Fabrice Knecht Tango DJ

El pescante

El pescante is a Tango written by Sebastián Piana and recorded by Osvaldo Pugliese in 1962. The Tango El pescante is written by Sebastián Piana, Osvaldo Pugliese has recorded El pescante with the singer Alfredo Belusi.
“El Pescante,” meaning “The Driver’s Seat” in English, conjures images of a time when carriages ruled the streets. The name speaks to a vantage point of control and oversight, where every turn and jolt of life’s path is felt firsthand. In its rhythm, one can hear the reins tighten as life’s journey unfolds with grace and unpredictable elegance.

Tango

Style

Osvaldo Pugliese

Orchestra

Alfredo Belusi

Singer

Homero Manzi

Author

Sebastián Piana

Composer

1962/6/1

Date

Alfredo Belusi
Alfredo Belusi
Osvaldo Pugliese
Osvaldo Pugliese

Discover Other Orchestras

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.

El pescante recorded by other Orchestras

El pescante recorded by other Orchestras

Lyrics Translation of the Tango El pescante

This is the translation of the Tango “El pescante” from Spanish to English. The English lyrics of the Tango “El pescante” have been done with AI.

Letra del Tango El pescante

Yunta oscura trotando en la noche.
Latigazo de alarde burlón.
Compadreando de gris sobre el coche
por las piedras de Constitución.

En la zurda amarrada la rienda,
amansó al colorao redomón.
Y, como él, se amansaron cien prendas
bajo el freno de su pretensión.

¡Vamos!…
cargao con sombra y recuerdo.
¡Vamos!…
atravesando el pasado.
¡Vamos!…
al son de tu tranco lerdo
¡Vamos!…
camino al tiempo olvidado.
Vamos por viejas rutinas,
tal vez de una esquina
nos llame René.
Vamos que en sus aventuras
viví una locura
de amor y Suisse.

Tungo flaco tranqueando en la tarde
sin aliento al chirlazo cansao.
Fracasado en su último alarde
bajo el sol de la calle Callao.

Despintado el alón del sombrero
ya ni silba la vieja canción,
pues no quedan ni amor ni viajeros
para el coche de su corazón.

English lyrics of the Tango "El pescante"

Dark pair trotting through the night,
Mocking whip cracks aloft.
Strutting in gray atop the coach
over Constitution’s rocks.

Reins tied in the left hand,
tamed the chestnut beast.
And just like him, a hundred trinkets
tamed beneath his willful clasp.

Let’s go!…
laden with shadows and memories.
Let’s go!…
crossing through the past.
Let’s go!…
to the rhythm of your slow pace,
Let’s go!…
on a road to forgotten times.
Let’s go through old routines,
maybe around a corner
René will call out to us.
Let’s go, for in his adventures
I lived a madness
of love and Suisse.

Skinny Tungo limping in the evening,
breathless from the tired snap.
Failed in his last flourish
under the sun of Callao Street.

Paint faded from the rim of his hat,
he no longer whistles the old tune,
for there are neither love nor travelers left
for the coach of his heart.

El pescante by Homero Manzi

El pescante is a Tango written by Homero Manzi and composed by Sebastián Piana.



Story behind the Tango El pescante

“El pescante” narrates a poignant tale of a coachman and his horse, reflecting on the passage of time and the inevitability of change. The primary themes outlined are nostalgia, the transient nature of life and love, and a yearning for a past characterized by youth and vibrance. The coachman, once vigorous and revered, now journeys through the city, yearning for the days when his life was filled with purpose and passion. Homero Manzi uses the coachman’s nightly rides through Buenos Aires as a metaphor for traveling through one’s memories and past experiences.



Symbolism of El pescante

In the lyrics, the coach and horse symbolize the journey through life and time. Manzi’s use of phrases like “cargao con sombra y recuerdo” (loaded with shadow and memory) and “camino al tiempo olvidado” (path to forgotten time) heightens the sense of nostalgia. The horse’s tired movements, “bajo el sol de la calle Callao” (under the sun on Callao Street), represent fading vitality and glory. Furthermore, the mention of René and Suisse hints at specific personal memories associated with places or people, symbolizing moments of love or significant life events that burn bright in the coachman’s fading memories.



El pescante in historic Context

Written in 1962, a period of great transformation in Argentina, “El pescante” reflects a sociocultural nostalgia for the old Buenos Aires, amidst rapid modernization and social changes. The locations mentioned, such as Constitución and Calle Callao, are significant; they represent busy urban settings that have evolved over decades. This tango, with its emphasis on the past, perhaps serves as a lament for the disappearing traditional ways of life, symbolized by the coachman whose era and importance are waning in the face of modernity.



Homero Manzi

Homero Manzi was a renowned Argentinian lyricist and poet, famous for his significant contributions to the tango genre. His works often encapsulate deep sentimentalism and a strong connection to Buenos Aires.