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 consisting of the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music groups of the 1960s, and songs including “The Sound of Silence” (1965), “Mrs. Robinson” (1968), “The Boxer” (1969) and “Bridge over Troubled Water” (1970) reached number one on singles charts worldwide.