The Cabeceo

Skip to content

Song

Cara sucia · Francisco Canaro · 1917

Francisco Canarosinger unknowntangoAtlanta
Music by Francisco Canaro, lyrics by Juan Andrés Caruso. 7 recordings in our catalogue, 1917–1957.

Pinned at 1917 · Guardia Vieja 1880–1919 · Francisco Canaro recordings indexed 1915–1973 · gold: Early recordings, 1915–1926

The song

The piece as people name it, whoever plays it.

3 orchestras recorded it

70 Dances filmed to it

Who wrote it

Music
Francisco Canaro
Words
Juan Andrés Caruso
Written
not yet cited · help fill it
First played
not yet cited · help fill it

Source: TangoCloud catalogue

Lyrics

Español

Cara sucia, cara sucia, cara sucia Te has venido con la cara sin lavar, Esa cara tan bonita y picarona Que refleja una pasión angelical. Si tu cara fuera espejo de tu alma Siempre sucia la debías de llevar Y mis labios tuvieran que ser la fuente Donde tu cara se tendría que lavar. Anda a lavarte la cara En la fuente del amor, Y que el brillo de tus ojos Igualen siempre a tus labios rojos... Andá a lavarte la cara Que deslumbra como el sol, Y hasta el mismo San Antonio pecaría Cara sucia, cara sucia, Confesándote su amor. Por tu audacia y tu figura de pillete Por tu modo coquetón de caminar, Por tu traza de traviesa pizpireta Por tu modo malicioso de mirar. Por tu rubia ensortijada cabellera Por tu modo encantador de conversar, Es motivo para que todos los mozos Cara sucia, te critiquen al pasar.

English · machine translation

Dirty face, dirty face, dirty face, dirty face You've come with your face unwashed, That pretty, naughty face That reflects an angelic passion. If your face were a mirror of your soul You should always wear it dirty And my lips would have to be the fountain Where your face would have to wash. Go wash your face In the fountain of love, And may the brightness of your eyes May they always match your red lips... Go wash your face That dazzles like the sun, And even Saint Anthony himself would sin Dirty face, dirty face, Confessing his love for you. For your audacity and your pileated figure For your flirtatious way of walking, For your mischievous, mischievous, mischievous way of walking. For your mischievous way of looking. For your blond curly hair For your charming way of conversing, It's a reason for all the waiters Dirty face, criticize you in passing.

Every version

Computed from the catalogue, not yet written by anyone

The catalogue holds 7 recordings of this song by 3 orchestras, 1917 to 1957.
1910’20’30’40’50
Recordings of Cara sucia · Francisco Canaro · 1917 by year, taller the more they are danced · 7 of 7 recordings carry a year · read Nov 1, 2026

7 recordings · our catalogue, dances filmed on TangoTube · 7 more we know of

a version people dance tono Dances matched yet: something to listen to

The leader is Carlos Di Sarli, with 99% of the 70 filmed dances matched to a version of this song.

“No match yet” means no filmed dance is tied to that version so far, not that nobody dances it. Dances whose music we have not identified are left out.

Choose A and B on two recordings to hear them one after the other.

  1. Juan CanaroCara suciaJuan CanaroErnesto Famátango
    No match yet
    1931
  2. Vicente LoducaNot in our catalogue1925
  3. Carlos Di SarliNot in our catalogue1942
  4. Los señores del tangoNot in our catalogue1956
  5. Los señores del tangoNot in our catalogue1957
  6. Roberto FirpoNot in our catalogue
  7. Vicente LoducaNot in our catalogue
  8. Los señores del tangoNot in our catalogue

One recording

A dated take, with its sound and the couples dancing it.

Francisco Canaro

Cara suciaFrancisco Canarosinger unknowntangoAtlanta

No couple filmed dancing this recording yet

Read more

What we don't know yet4 of 5 known

The day it was recorded.

Data: recordings, facts and sources

No published facts yet. Facts appear here, each with its source, as they are collected.

Listen

  1. Cara suciaFrancisco Canarosinger unknown

Ask Tangopedia

Answers only from cited facts, each with its source.