The song's origin and basis are unclear, with some thinking that the song commented on the assassination of John F. Kennedy, as the song was recorded three months after the assassination, although Simon & Garfunkel had performed the song live as Kane & Garr two months before the assassination.

So I learnt the meaning … El condor pasa, “The condor passes”, denotes the spirit of freedom. It is about being in control of your life. Like while the snail is slow and stuck to the ground, the sparrow is swift and free and can fly to places it wants to reach.

The final verse was written about Simon's then-wife Peggy Harper, who had noticed her first gray hairs ("Sail on, silvergirl"). It does not refer to a drug abuser's hypodermic needle, as is sometimes claimed. The verse was Garfunkel's idea, but Simon reportedly did not like it.

"I liked it very much… It was accomplished very well". Also during the chat, Simon admitted to having called Disturbed singer David Draiman at some point and told him that he enjoyed their version.