I uncovered a you pipe of El Condor Pasa ( If ns Could) for a baritone Uke a basic three chord song, and being a fan of Simon and Garfunkel went searching for lyrics to placed down the chords in my Music book. I have it through notes and staff yet wanted a chord sheeet as my copy has the lyrics in 4 pt text! Which ns can"t check out unless my sleep is 3" native the paper.I"ve heard this song around a million times but never thought around what the text mean.I"d quite be a sparrow than a snailYes ns would, if i could, ns surely wouldI"d quite be a hammer than a nailYes i would, if I just could, i surely wouldAway, I"d quite sail awayLike a swan that"s here and goneA male gets tied as much as the groundHe offers the people its saddest soundIts saddest soundI"d fairly be a forest than a streetYes ns would, if i could, i surely wouldI"d rather feel the planet beneath mine feetYes i would, if I just could, ns surely wouldbut the site I was on (http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/7340/) also discusses the song and also I to be taken through a comment around what it was about."My InterpretationI believe it is around power, oppression, futility, despair, and freedom. Nearly everyone who has posted a comment in the critical 7 year recognises that hammers win nails, yet no one has mentioned the sparrows eat snails, and also that forests at some point overcome streets. Power. Winners. Losers.Has anyone analysis this heard "When you"re a nail, every the human being is a hammer, and when you"re a hammer all the human being is nails." everyone recognises the it is better to it is in the one v power, however do the song"s listeners likewise hear that also the oppressors, for all your power, space not free? Oppression bring away time and also energy to maintain. Could a driver accomplish toil native a servant without force and also threat? can the cat mean to record the mouse if she is no prowling it? will certainly the shepherd obtain wool turn off the sheep if he doesn"t gain out there and also keep track of them? much better to organize power, best to have actually freedom.Swans symbolize people who are really rare. Swans space the genuine winners. Most people are either oppressed or oppressors. But even the oppressors room not free. They have locked us to the unending occupation that persecuting your victims or subordinates, and also it eats their lifetimes. They can not disengage, the very least their captives escape. They create lifetimes the chains because that others to wear, however inadvertantly likewise chain us to the lifelong job of oppression. The actual winners are the swans. Freedom."I wonder how many other song I"ve heard and also never really considered the concealed meaning, till I take it up the Ukulele?
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UkieOkieNew member
JoinedSep 15, 2015Messages489Points0
I have actually done that before. Kinda simply enjoy the time without really thinking too deep around it. Periodically I"m glad I"ve learned the an interpretation sometimes not.

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DownUpDaveUU VIP
UU VIP
JoinedMar 15, 2014Messages6,210Points48
Jack you were obviously touched by this and put a most thought and also effort right into this post. I clicked ~ above the link and also read few of the various other comments. I believe people see things that they space looking come find. One human believes in oppressed and also oppressors, another in love another in freedom. We can additionally interpret points one method or another depending on our mood or current case in life.Your write-up has given me a an excellent appreciation of that track again. I had actually forgetten just how beautifully it plays and sings.
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Jim HanksWell-known member
JoinedMar 13, 2013Messages5,442Points48
JackLuis said:
I"ve heard this song around a million times however never thought about what the text mean...I wonder how numerous other song I"ve heard and also never really thought about the covert meaning, till I take it up the Ukulele?
Very common. That happened to me previously this year with Alone Again.Most people don"t realize joy to the civilization isn"t really a Christmas song.
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Songs space so subjective. A song deserve to be written about one thing and also mean something totally different to others. I as soon as heard an interview with Bob Dylan and also the organize was questioning him how he felt around being such a prolific song writer who"s written such powerful, meaningful, and revolutionary songs. His answer was something along the heat of, "They"re just songs. I just wrote part songs. If there"s definition to them, that"s up to the listener". I think is it so exciting that our life experiences deserve to paint so countless different see of a song...
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I think it method freedom, knows he"s shackled by life in the contemporary world, & would prefer to be totally free of the daily hassles.
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I agree with the sentiment that the interpretation of song lyrics is subjective. A good song, choose any an excellent work of art, should have sufficient depth of meaning to "speak" to the listener - i.e. That should affix with something inside a person and understanding should arise out of that connection.It sounds prefer you (Jack) maybe discovered something in this song. Cool Edit: Actually, a song that I"ve been finding out recently (Joni Mitchell"s Both sides Now) might be claimed to be around the spatu nature of person experience. Essentially, trying out the idea that the glass have the right to be viewed as half-full or half-empty, depending on how you choose to look at it.
Last edited: Dec 18, 2016
JackLuisNew member
JoinedAug 19, 2015Messages1,246Points0
I"ve always like El Condor Pasa however never really analyzed the lyrics. I wanted to pat it however have been put off through the "notes", together I don"t finger pick, though I"m obtaining in to that. Yet the chords onthe Baritone space Em-G-C so girlfriend only need two fingers, just how is that no cool? even I have the right to play that! jollyboy- Edit: Actually, a tune that I"ve been learning recently (Joni Mitchell"s Both political parties Now) could be said to be around the spatu nature of human experience. Essentially, experimenting the idea that the glass deserve to be seen as half-full or half-empty, depending on how you choose to look at it. last edited through jollyboy; this day at 08:49 AM. Yes I prefer this too. "Clouds Illusions" can mean countless things. Taking up the Uke has offered me a lot to learn and think about. I was reasoning yesterday around holiday songs and thought "Have yourself a Joyous small Kwanzaa" so i looked the up and found what the is really about and that is quite cool method to celebrate the days between Christmas and brand-new Years. It method "First fruit Of the Harvest" in Swahili and my oranges ripen in December, so there is the too. Ukulele deserve to be illuminating and also fun.:music:
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TheCraftedCowNew member
JoinedJan 23, 2010Messages1,297Points0
The inquiry is what was intended by the person who wrote it? There room many great things composed which are considered as "fair game" because that a personal interpretaion. Ns think of one book which mentions miscellaneous of people wrestling v their own interpretation to their own destruction. Yes, the is severe, and also not likely to take place with a song, yet there space songs I will NOT sing since I understand what the human who wrote it claims it means. Ns don"t desire that thought banging around inside of mine head, nor carry out I desire to song it and also put that in anyone else"s head .
RllinkActive member
JoinedMar 14, 2014Messages4,431Points38
Auni said:
Songs are so subjective. A song can be written about one thing and mean something completely different come others. I when heard one interview through Bob Dylan and the host was questioning him exactly how he felt about being such a prolific tune writer who"s composed such powerful, meaningful, and also revolutionary songs. His reply was something follow me the line of, "They"re just songs. I just wrote part songs. If there"s definition to them, that"s up to the listener". Ns think is the so interesting that our life experiences have the right to paint so plenty of different see of a song...

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But if you look in ~ the songs the he wrote while Suze Rotolo remained in Italy, specifically when she was an alleged to come back to him however she didn"t, it would seem to be more contrived to shot to say the they to be not composed to Suze but were simply songs, than to admit that they to be songs driven from the emotions the he was going through during the separation. Just pointing the end that Bob states a lot of things, not all genuine. I"m a vast Bob Dylan fan, by the way.