Perdido
Ella Fitzgerald & Billie Holiday Lyrics
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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
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
The lyrics to Perdido, sung by Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, talk about losing one’s heart down in Torito during a fiesta. The opening lines suggest that the singer has lost their heart and goes on to explain that it happened during a big fiesta. The use of the word “perdido” throughout the song emphasizes the sense of loss, as it means lost or missing in Spanish.
The song mentions the swaying Bolero which is a type of dance, and the persona kissed a listing sombrero, which is a type of Mexican hat. This emphasizes the cultural context where the heart was lost, and the Spanish words used in the song contribute to this vibe. Losing one’s heart is a metaphor for a broken heart, and the lines "High was the sun when I held him close, Low was the moon when we said adios" paints a picture of a passionate romance that ended sorrowfully.
The song ends on a wistful note with the persona acknowledging the loss of the heart and says goodbye to it. Overall, Perdido is a beautifully melancholic song that explores themes of heartbreak and loss, made even more poignant by the soft melody and the powerful voices of Fitzgerald and Holiday.
Line by Line Meaning
Perdido
The title of the song, which means lost or missing in Spanish.
I look for my heart
The singer is in search of her heart, which she has lost.
It's perdido
The singer confirms that her heart is indeed lost.
I lost it way down in Torito
The singer lost her heart in Torito, a place she refers to as a city or town.
The day the fiesta started
The singer lost her heart on the day the fiesta (party) began in Torito.
Bolero
A style of Latin music and dance that the singer swayed to.
I sway that they play the Bolero
The singer swayed to the Bolero music that was being played.
I kissed me the listing sombrero
The singer kissed a sombrero, which is a traditional Mexican hat that was probably being worn by someone at the fiesta.
And that's when my heart departed
The singer lost her heart at that moment, possibly due to falling in love with somebody wearing the sombrero.
High, was the sun when I held him close
The sun was shining brightly when the singer was close to the person she loved.
Low, was the moon when we said, adios
The sky was dark when the singer and her love said goodbye to each other.
My heart ever since is Perdido
The singer's heart has been lost ever since that moment at Torito.
I know I must go to Torito
The singer knows she needs to go back to Torito to try and find her lost heart.
To find what I lost Perdido
The singer hopes to find her lost heart in Torito.
Goodnight perdido
The singer says goodnight to her lost heart, Perdido.
I lost perdido
The final confirmation that the singer has lost her heart.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JUAN TIZOL, HANS LENGSFELDER, ERVIN DRAKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@UncleDuTheWatchman
They are definitely the Trinity of Female Jazz Singers. You can pick any other ladies and they will have to bow to one of these three, if not all three. But Lady outsang them ALL. Never mattered who had the "better voice" or better technicality...nobody EVER outsang Billie Holiday.
@daveday5507
I was never a fan of fading one track into another or voiceovers. A work of art should be left complete. Billy is always great, Sarah started wonderfully but became just a wonderful voice. Ella has always been my blind spot. Give her a balad and the discipline of an arrangement and she could be good. Left alone she doesn't know when to stop. I saw her live twice and I would have walked out of the second occasion, but she was accompanied by Roy Eldridge.
@JazzTimewithJarvisX
I don´t like fade out in Jazz. I think the music should be recorded and mixed and that´s it. There was simply to much good music for just an half hour ; )