Perdido
Coleman Hawkins Johnny Hodges & Roy Eldridge Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Perdido,
I look for my heart
It`s perdido
I lost it way down in Torito
The day the fiesta started

Bolero,
I sway that they play the Bolero

I kissed me the listing sombrero
And that`s when my heart departed

High, was the sun when I held him close
Low, was the moon when we said, "Adios"

Perdido
My heart ever since is Perdido
I know I must go to Torito
To find what I lost Perdido

High, was the sun when I held him close
Low, was the moon when we said, "Adios"

Perdido

Goodnight perdido
I lost perdido

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Perdido" convey a sense of longing and loss, as the singer searches for their lost heart in Torito where they last remember having it during a fiesta. The bolero music that plays at the fiesta leads the singer to a moment of passion, represented by the kiss of a sombrero. However, the singer's heart seemingly departs at this moment, and the rest of the song describes the struggle to locate what has been lost. The contrasting images of the sun and moon highlight the emotional highs and lows of the singer's experience, providing a sense of the depth of feeling involved. Ultimately, the song expresses a desire to find what was lost, and the resolution is left open-ended, leaving listeners to wonder whether the singer will ever succeed in their search.

Line by Line Meaning

Perdido,
I am lost and searching for something or someone

I look for my heart
I am searching for my love or passion

It's perdido
I have lost it

I lost it way down in Torito
I lost my love or passion while I was in Torito

The day the fiesta started
I lost my love or passion on the first day of the fiesta

Bolero,
I am referring to the genre of music Bolero

I sway that they play the Bolero
I danced to the Bolero music that was playing

I kissed me the listing sombrero
I kissed the sombrero that I was wearing

And that's when my heart departed
My love or passion left me at that moment

High, was the sun when I held him close
I was happy and the sun was shining bright when I was with my love

Low, was the moon when we said, 'Adios'
I was sad and the moon was low in the sky when we said goodbye