It was my turn to drive for lunch and I obliged. I was going to lunch with couple of non-Tamil speaking colleagues, one an American. The car stereo started off where I had left in the morning. The opening beats and rhythm were quite catchy to the American colleague and he asked me what it was. And I said,
"A Tamil film song"
"That's a female voice, right? What is she singing about?"
"It's actually a duet. She is singing about, in simple terms, sex"
"Really? "
"Yeah, not love, but sex"
"Interesting. Can you translate that for me?"
"What?"
"You know, like what exactly is she singing?"
"I can try"
"Wait a minute....this is the pause control right?....I need every line"
"Are you kidding me?"
He started it from the beginning and paused it when the singing stopped at the end of first few lines.
"No, come on, go on..."
"They're saying..."
i'm aroused oh daddy o'!
i'm horny oh honey bunny!
He started smiling and asked, "Is that what she is saying? Or are you making it up?"
"No, I took some creative liberty. She is actually saying 'I'm on fire'"
"I thought you said Indian censorship did not allow such things"
"Well, we have this weird exception. We don't tolerate such things in dialogues, but we are fine with it when rendered as a song"
"Why is that?"
"Why does radio shack ask for your phone number when you buy batteries? I don't know!" (*I quote Seinfeld like a Bishop quoting bible*)
"Okay, go on"
i'm aroused oh daddy o'!
i'm horny oh honey bunny!
my heart got struck oh sugar!
"Here, let me control the song"
Like plucking thorn with a thorn, let's douse fire with fire!
Like plucking thorn with a thorn, let's douse fire with fire!
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"The guy wants to put out fire with fire, you know.....in 'that' sense"
"Well, okay, if you say so..."
Your eyes are glowing with lust please keep it up cherry!
Like plucking thorn with a thorn, let's douse fire with fire!
Your eyes are glowing with lust please keep it up cherry!
My colleague lost it at this point. "What the heck was that?"
"He is talking about lust"
"Yeah, but then he asks her to 'keep it up'. I thought he was singing to a she"
"It is she, and he is asking her to keep the lustful glow in her eyes, you jackass!"
"For a second there, I thought it was one of those 'Elton John' type of songs"
"Do you want the rest of the song or what?"
"I do, I'm sorry, proceed..."
As man and woman rub against each other, let sparks fly
All 5 senses are like sparks, let them all burn in desire,
before it goes down come
Now, he is laughing uncontrollably and banging his head on the passenger seat bag.
"When the guy sings 'before it goes down', is he referring to 'that'?"
"May be..."
"Or is 'it' means the 5 senses?"
And I get defensive, "Actually, I'm not doing a good job.It's actually sort of poetic"
"Oh, that's poetry?!"
"The original one...that's not as gross as I made it sound"
"But, that's what they are singing about, right?"
"I guess..."
"Don't stop, keep going..."
"I think I've had enough for one day, I'm changing the song"
And what song do I get from my random select!
