El Condor Pasa
Simon & Garfunkel Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'd rather be a sparrow than a snail
Yes I would, if I could, I surely would
I'd rather be a hammer than a nail
Yes I would, if I only could, I surely would

Away, I'd rather sail away
Like a swan that's here and gone
A man gets tied up to the ground
He gives the world its saddest sound
Its saddest sound

I'd rather be a forest than a street
Yes I would, if I could, I surely would




I'd rather feel the earth beneath my feet
Yes I would, if I only could, I surely would

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Simon & Garfunkel's song "El Condor Pasa" express a desire for freedom and a longing to be unencumbered by human constraints. The first stanza, "I'd rather be a sparrow than a snail / Yes I would, if I could, I surely would / I'd rather be a hammer than a nail / Yes I would, if I only could, I surely would," suggest a desire for autonomy and self-determination. The singer wishes to be a bird, free to fly away at will, rather than a slow-moving snail. They also express a desire to be the one wielding the hammer, rather than the one being hammered down.


The second stanza, "Away, I'd rather sail away / Like a swan that's here and gone / A man gets tied up to the ground / He gives the world its saddest sound / Its saddest sound," further underscores this desire for freedom. The singer wishes to sail away like a swan, free to come and go as they please. They contrast this with the condition of humanity, which is "tied up to the ground" and unable to escape its earthly bounds. The singer suggests that this is what gives the world its "saddest sound."


The final stanza, "I'd rather be a forest than a street / Yes I would, if I could, I surely would / I'd rather feel the earth beneath my feet / Yes I would, if I only could, I surely would," continues this theme of connection to nature and autonomy. The singer suggests that they would rather be a forest, wild and free, than a street, which connotes man-made structures and constraints. They also express a desire to feel the earth beneath their feet, suggesting a yearning for a direct connection to the natural world.


Line by Line Meaning

I'd rather be a sparrow than a snail
I would rather live a life of freedom and fly around than be stuck in one place and move slowly like a snail.


Yes I would, if I could, I surely would
The singer really wants to live that life and is willing to take the chance if the opportunity presented itself.


I'd rather be a hammer than a nail
I would rather be the one who takes action and makes an impact, rather than being passive and taking whatever is given to me.


Away, I'd rather sail away
I want to escape from my current situation and explore new horizons.


Like a swan that's here and gone
Like a swan that appears in a flash and then disappears, the artist wants to live a life that is fleeting and full of adventure.


A man gets tied up to the ground
People get bogged down by responsibilities and societal expectations that prevent them from pursuing their dreams.


He gives the world its saddest sound
When a person is tied down to responsibilities and cannot pursue their dreams, it is a sad and mournful sound for the world to hear.


Its saddest sound
The sound of a person being unable to pursue their dreams is a very melancholy and depressing sound.


I'd rather be a forest than a street
Rather than living in a bustling and busy urban environment, the artist would prefer a peaceful and natural environment like a forest with trees, undergrowth, and animals.


I'd rather feel the earth beneath my feet
The artist wants to be grounded and connected to nature, rather than being isolated in a sterile or artificially created environment.


Yes I would, if I only could, I surely would
The singer desires the change, but is unsure if they will ever get to experience it.




Lyrics © Budde Music Publishing GmbH, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PAUL SIMON, JORGE MILCHBERG, DANIEL ALOMIA ROBLES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Oscar Lopez

" La pareja en la habitacion adyacente
estan a un paso de ganar un premio
Ellos han estado haciendolo a lo largo de toda la noche
Bien yo estoy tratando de dormir algo
Pero las paredes del motel son baratas
Lincoln Duncan es mi nombre
Y aqui esta mi cancion
Aqui esta mi cancion
Mi padre fue un pescador
Mi mama fue la amiga del pescador
Naci en el aburrimiento y la sopa de pescado
Asi cuando alcance mi vigor
Bien yo deje mi hogar en la costa
Me dirigi a la carretera para Nueva Inglaterra
Dulce Nueva Inglaterra
Huecos en mi confianza
Huecos en las rodillas de mis pantalones..........



All comments from YouTube:

Gustavo Aguilar

Gracias Paul Simon por cantar El Cóndor Pasa, melodía peruana, patrimonio del mundo.

Alexander Villagomez

Hermosa canción, el Cóndor Pasa, oriunda del Perú . Duncan excelente canción. Saludos desde Lima - Perú.

C.R. Stewart

What a fabulous performance. Mr. Simon is a genius. Those musicians are amazing!

Les Freligh

Can't believe how I sometimes forget to remember just how sublime how Mr. Paul Simon is, and has always been what is described (a long time ago) as the "American songwriter"! Thank you Paul for all of the memories and, perhaps, the song track to my life!

charlie ranke

Les Freligh
perhaps?
his honesty makes it easy to forget to remember
our song track is in each other
and yet he does it everytime
again and again

Benaud Singh

this kind of music will never die,I'm so glad that I grew up in the era of great music

TheWho 83

To me this is Paul's greatest songwriting accomplishment. The lyrics tell a story and the music along with his soft voice make you want to close your eyes and picture the images he is describing

TheWho 83

Geofanny Yohanes I agree but still nice to hear him still play it

Geofanny Yohanes

Geoffrey Marcus i wish this live version had the "i know i know" part the version in Live Rhymin has.

Cornelia Martens

Paul Simon... still the best.

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