Ok, accepted that Chaiyya Chaiyya is clearly the hit. But there is something that is so awesome in the passion of this song as opposed to the energy of chaiyya chaiyya. The song is lost somewhere in the film but it stands out in the album. Whenever I listen to chaiyya chaiyya I seem to automatically chest rock to the repetitive beat - you know that motion when your entire upper body sways back and forth with every beat. Though this one is supposed to be sibling song, it makes me move differently - mostly swaying the head and tapping the feet alone. I almost want to believe that Rahman had each of this planned!
There is very little by way of lyrics in the song. It works mostly through repetition of the few, but beautiful, lyrics.
My cousin says that this song is Rahman's best ever. Rendered almost as an ‘a capella’ - a song of only vocals and no accompanying instruments - this bewitching song gives me goosebumps each time I hear it. Sung by the late Shahul Hameed, it reverabates with the folkishness of a village side singer at dusk singing for himself about his deep feelings for a separating love. Were I walking home through the fields at sunset and were I to hear a song over the orange evening and across the paddy and ponds, this would be it. Shahul Hameed, most famous for his folkish songs under Rahman, sings it passionately to perfection. And I would stop to listen again.
There is very little to be said about Rahman's composition for describing such beautiful simplicity in complex words would be ironical. But I would like to concur that this is one of Rahman's best. From what I understand, the bass guitar is used in the song and so it is not entirely without accompanying instruments, but you would be hard pressed to hear it yourself among the vocal melody.
Vairamuthu's lyrics are descriptive and evocative, justly putting the village side and yearning love in superb combination. And in this song, it is the words that is the centre of all attention. Maniratnam again has done justice with his picturisation. The situation for the song is when the female protagonist intends to leave her two male friends. One of them, the one singing the song, is the extrovert and has already expressed her love for her - but that love is unrequited. It is for the other, who also loves the girl, that she has reserved her affection. Unable to express her real love and yet unable to honestly turn down her other suitor, she makes the choice to leave both. At that point is this masterpiece …
Thanks to both Savitha for bringing this up and Kannal Achuthan for giving me very important parts of the translation. Again, I’ve taken the liberty to overwrite what she has given me just because I like it better my way - so as usual, if there are mistakes, they are mine.
Raasathi yen usuru yennathu ille hmm…
Poochoodi vaka patthu pora pulle hmm…
Nee pona yen udambu mannukulle hmm…
Raavodu seithi varum vaadhi pulle hmm…
Raasathi yen usuru yennathu ille hmm…
