Touching folk-pop track about a son’s devotion to his mother.
Song Lyrics
ගමේ අයට නොතේරෙන්න
නවරට යන්නං
සිදාදියේ කෝච්චි
බස් වලට නගින්නම්
උගුරට දුක දැනෙන්නේ
නෑ සින්දු කියන්නම්
දළු නෙලන්න යන්න
එපා අම්මේ වදින්නම්
අම්ම ගෙදර ඉන්නකෝ
මං කාසි එවන්නං
කරගැට ආවම ගිටාර්
සද්දේ එන්නෙ නෑ
ඒ කාලෙට කවි කියනව
පාඩු වෙන්නෙ නෑ
ණයට ගන්න පහළ
කඩෙන් මාමා බනින්නෑ
පුතා එනවා ලබන
මාසේ දුකක් දෙන්නෙ නෑ
ගමේ අයට නොතේරෙන්න…
පෝය ලගයි සිදාදියේ
කඩු ලෙලදෙනවා
කල් තියාම සිල්
රෙද්දක් අරන් තියෙනවා
අලුත් තාලේ සින්දු
වලට කාසි ලැබෙනවා
අම්මට මං තෝඩු
දෙකක් අරගෙන අනවා
ගමේ අයට නොතේරෙන්න…//
Song Information
Song Title: ගමේ අයට නොතේරෙන්න (Game Ayata Notherenna)
Artist: Chamara Ranawaka
Lyrics: Chamara Ranawaka
Genre: Folk Pop / Baila
Language: Sinhala
Release Year: 2017
Song Summary
“Game Ayata Notherenna” is a poignant narrative song that explores the sacrifices of a street musician striving to provide a better life for his mother. The mood is hopeful yet grounded in the reality of rural poverty, portraying a son who travels to the city (Sidadiya) to perform on buses and trains. He pleads with his mother to stop her grueling work of plucking tea leaves, promising to send money home so she can live with dignity and participate in religious observances like Poya.
Song Meaning
The song functions as an emotional tribute to filial piety and the struggle for upward mobility. The lyrics analyze the narrator’s professional hazards; he worries that if his hands develop calluses (karageta) from manual labor, he won’t be able to play his guitar, which is his primary tool for earning. Themes of social standing are central; he wants his mother to be able to buy goods at the village shop without being scolded by the shopkeeper for buying on credit. By promising to bring her earrings and a white robe (sil redda) for temple visits, the narrator aims to restore his mother’s pride through his earnings from “new-style songs.” It captures the essence of the “bus singer” culture in Sri Lanka, where music is not just art but a desperate means of survival.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the core promise the narrator makes to his mother?
He promises to earn enough money by singing in the city so that she can stop her difficult job of plucking tea leaves and live comfortably at home.
What does the narrator fear about manual labor?
He fears that hard manual work will cause calluses on his hands, making it impossible for him to play the guitar and earn a living through music.
What gifts does he plan to bring his mother?
He plans to bring her a pair of earrings and a “sil redda” (a white cloth used for observing religious precepts) for the upcoming Poya day.
Who is the songwriter of “Game Ayata Notherenna”?
The song was both written and performed by Chamara Ranawaka, showcasing his signature style of storytelling through the lens of ordinary working people.