Fabrice Knecht Tango DJ

Cuesta abajo

Cuesta abajo is a Tango written by Carlos Gardel and recorded by Osvaldo Fresedo in 1963. Osvaldo Fresedo has recorded Cuesta abajo as an instrumental Tango.
“Cuesta Abajo,” translated as “Downhill,” evokes the essence of an inevitable descent, a journey through the shadows of time and memory. It speaks of life’s melancholy passages, where joy and sorrow blend like the fading notes of a tango. In its melody, one finds the bittersweet dance of dreams lost and the echo of paths once taken.

Tango

Style

Osvaldo Fresedo

Orchestra

Instrumental

Singer

Alfredo Le Pera

Author

Carlos Gardel

Composer

1963/6/17

Date

Instrumental
Instrumental
Osvaldo Fresedo
Osvaldo Fresedo

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Recommended

These Tangos, Valses, and Milongas were recorded around the same time. Take a look to discover what else this orchestra—or others—may have recorded during the same week or even on the exact same day.

Cuesta abajo recorded by other Orchestras

Cuesta abajo recorded by other Orchestras

1963/6/17 – Entrelazados – Osvaldo Fresedo
1963/6/18 – Amores de estudiante – Anibal Troilo
1963/6/18 – Pa- que bailen los muchachos – Anibal Troilo
1963/6/11 – San Pedro y San Pablo – Anibal Troilo
1963/6/10 – Clavel del aire – Juan D-Arienzo
Cuesta abajo – 1963/6/17 – Osvaldo Fresedo – Instrumental
Cuesta abajo – 1953/12/9 – Jose Basso – Rodolfo Gale
Cuesta abajo – 1975/1/1 – Hector Varela – Fernando Soler

Letra del Tango Cuesta abajo

Si arrastré por este mundo
la vergüenza de haber sido
y el dolor de ya no ser.
Bajo el ala del sombrero
cuantas veces, embozada,
una lágrima asomada
yo no pude contener…
Si crucé por los caminos
como un paria que el destino
se empeñó en deshacer;
si fui flojo, si fui ciego,
sólo quiero que hoy comprendan
el valor que representa
el coraje de querer.

Era, para mí, la vida entera,
como un sol de primavera,
mi esperanza y mi pasión.
Sabía que en el mundo no cabía
toda la humilde alegría
de mi pobre corazón.
Ahora, cuesta abajo en mi rodada,
las ilusiones pasadas
yo no las puedo arrancar.
Sueño con el pasado que añoro,
el tiempo viejo que lloro
y que nunca volverá.

Por seguir tras de su huella
yo bebí incansablemente
en mi copa de dolor,
pero nadie comprendía
que, si todo yo lo daba
en cada vuelta dejaba
pedazos de corazón.
Ahora, triste, en la pendiente,
solitario y ya vencido
yo me quiero confesar:
si aquella boca mentía
el amor que me ofrecía,
por aquellos ojos brujos
yo habría dado siempre más.

English lyrics of the Tango "Cuesta abajo"

If I dragged through this world
the shame of having been
and the pain of no longer being.
Under the brim of the hat,
how often, muffled,
a tear appeared
I could not contain…
If I crossed the paths
as a pariah whom fate
insisted on destroying;
if I was weak, if I was blind,
I only want them to understand today
the value that represents
the courage to love.

Life was, for me, everything,
like a spring sun,
my hope and my passion.
I knew the humble joy
of my poor heart
could not fit in the world.
Now, downhill in my decline,
I cannot uproot
the past illusions.
I dream of the past I yearn for,
the old times I mourn
and that will never return.

In pursuit of her trail
I drank tirelessly
from my cup of pain,
but no one understood
that if I gave it all
at each turn I left
pieces of heart.
Now, sad on the decline,
lonely and already defeated
I want to confess:
if that mouth lied
about the love it offered me,
for those bewitching eyes
I would have always given more.

Cuesta abajo by Alfredo Le Pera

Cuesta abajo is a Tango written by Alfredo Le Pera and composed by Carlos Gardel.

Story behind the Tango Cuesta abajo

The song Cuesta abajo translates as “Downhill,” and it poetically narrates the journey of a person who has both literally and metaphorically seen better days, experienced decline, and faced the pain of losing all they cherished. The lyrical content evokes the harsh reality of love lost, the passage of time, and the desolation of loneliness, serving as a reflective lamentation about life’s inevitable downward spirals. The narrator’s vivid emotions are encapsulated in the remembrance of a past filled with love and vibrant life, directly contrasting with their present bereft and beaten state.

Symbolism of Cuesta abajo

The primary symbol in the song is the “cuesta abajo” or downhill, which represents the decline or degradation of the narrator’s life and fortunes following heartbreak. This downhill descent is not just physical but also emotional and social, pointing to the comprehensive nature of loss. The narrative makes use of poignant imagery such as “bajo el ala del sombrero” (under the brim of the hat) to communicate hidden sorrow, often concealed by outward appearances. The “copa de dolor” (cup of pain) is another strong metaphor, illustrating that the protagonist’s life experiences are steeped in suffering.

Cuesta abajo in Historic Context

Written and recorded in the 1960s by Carlos Gardel and Alfredo Le Pera, Cuesta abajo carries with it the cultural and social backdrop of Argentina during a time when Tango music expressed the deep-seated melancholy and complexities of everyday life. The genre often explored themes of despair, nostalgia, and the unfulfilled romantic desires of the working class. This period saw Tango become a reflective medium for the expression of personal and collective troubles, aligning with national sentiments of disillusionment and change.

Alfredo Le Pera

Alfredo Le Pera was an Argentine lyricist and journalist, best known for his collaboration with the famed Tango singer Carlos Gardel, creating some of the most iconic tangos in the history of the genre.