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.

“We were really best friends up until Bridge Over Troubled Water,” he shares, according to People. “[Afterward], it didn't have the harmony of the friendship … that was broken.” Simon contends that Garfunkel accepting a role in the 1970 film Catch-22 played a major role in the divide between them.