Andres Calamaro - Por Una Cabeza [Spanish&English lyrics]

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Uploaded by on Jul 27, 2011

Andres Calamaro - Por Una Cabeza,song written in 1935...

"POR UNA CABEZA", meaning "by a head [of a horse]" in Spanish, is one of the most famous and popular tango songs by Carlos Gardel (composer) and Alfredo Le Pera (lyricist), written in 1935. Alfredo Le Pera was a Brazilian from São Paulo, the most Italian-influenced area in Brazil, and also the birthplace of Zequinha de Abreu, composer of Tico-Tico no Fubá. Le Pera died along with Gardel in the same airplane crash in Medellín (Colombia), on June 24, 1935.

The lyrics of the song talk about a compulsive horse-track gambler who compares his addiction for horses with his attraction to women.


Por una cabeza

The tango has been performed by numerous tango orchestras and is commonly featured in films and television, most notably The Tango Project (Nonesuch Records), consisting of Accordionist William Schimmel, Pianist Michael Sahl and Violinist Stan Kurtis. Tango scenes with "Por una cabeza" appear in Planet 51, Schindler's List, Scent of a Woman, Delicatessen, True Lies, All the King's Men, Bad Santa, Episode 37 of Nip/Tuck, Episode 9 of Sweet Spy, the beginning and ending credits of I'm Sorry, I Love You, and the CSI: NY episode "Down the Rabbit Hole", and in the movie "Frida" (Salma Hayek), Gardel is heard on a radio singing it. It is also quoted in David Del Tredici's "Good News! Nilda is Back" (from the song cycle Miz Inez Sez). In Scent of a Woman, The Tango Project actually appears in the famous Tango scene starring Al Pacino. John Williams arranged a version of the piece and it appears on the album "Cinema Serenade", with violin solo by Itzhak Perlman. Williams (conducting) and Perlman have also performed the piece during their live concerts together.
The most recognizable portion of the melody is inspired by Mozart's Rondo for violin and orchestra in C major, K. 373. (from Wikipedia)

ANDRES CALAMARO (born Andrés Calamaro Masel, August 22, 1961,Buenos Aires), is an Argentine musician, composer and Latin Grammy winner.His former band Los Rodríguez was a major success in Spain in the 1990s. He became one of the main icons of the Argentine rock in the last two decades and has sold over 1.3 million copies.(from Wikipedia)
For more about Andres Calamaro's biography,click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrés_Calamaro

Lyrics:

Version en castellano (spanish dialect)

Por una cabeza de un noble potrillo
que justo en la raya afloja al llegar
y que al regresar parece decir:
no olvides, hermano,
vos sabes, no hay que jugar...

Por una cabeza, metejon de un dia,
de aquella coqueta y risueña mujer
que al jurar sonriendo,
el amor que esta 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
que importa perderme,
mil veces la vida
para que vivir...

Cuantos desengaños, por una cabeza,
yo jure mil veces no vuelvo a insistir
pero si un mirar me hiere al pasar,
su boca de fuego, otra vez, quiero besar.

Basta de carreras, se acabo la timba,
un final reñido yo no vuelvo a ver,
pero si algun pingo llega a ser fija el domingo,
yo me juego entero, que le voy a hacer.

Por una cabeza
todas las locuras
su boca que besa
borra la tristeza,
calma la amargura.

Por una cabeza
si ella me olvida
que importa perderme,
mil veces la vida
para que vivir...

English translation:

Losing by a head of a noble horse
who slackens just down the stretch
and when it comes back it seems to say:
don't forget brother,
You know, you shouldn't bet.

Losing by a head, instant violent love
of that flirtatious and cheerful woman
who, swearing with a smile
a love she's lying about,
burns in a blaze all my love.

Losing by a head
there was all that madness;
her mouth in a kiss
wipes out the sadness,
it soothes the bitterness.

Losing by a head
if she forgets me,
no matter to lose
my life a thousand times;
what to live for?

Many deceptions, loosing by a head...
I swore a thousand times not to insist again
but if a look sways me on passing by
her lips of fire, I want to kiss once more.

Enough of race tracks, no more gambling,
a photo-finish I'm not watching again,
but if a pony looks like a sure thing on Sunday,
I'll bet everything again, what can I do?

Losing by a head
there was all that madness;
her mouth in a kiss
wipes out the sadness,
it soothes the bitterness.

Losing by a head
if she forgets me,
no matter to lose
my life a thousand times;
what to live for?

Entity: WMG Content Type: Sound Recording

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All Comments (2)

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  • te amo Salmon

  • y bueno que mas se puede decir...por ser calamaro esta bueno el tema, yo compuse un tema que se llama (K-yendo Lento), escuchalo a ver que te parece....

    aguante Gardel por 100PRE, salu2.

    (El Flacuuuuu).

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