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El pollero

El pollero is a Tango written by Héctor Marcó and recorded by Alfredo Gobbi in 1949. The Tango El pollero is written by Héctor Marcó, Alfredo Gobbi has recorded El pollero with the singer Jorge Maciel.
“El Pollero” translates to “The Chicken Vendor” in English. This piece of music, vibrant and full of life, captures the bustling energy of a market day. With each note, it paints a lively scene where the rhythms mimic the clucking of chickens, embodying the spirited exchange between the vendor and his eager customers.

Tango

Style

Alfredo Gobbi

Orchestra

Jorge Maciel

Singer

Héctor Marcó

Author

Héctor Marcó

Composer

1949/3/24

Date

Jorge Maciel
Jorge Maciel
Alfredo Gobbi
Alfredo Gobbi

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Ricardo Malerba – La morena de mi copla – 1961/1/1
Ricardo Malerba – Linda – 1956/9/13
Ricardo Malerba – Violín – 1944/3/6
Ricardo Malerba – Una copa mas – 1944/10/16
Juan D’Arienzo – Esta noche me emborracho – 1928/1/1
Juan D’Arienzo – Sin alma y sin dios – 1958/11/19
Juan D’Arienzo – Solo tuya – 1969/8/12
Juan D’Arienzo – Papas calientes – 1967/7/27
Juan D’Arienzo – El internado – 1965/8/27
Carlos di Sarli – Solamente ella – 1945/3/8
Carlos di Sarli – La cachila – 1952/6/10
Carlos di Sarli – El Incendio – 1940/6/19
Carlos di Sarli – Tinta verde – 1945/10/30
Carlos di Sarli – Cortando camino – 1941/3/6
LOS SEÑORES DEL TANGO – Milonguero viejo – 1962/10/8

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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 pollero recorded by other Orchestras

El pollero recorded by other Orchestras

1949/3/24 – Orlando Goni – Alfredo Gobbi
1949/3/21 – La ultima cita – Florindo Sassone
1949/3/21 – Mano cruel – Florindo Sassone
1949/3/30 – Patetico – Anibal Troilo
1949/3/30 – Una lagrima tuya – Anibal Troilo
El pollero – 1949/5/23 – Francisco Rotundo – Carlos Roldan
El pollero – 1949/3/24 – Alfredo Gobbi – Jorge Maciel

Lyrics Translation of the Tango El pollero

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

Letra del Tango El pollero

Canturreando en el pescante

de su carrito pintado

va Saturnino Taborda,

gritando a los cuatro vientos:

¡Hay pollo y gallinas gordas!

Y casi a ras de la llanta

escrito a pulso y prolijo,

lleva un letrero que dice:

‘Soy soltero y no me aflijo.’

Así recorre el pollero

las calles de mi arrabal.



¿De dónde viene? Nadie lo sabe.

Si tuvo amores, ¿Quién lo sabrá?

De sud a norte, de Hornos a Corrales,

es otro grito de mi ciudad.

Pero alguien dice que en una puerta

del conventillo llegó una vez,

y sin cobrarla dejó la yunta

a la obrerita del cuarto diez.

Al otro día, volvió de nuevo,

pero temblando con pena vio

que se llevaban a Margarita

ya para siempre camino a Dios.



(recitado)

Por eso, cuando las viejas

ven a Taborda llegar,

se juntan en el conventillo

para poderlo bichar.

Porque al llegar a esa puerta

siempre lo ven solllozar.



Canturreando en el pescante

de su carrito pintado,

allá se pierde Taborda

gritando a los cuatro vientos:

¡Hay pollo y gallinas gordas!

Y al morir la tardecita,

quién sabe, sufriendo el tranco,

pensando en su Margarita

sienta el amor en sus brazos.

Hasta que algún barquinazo

lo llama a la realidad.

English lyrics of the Tango "El pollero"

Humming on the driver’s seat

of his painted little cart

goes Saturnino Taborda,

shouting to the four winds:

“Chicken and fat hens for sale!”

And just above the wheel

neatly handwritten,

there’s a sign that reads:

“I’m single and not worried.”

Thus, the chicken-seller

travels the streets of my suburb.



Where does he come from? Nobody knows.

Did he have a love? Who could tell?

From south to north, from Hornos to Corrales,

he’s another cry of my city.

But someone says that at a tenement door

he once arrived,

and for the working girl of apartment ten,

he left the carriage unbeaten.

The next day, he came back,

but trembling with sorrow he saw

that they were taking Margarita

forever on the way to God.



(spoken)

That’s why, when the old women

see Taborda arrive,

they gather in the tenement

to be able to scrutinize him.

Because upon reaching that door

they always see him sob.


Humming on the driver’s seat

of his painted little cart,

there goes Taborda

shouting to the four winds:

“Chicken and fat hens for sale!”

And as the evening dies,

who knows, enduring the pace,

thinking of his Margarita

feels love in his arms.

Until some sudden jolt

calls him back to reality.

El pollero by Héctor Marcó

El pollero is a Tango written by Héctor Marcó and composed by Héctor Marcó.



Story behind the Tango El pollero

“El pollero” narrates the tale of Saturnino Taborda, a humble chicken vendor, who traverses the neighborhoods of Buenos Aires with his painted cart, advertising his plump chickens. The lyrics convey a deeper story of love and loss, capturing a fleeting love with Margarita, a worker girl, and the subsequent mourning after her early death. This poignant story is set against the seemingly mundane backdrop of his daily routine, underscored by his solitary declaration on his cart: ‘I’m single and I don’t worry.’



Symbolism of El pollero

The symbolism in “El pollero” is rich, contrasting the bright imagery of the decorated cart and the vibrant call for chicken sales with the dark, underlying narrative of personal loss. Saturnino’s repeated line, ‘I’m single and I don’t worry,’ symbolizes his masked solitude and perhaps denial about his unresolved grief over Margarita’s death. The cyclical structure of the tango, beginning and ending with the same verses, highlights the relentless passage of time and the unchanging nature of his pain. Furthermore, the references to the streets “de Hornos a Corrales,” territorial landmarks in Buenos Aires, symbolize Saturnino’s expansive yet confined world, bridging local identity with universal themes of love and loss.



El pollero in historic Context

Created in 1949, “El pollero” reflects the post-World War II era in Buenos Aires, a time characterized by significant social changes and the emergence of the working-class neighborhoods, or “arrabales.” During this period, tango music increasingly became a medium to portray everyday stories and struggles of the common people. This context illuminates why Marcó chose a humble chicken vendor as his protagonist—representing the ordinary, yet emotionally complex lives of his contemporaries. The streets from ‘Hornos to Corrales’ were likely bustling commercial areas at the time, emphasizing the vibrancy of community life amid personal hardships.



Héctor Marcó

Héctor Marcó was an accomplished Argentine lyricist and composer, renowned for his contributions to the Tango genre, often infusing his compositions with deep emotional narratives and rich local color.