A Chennai recontextualized version of The Doors’ Riders on the Storm, with lyrics by Gurunarayana Ravi (https://twitter.com/raghuthaatha). This song is about the Auto drivers on the Chennai storm, wreaking havoc on the roads but they too have their side of the story to tell, a story of poverty and exploitative usury.
It also features a Carnatic violin lead in the Raga Karaharapriya (Dorian mode) and the quintessential sound of a Chennai auto recorded by @mdeii
Guitar – Fender Stratocaster recorded through a Boss ME-25 with a vibrato effect
Violin – Electric violin through Boss Me-25 with a delay
Percussion, bass and Wurlitzer organ – programmed on Logic Pro X
Lyrics (with translation)
Autokaran naan (I am an auto driver)
Chennai Autokaran naan (A Chennai autodriver I am)
MGR peran naan (I’m MGR’s grandson)
Baasha machaan naan (I’m the Badshah’s brother-in-law)
Auto tune thaan (the pitch perfect sound of the autotune)
Enga engine sattham thaan (is the sound of our engine)
I’m a terror on the road
Vaanga come aboard (Please come aboard)
Anna Salayil (On Anna road in Chennai)
Seerum morattu kaalai naan (I’m the rampaging wild bull)
Police paathaakka (If the police happen to see me)
padhugum paambu naan (I’m the slithering snake that evades them)
Rendu pullakutteenga (I have 2 young children)
Saettu vaddi thollainga (the local pawn broker bleeds me with high interest loans)
Petrol velai thaan (The price of petrol)
eri pochunga (has risen skyward)
Meter pottaakka (if you insist on metered fare)
Vootla patnithaanunga (my family will starve)
Manja colouril (Of yellow hue…)
senja thanga therunga (is my golden chariot)
Ulagam pooraga (all over the world)
namma vandi odumga (my auto will run)
Ella oorilum (in every town)
namakku nalla perunga (I have a good reputation)
Nambi erunga (believe me and let’s go for a ride)
FACTORIAL ONE! 