Eres Tú And The Beauty Of Simile and Metaphor

Mocedades at the 1973 Eurovision Song Contest

In Merriam Webster we read that, A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two different things, usually by employing the words “like” or “as” – also, but less commonly, “if”, or “than”. A simile differs from a metaphor in that the latter compares two unlike things by saying that the one thing is the other thing.

The use of the rhetorical devices simile and metaphor is an easy way to spice up your speech content. You’ll make it more visual, hence more understandable, and, as a consequence, more memorable.

One of my all-time favorite Spanish songs is Eres Tu. The song was written by Juan Carlos Calderón and sung by the Basque group Mocedades who became second with it at the 1973 Eurovision song contest. Back in those days, fortunately, the groups still sang in their own languages.

Apart from the moving melody, the lyrics of this song are special and unique. They are entirely based on similes (S) and metaphors (M).

Lyrics of Eres Tú

Como una promesa, eres tú, eres tú. // Like a promise, that’s you, that’s you. (S)
Como una mañana de verano, // Like a summer morning, (S)
como una sonrisa, eres tú, eres tú. // like a smile, that’s you, that’s you. (S)
Así, así, eres tú. // That’s the way you are.

Toda mi esperanza, eres tú, eres tú. // All my hope, that’s you, that’s you. (M)
Como lluvia fresca en mis manos, // Like fresh rain in my hands, (S)
como fuerte brisa, eres tú, eres tú. // like a strong breeze, that’s you, that’s you. (S)
Así, así, eres tú. // That’s the way you are.

Eres tú como el agua de mi fuente. // That’s you, like the water of my fountain. (S)
Eres tú el fuego de mi hogar. // That’s you, the fire at my home. (M)
Eres tú como el fuego de mi hoguera. // That’s you, like the fire of my fireplace. (S)
Eres tú el trigo de mi pan. // That’s you, the wheat of my bread. (M)

Como mi poema, eres tú, eres tú. // Like my poem, that’s you, that’s you. (S)
Como una guitarra en la noche, // Like a guitar at night, (S)
todo mi horizonte eres tú, eres tú. // all my horizon, that’s you, that’s you. (M)
Así, así, eres tú. // That’s the way you are.

Eres tú como el agua de mi fuente. // That’s you, like the water of my fountain. (S)
Eres tú el fuego de mi hogar. // That’s you, the fire at my home. (M)
Eres tú como el fuego de mi hoguera. // That’s you, like the fire of my fireplace. (S)
Eres tú el trigo de mi pan. // That’s you, the wheat of my bread. (M)

Eres tú…. // That’s you…

Aren’t these lyrics wonderful? Use similes and metaphors a lot in your speeches and presentations. They make your points more visual, understandable and memorable.

And now enjoy Eres Tú and the beauty of simile and metaphor…

Here is another version of this incredible song…