Paraiso
Ryan Cayabyab Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴Return to a land called paraiso,
A place where a dying river ends.
No birds there fly over paraiso,
No space allows them to endure.
The smoke that screens the air,
The grass that's never there.

And if i could see a single bird, what a joy.

I try to write some words and create
A simple song to be heard
By the rest of the world.

I live in this land called paraiso,
In a house made of cardboard floors and walls.
I learned to be free in paraiso,
Free to claim anything i see.
Matching rags for my clothes,
Plastic bags for the cold.

And if empty cans were all i have, what a joy.
I never fight to take someone
Else's coins and live with fear
Like the rest of the boys.

Paraiso, help me make a stand.
Paraiso, take me by the hand
Paraiso, make the world understand
That if i could see a single bird, what a joy.
This tired and hungry land could expect

Some truth and hope and respect
From the rest of the world.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ryan Cayabyab's “Paraiso” depict a grand picture of a place that has lost its essence and beauty because of various reasons. The singer wishes to return to a place he calls Paraiso, where he remembers the beauty of nature and the freedom it embodied. He paints a picture of a barren land where the river is dying, and no birds fly over this place anymore. The air is full of smoke, and nothing but dead grasses cover the plains. In such a place, even seeing a single bird would bring immense joy to the singer's heart.

He then describes his living conditions in Paraiso, where he resides in a house made of cardboard floors and walls. Nevertheless, he has learned to be free and claim everything that he sees, matching rags for clothes and plastic bags for the cold. He finds happiness in even the simplest of things such as empty cans. He does not fight to take someone else's coins or live in fear, unlike the rest of the world. Instead, he wants to create a simple yet powerful song, which he hopes the rest of the world would listen to and understand.

Overall, “Paraiso” is a unique portrayal of a barren and decaying land where hopelessness and despair prevail. The singer wishes to infuse truth, hope, and respect into Paraiso to make it beautiful again. The song encourages the rest of the world to see the importance of preserving nature and appreciating the little things that can bring joy even in the harshest conditions.

Line by Line Meaning

Return to a land called paraiso,
Come back to a place named paradise,

A place where a dying river ends.
A place where a river that is about to die comes to a conclusion.

No birds there fly over paraiso,
Paraiso doesn't have any birds flying over it,

No space allows them to endure.
There is no room for the birds to survive in the place.

The smoke that screens the air,
The smoke that fills and obstructs the air.

The grass that's never there.
The grass that never grows in the area.

And if i could see a single bird, what a joy.
Being able to see a bird in this place would be a great delight.

I try to write some words and create
I attempt to form sentences and compose

A simple song to be heard
A basic song that can be heard by everyone.

By the rest of the world.
By the remainder of the world.

I live in this land called paraiso,
I reside in this place named Paradise,

In a house made of cardboard floors and walls.
In a hut constructed of cardboard floors and walls.

I learned to be free in paraiso,
In Paraiso, I acquired how to be free,

Free to claim anything i see.
Free to take possession of anything I can see.

Matching rags for my clothes,
Tattered clothes that match

Plastic bags for the cold.
Plastic bags utilized to protect against the cold.

And if empty cans were all i have, what a joy.
If empty containers were all I had, it would still bring me joy.

I never fight to take someone
I don't battle to take someone else's

Else's coins and live with fear
money and live in fear

Like the rest of the boys.
Like the other boys who are doing it.

Paraiso, help me make a stand.
Paraiso, assist me in making a stand.

Paraiso, take me by the hand
Paraiso, hold my hand

Paraiso, make the world understand
Paraiso, make the world comprehend

That if i could see a single bird, what a joy.
That being able to see a bird in this place would be a great delight.

This tired and hungry land could expect
This exhausted and starving land could anticipate

Some truth and hope and respect
Some honesty, hope, and respect

From the rest of the world.
From the remainder of the world.

Writer(s): Cayabyab Ryan, P. Cayabyab Raymundo Cipriano

Contributed by Kylie N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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