A.R. Rahman had another party with this movie. He has explored several new styles including hip pop in the movie Shivaji – The Boss. Although it has some lines just for the sake of rhyming lyrics(I will mark these with a ‘*’), this song makes me long for home. It romanticises some of the most unique experiences of Tamil Nadu and India in general just the way someone would if they had been away for a long time. It’s fast pace and intricate track-layering makes it sound like a celebration of the colours, sounds and smells of India.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti_kuLTAn58&feature=fvwrel
**Sooriyano chandirano
Yaar ivano
Sattena sollu
Saera paaNdiya chozhanum ivana(1)
Sollu sollu
Sattena sollu**
The Sun? The Moon?
Who is he? Tell me now!
Is he the medieval warrior?(1)
Tell me tell me
Tell me now!
**Paaradi paaradi yaaradi ivano
Paaigira siruththaiyin kaaladi ivano
Kooradi kooradi yaaradi ivano
Kettathai pattena suttidum sivano**
Look, look, who is he?
He is a pouncing wild cat’s legs
Tell, tell, who is he?
The Shiva who shoots down the bad guys
**Eh balleilakka balleilakka
Saleththukka maduraikka
Madrasukka tiruchchikka thiruthanikka(2)
Sh balleilakka balleilakka
Ottu moththa makkaLukka
ANNan vantha thamizhnadum america***
Eh A good route/way
To Salem or Madurai?
To Madras, Tiruchy or Thiruthani?(2)
Eh A good route
For all the people
When big brother comes to Tamil Nadu, it is America*
**Kaaviri aarum kai kuththal arisiyum maranthu poguma?
Ooh thaavaNi(3) peNgaLum toothuvidum kaNgaLum tholainthu poguma?
(girls laughing)**
Can the river Kaveri and the hand split rice be forgotten?
Oh, can the girls in Dhaavanis(3) and expressive eyes be lost?
**Namma kaLaththu maedu
Kammaakara karasikkaadu
SemmaN aLLi theLLikkum roadu
Hey
sadugudu sadugudu sadugudu sadugudu
sadugudu sadugudu sadugudu sadugudu**
Our paddy thrashing contoured land
The dense forests
The roads which splash wet red soil
Run, run, run, run,
Run, run, run, run
(A game where people chase the others around)
**Sadugudu sadugudu aadiya maraththadi
Padu padu paduvena porththiya pulveLi
Thoda thoda thoda thoda udaigira panithuLi
Suda suda suda suda kidaikkira iddly(4)
Thada thada thadavena athirgira railadi
Kada kada kadavena kadakkira kaaviri
Viru viru viruvena madikkira vettrilai
Muru muru muruvena murikkiya meesaigal
Manathil irukkuthu mei mei mei mei….***
The trees under which we play Sadugudu
The glistening grass which covers the ground
The dew drops which break as you touch them
The hot idlis(4) you get
The railways that thunder
The rapid gurgling of the Kaveri
The folding white (?)
The fierce looking moustaches
Stay in my heart
**Sooriyano chandirano
Yaar ivano
Sattena sollu
Saera paaNdiya chozhanum ivana (yea leae lea eh)
Sollu sollu
Sattena sollu
Eh balleilakka balleilakka
Saleththukka maduraikka
Madrasukka tiruchchikka thiruthanikka (thiruthanikka)
Eh balleilakka balleilakka
Ottu moththa makkaLukka
ANNan vantha thamizhnadu america
(drum work)
Sattena sollu
(drum work)
Sattena sollu
(drum work)
Ye lea lae lae**
**Graamaththu kudisaiyilae konjak kaalam thangi paar yelae
Koorayin ottai virisalil vazhi natchchathiram eNNi paarelae
Koovum cell phone-in nachcharippai aNaiththu
Konjam sil vaNdin uchcharippai kaetpom
Verum kaalil seruppindri nadanthu
MaNNodu paesi koNdu povom
MazhalaigaL aavom**
Stay in a village hut for some time
Through the holes in the thatched roof, try counting the stars
Switch off your cell-phone noises
We can listen to the insects’ pronunciations
We can walk barefoot, without our slippers
And talk to the soil as we go
Become children again…
**Aala maraththukku jadaiyai pinniththaan
PookaL vaikkalaamae(5)
Oororam aiyyanaaridam kaththi vaangithaan
Pencil seevalaamae**
We could braid the roots of the Banyan tree
And adorn it with flowers(5) (like women usually wear their hair in the South)
In the outskirts, we can borrow a knife from a smith
To sharpen our pencils
**Eh balleilakka balleilakka
Saleththukka maduraikka
Madrasukka tiruchchikka thiruthanikka (thiruthanikka)
Eh balleilakka balleilakka
Ottu moththa makkaLukka
ANNan vantha thamizhnadu america
Oh kaaviri aarum kai kuththal arisiyum maranthu poguma?
(Oh balleilakka balleilakka balleilakka balleilakka)
Oh thaavaNi peNgaLum thoothuvidum kaNgaLumtTholainthu poguma
Tha thara thara**
Sattena sollu
**Ye lae lae lae
Anjara pettiyilae(6)
Aaththavoda rusi irukkum
Ammiyil(7) araichchu aakki vechcha
Naatukozhi patta keLappom**
In the Anjara petti/box of spices(6)
Is the taste of Mother’s cooking
The leaves crushed with a grinding stone(7)
With native chicken
**Ye lae lae
Aadu maadu maelae uLLa paasam
Veetu ration card-il saekka solli kaetkum
Verum thaNNi kaetta moru tharum naesam
VeLLanthi manithargaL vaasam
MaNNengum veesum**
The affection we have for our goats and cows
Will ask us to include them in the house food-portions (as allotted by a ration card)(?)
The care we have to give buttermilk to those who asked only for water
The smell of people (?)
Soil will fly here(?)
**Paampada kizhaviyin pachchilai maruthukku
Paeyum odippogum pangaaLi
Pakkaththu veetukkum saeththu samaikkira
Anbu ingu vaazhum**
When the old lady makes medicines,
Even ghosts will flee
The affection with which we cook for our next-door neighbours
lives here
**Eh balleilakka balleilakka
Saleththukka maduraikka
Madrasukka tiruchchikka thiruthanikka (thiruthanikka)
Sh balleilakka balleilakka
Ottu moththa makkaLukka
ANNan vantha thamizhnadu america
Kaaviri aarum kai kuththal arisiyum maranthu poguma? (maranthu poguma?)
Oh thaavaNi peNgaLum thoothuvidum kaNgaLum tholainthu poguma
(girls laughing)
Namma kaLaththu maedu
Kammaakara karasikkaadu
SemmaN aLLi theLLikkum roadu
Hey
sadugudu sadugudu
sadugudu sadugudu
sadugudu sadugudu
sadugudu sadugudu
Sadugudu sadugudu aadiya maraththadi
Padu padu paduvena porththiya pulveLi
Thoda thoda thoda thoda udaigira panithuLi
Suda suda suda suda kidaikkira iddly
Thada thada thadavena athirgira railadi
Kada kada kadavena kadakkira kaaviri
Viru viru viruvena madikkira vettrilai
Muru muru muruvena murikkiya vettrilai
Manathil irukkuthu mei mei mei mei…
Eh balleilakka balleilakka
Saleththukka maduraikka
Madrasukka tiruchchikka thiruthanikka (thiruthanikka)
Sh balleilakka balleilakka
Ottu moththa makkaLukka
ANNan vantha thamizhnadu america
Eh balleilakka balleilakka
Saleththukka maduraikka
Madrasukka tiruchchikka thiruthanikka (thiruthanikka)
Sh balleilakka balleilakka
Ottu moththa makkaLukka
ANNan vantha thamizhnadu america**
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandyan_Dynasty
(2) You can find these cities on the TN map
(3) Dhavani is also called ‘half sari’ and is worn by younger women, esp in TN. Here are two examples: Example 1 and Example 2
(4) http://dmanji.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/idli.jpg (I have to admit, I can’t look at these without my stomach rumbling with forgotten longing)
(5) Like women wear their hair in the South: On occasions like weddings: Example 1 and ordinarily: Example 2
(6) http://www.foodbuzz.com/photos/0017/4138/Anjaraipetti.jpg?1222211528
(7)Ammi kal used to be an integral part of the south Indian kitchen. Here is one in use. Also see: A clean one