The lyrics of "The Snail and the Oriole" are as follows:
A vine in front of the gate
A tender green grass is just sprouting
The snail carries the heavy shell
Crawling upward step by step
Two orioles on the tree
Hip hip hip hooray laughing
Grapes are still ripening early
What are we doing here now? Laughing at it
The grapes are still ripening
Why are they up here now
Don't laugh at the yellow oriole
It'll be ripe when I get up there
There's a vine in front of the gate
The green grass is just sprouting
A snail with a heavy shell
Crawling upward, one step at a time
The snail carries the heavy shellCrawling upward step by step
Introduction to "The Snail and the Oriole"
"The Snail and the Oriole" is a ballad song composed by Chen Hongwen, Zuo Hongyuan, and sung by Yinxia. Yinxia, whose real name is Zhang Jiaxing, is an excellent school singer in Taiwan. The song is in 2/4 time, pentatonic modulation, and one-step structure. The song's melody is light and lively, and the lyrics are lively and interesting, which is a metaphor for the tenacity of people in their daily lives who are not afraid of difficulties and are persistent in their pursuit of their goals.
"The Snail and the Oriole" is a narrative folk song popularized in Taiwan. The lyrics, in the narrator's voice, tell a funny story about a snail climbing up a vine with a heavy shell on its back when the vine is just sprouting, while an oriole mocks it from the side. The song celebrates the snail's perseverance and enterprising spirit.