Perdido
Flip Phillips; Woody Herman Lyrics

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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 song Perdido by Woody Herman tells the story of a person who has lost their heart or their love in the town of Torito. The person is searching for their heart and feels incomplete without it. The Bolero music in the background adds to the overall Latin mood of the song. The lyrics also mention that the person held their love close when the sun was high and said goodbye when the moon was low, describing the intensity and passion of their love.

The song’s title ‘Perdido’ means ‘lost’ in Spanish and the town of Torito is a metaphor for the person’s search for love. This song was written by the famous composer Juan Tizol, who is known to have written many successful jazz standards such as ‘Caravan’ and ‘It’s a Lonesome Old Town’. The song was later arranged and popularized by Duke Ellington and his orchestra.

Perdido is considered a jazz standard, which means it has been recorded and performed by numerous jazz artists. The song features a slow, romantic bolero rhythm that showcases the musicians' improvisational skills. Another interesting fact is that the song has been featured in various movies, such as “The Fabulous Baker Boys” and “To Have and Have Not”.

Line by Line Meaning

Perdido,
Lost, searching for my heart

I look for my heart
On a quest to find my heart

It's Perdido
It's lost

I lost it way down in Torito
Misplaced it in Torito

The day the fiesta started
During the fiesta's commencement

Bolero, I sway that they play the Bolero
Dancing to the Bolero's rhythm

I kissed me the listing sombrero
Kissed under the falling sombrero

And that's when my heart departed
Heartbroken from that point on

High was the sun when I held him close
Times were good with him

Low was the moon when we said, 'Adios'
Times were bad when we departed

Perdido
Lost