Song
Por una cabeza · Carlos Gardel · 1935
Carlos GardelsungtangoWho recorded it
Every version6Earliest we hold: Francisco Lomuto, 1935
Pinned at 1935 · Golden Age 1935–1954
Por una cabeza · Carlos Gardel · 1935: Recorded in the Paramount studios in Queens for one of Gardel's Hollywood films; about a horse race and, by extension, love.†
The song
The piece as people name it, whoever plays it.
6 orchestras recorded it
13 Dances filmed to it
Who wrote it
- Music
- Carlos Gardel
- Words
- Alfredo Le Pera
- Written
- not yet cited · help fill it
- First played
- not yet cited · help fill it
Source: TangoCloud catalogue
Lyrics
Español · Underlined words are lunfardo: tap one for its meaning.
Por una cabeza de un noble potrillo que justo en la raya afloja al llegar, y que al regresar parece decir: No olvidés, hermano, vos sabés, no hay que jugar. Por una cabeza, de un día de aquella coqueta y burlona mujer, que al jurar sonriendo el amor que está mintiendo, quema en una hoguera todo mi querer. Por una cabeza, todas las locuras. Su boca que besa, borra la tristeza, calma la amargura. Por una cabeza, si ella me olvida qué importa perderme mil veces la vida, para qué vivir. Cuántos desengaños, por una cabeza. Yo juré mil veces, no vuelvo a insistir. Pero si un mirar me hiere al pasar, sus labios de fuego otra vez quiero besar. Basta de carreras, se acabó la timba. ¡Un final reñido ya no vuelvo a ver! Pero si algún pingo llega a ser fija el domingo, yo me juego entero. ¡Qué le voy a hacer..!
English · machine translation
For a head of a noble colt that right at the line loosens on arrival, and when returning seems to say: Don't forget, brother, you know, don't play. For a head, one day's metejon of that flirtatious and mocking woman who, while swearing smiling the love she's lying, burns in a bonfire all my love. For a head, all the follies. Her kissing mouth erases sadness, soothes bitterness. For a head, if she forgets me what does it matter to lose me a thousand times life, why live. How many disappointments, for one head. I swore a thousand times, I will not insist again. But if a glance wounds me as I pass by, her fiery lips I want to kiss again. No more running, the game is over. A close finish I'll never see again! But if any pingo becomes fixed on Sunday, I'll bet the whole thing. What can I do!
Every version
Computed from the catalogue, not yet written by anyone
6 recordings · our catalogue, dances filmed on TangoTube · 17 more we know of
a version people dance tono Dances matched yet: something to listen to
Choose A and B on two recordings to hear them one after the other.
- Miguel CalóPor una cabezaMiguel CalóCarlos BarbétangoOdeonNo match yet1953
- Francisco CanaroPor una cabezaFrancisco CanaroArgentino LedesmatangoOdeonNo match yet1969
- Francisco LomutoEarliest we holdPor una cabezaFrancisco LomutoJorge OmartangoRCA Victor3 dances1935
- Hugo DiazMost dancedPor una cabezaHugo Diaztango10 dances1975
- Atilio StamponePor una cabezaAtilio StamponeRoberto GoyenechetangoNo match yet1972
- Orquesta Típica ImperialPor una cabezaOrquesta Típica ImperialJulio César FernántangoNo match yet2006
- Terig TucciNot in our catalogueCarlos Gardel · Mar 191935
- Donato RacciattiNot in our catalogueCarlos Roldán1960
- Alfredo De AngelisNot in our catalogueCarlos Aguirre · Sep 241976
- QuinTangoNot in our catalogue1998
- Orquesta Matos RodríguezNot in our catalogueDaniel Cortés2005
- Emilio RamilNot in our catalogue
- Alberto Di PauloNot in our catalogueJorge Valdez
- Donato RacciattiNot in our catalogue
- Esteban MorgadoNot in our catalogue-unspecified male-, -choir-
- -unspecified female-Not in our catalogue
- Juanjo DomínguezNot in our catalogue
- Trio PantangoNot in our catalogue
- Conjunto Los cosos de al laoNot in our catalogue
- Muzet RoyalNot in our catalogueCaio Rodríguez
Read more
- PodcastTango By Year: Tango 1935
- EntryVolvió una noche · Carlos Gardel · 1935Recording
- EntryCuesta abajo · Carlos Gardel · 1934Recording
- EntryGuitarra mía · Carlos Gardel · 1935Recording
- EntryUna lágrima · Carlos Gardel · 1930Recording
- EntryUna lágrima · Carlos Gardel · 1930Recording
- EntryLa cabeza del italiano · Carlos Gardel · 1924Recording
- EntryCobardía · Carlos Gardel · 1933Recording
- EntryUn año más · Carlos Gardel · 1930Recording
Cite this
Data: recordings, facts and sources
Notes1
Recorded in the Paramount studios in Queens for one of Gardel's Hollywood films; about a horse race and, by extension, love.
Listen
Ask Tangopedia
Answers only from cited facts, each with its source.