ESLSongs

Practice the modal verb “would rather” with this classic song, El Condor Pasa by Simon & Garfunkel. There are 5 examples of “would rather” in these song lyrics.

• I’d rather be… (x3)
• I’d rather sail away
• I’d rather feel…

There is a suggestion on how to use this song in your ESL classes below, but for more ideas, click here.

Lyrics

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

Suggested activity: choose the correct word

Download this exercise (PDF)

Listen to the song and choose the word that you hear in the lyrics below.

I’d ¹ rather / prefer to be a sparrow than a snail
Yes, I would
If I could
I ² probably / surely would

I’d rather ³ be / hold a hammer than a nail
Yes, I would
If I only could
I surely would

Away, I’d rather ⁴ sail / fly away
Like a ⁵ swan / plane that’s here and gone
A man gets tied up to the ⁶ earth / ground
He gives the world its saddest sound
Its saddest sound

I’d rather ⁷ walk through / be a forest than a street
Yes, I would
If I could
I ⁸ surely / really would

I’d rather ⁹ feel / touch the earth beneath my feet
Yes, I would
If I only could
I surely would

What would you rather be?

• Would you rather be beautiful/handsome but stupid or intelligent but ugly?
• Would you rather go to a concert or to the cinema?
• Would you rather be popular with your classmates or with your teachers?
• Would you rather be super fast or super strong?
• Would you rather be able to teleport anywhere in the world or be able to read minds?
• Would you rather spend a day without water or a day without your smartphone?
• Would you rather cut off a hand or a foot?
• Would you rather have bad breath or smelly feet?

Simon & Garfunkel

Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo comprising the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music acts of the 1960s. Their most famous recordings include three single USA number one charting hits — “The Sound of Silence” and the two Record of the Year Grammy winners “Mrs. Robinson” and “Bridge over Troubled Water”— as well as “Homeward Bound”, “I Am a Rock”, “Scarborough Fair/Canticle”, “A Hazy Shade of Winter”, “America”, “The Boxer” and “Cecilia”.