaraj
Details
Vaaranam Aayiram2008

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Machi machi morachitaandaBuddy, buddy, he stared us down
Meraki meraki adichitaandaHe mesmerized us and struck hard
Annanagaram towerru needaYou are like the Anna Nagar tower in height
Mammukatti adida..Hold your energy and hit it hard!
Male
Sakkapodu..potutaandaHe scored a grand success!
Cycle-gapil kavthutaandaHe bowled her over through a tiny gap
Aarthi-ippo.. unakkuthaandaThe holy lamp ritual is for you now!
Dammu-kattipudida..Hold your breath and gear up!
Chorus
Haan haan…Haan haan…
Male
{Yethi yethi yethiLight it up, raise it, stoke it up
En nenjil theeya yethiStoke the fire in my heart
Maathi maathi maathiChange it, transform it
En style-ah konjam maathi..} (2)Change my style a little..
Male
Soodhu vaathu theriyathu..He doesn't know cunning or deceit..
Sokka thangam raasaA king of pure gold
Sutham paththam kidaiyathu..He doesn't care much for strict cleanliness..
Mugatha kaluvu lesaJust wash your face a bit
Male
Raja nan raja..I am the king, the king..
En pettaikku endrumae raja..Forever the king of my hood..
Raja nan raja..I am the king, the king..
En salai engilum roja..Roses bloom wherever I walk..
Male
Raja nan raja..I am the king, the king..
Un thimiruku edupenda gaja..I am the mighty elephant to tame your arrogance..
Raja nan raja..I am the king, the king..
Enai thaangi pudingaada thaaja..Hold me gently and support me, friends..
Male
Yethi yethi yethiLight it up, raise it, stoke it up
En nenjil theeya yethiStoke the fire in my heart
Maathi maathi maathiChange it, transform it
En style-ah konjam maathi..Change my style a little..
Chorus
Ho ho ho ho ..ho ho hoohoo hooHo ho ho ho ..ho ho hoohoo hoo
Ho ho ho ho ..ho ho hoohoo hooHo ho ho ho ..ho ho hoohoo hoo
Male
Bunk adichi thirinjikuvomaeWe used to bunk classes and roam around
Kadasiyilae padichikuvomaeWe would study only at the very end
Sunrise-ai paarthathillai kanninmaniMy darling, we've never seen a sunrise
Engalukku early morning pathu maniFor us, early morning is 10 o'clock!
Male
Light-housu uyarathaiyumEven taller than the height of the lighthouse
Enga love letter thaandumOur love letters would soar above
Parichaiyila bathil ezhuthaTo write answers in the examination
Paathi paper-la nondum..Halfway through the paper, we struggle..
Suttathan nerupu.. pattathan porupu..Only when burned is it fire; only through experience comes responsibility..
Male
Yethi yethi yethiLight it up, raise it, stoke it up
En nenjil theeya yethiStoke the fire in my heart
Maathi maathi maathiChange it, transform it
En style-ah konjam maathi..Change my style a little..
Male
Soodhu vaathu theriyathu..He doesn't know cunning or deceit..
Sokka thangam raasaA king of pure gold
Sutham paththam kidaiyathu..He doesn't care much for strict cleanliness..
Mugatha kaluvu lesaJust wash your face a bit
Chorus
Boli…boli…Boli…boli…
Ha ha ha ha ..boli…Ha ha ha ha ..boli…
Male
Dandallu thinam edupomaeWe do push-ups every single day
Basskintha pala adipomaeWe do plenty of deep squats
Arnold-eh pola yethi arms-ah papom..ah..We pump up our arms to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger..
Yethachu sandai vantha abscond aavom..But if a fight breaks out, we abscond!
Male
Roundu katti kelapungadaGather around and turn up the energy, guys!
Ratham sudaagu irukkuOur blood is boiling hot
Poweru-katti norrukkangadaShow your power and smash it down, guys!
Paraka rekkaigal ethukuWhy do we need wings to fly?
Kaathadi pola..povomda mela..Like a kite, we will soar high up..
Male
Yethi yethi yethi …Light it up, raise it, stoke it up…
Chorus :Paba paba paa..baaChorus :Paba paba paa..baa
Maathi maathi maathiChange it, transform it
Chorus :Paba paba paa..baaChorus :Paba paba paa..baa
Male
Soodhu vaathu theriyathu..He doesn't know cunning or deceit..
Chorus :Sokka thangam raasaChorus: A king of pure gold
Sutham paththam kidaiyathu..He doesn't care much for strict cleanliness..
Chorus :Mugatha kaluvu lesaChorus: Just wash your face a bit
Male
Raja nan raja..I am the king, the king..
En pettaikku endrumae raja..Forever the king of my hood..
Raja nan raja..I am the king, the king..
En salai engilum roja..Roses bloom wherever I walk..
Male
Raja nan raja..I am the king, the king..
Un thimiruku edupenda gaja..I am the mighty elephant to tame your arrogance..
Raja nan raja..I am the king, the king..
Enai thaangi pudingaada thaaja..Hold me gently and support me, friends..

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

'Yethi Yethi' is an energetic youth anthem from the movie 'Vaaranam Aayiram' that encapsulates the carefree, spirited nature of college life and early adulthood. The song portrays the protagonist Surya and his friends engaging in typical youth antics—bunking classes, sleeping late, writing tall love letters, attempting workouts to build muscles, and comically fleeing from real fights. Through colloquial Chennai Tamil slang and vibrant rhythms, it captures the raw charm and brotherhood of neighborhood youth. Beneath its upbeat, playful exterior, the song carries a subtle underlying theme of self-discovery and maturation. Lines like 'Suttathan nerupu, pattathan porupu' highlight that true maturity and responsibility come through lived personal experience. The song marks an important transition phase in the movie's narrative, celebrating raw youthful confidence before life's deeper challenges unfold.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Ethugai (Second Letter Rhyme)

Yethi yethi yethi / Maathi maathi maathi

The second consonant sound 'th' (த்) is repeated across corresponding lines, establishing Tamil Ethugai rhyme.

Iyaipu (End Rhyme)

Dandallu thinam edupomae / Basskintha pala adipomae

Both lines end with the matching suffix '-omae', creating a natural rhythmic cadence.

Simile (Uwamai)

Kaathadi pola..povomda mela..

The speaker compares their freedom and high spirits to a kite ('kaathadi pola') flying high in the sky.

Allusion / Simile

Arnold-eh pola yethi arms-ah papom

Refers explicitly to pop-culture icon Arnold Schwarzenegger to humorously illustrate their bodybuilding ambitions.

Aphorism / Metaphor

Suttathan nerupu.. pattathan porupu..

A concise Tamil philosophical maxim stating that fire is only proven by heat, and responsibility only by experiencing life's hard knocks.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Yethi Yethi' was composed by Harris Jayaraj with lyrics by the acclaimed late lyricist Na. Muthukumar, and sung by Benny Dayal, Naresh Iyer, and Solar Sai. In Gautham Vasudev Menon's semi-autobiographical film 'Vaaranam Aayiram', this song captures the early college phase of Surya's character. Na. Muthukumar packed the lyrics with authentic Chennai local slang (such as 'cycle gapil', 'basskintha', 'dandallu', and 'pettai') to reflect the urban youth culture of Chennai in the late 2000s.

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