Margo by Homero Expósito

Margo is a Tango written by Homero Expósito and composed by Armando Pontier.

Story behind the Tango Margo

“Margo” is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and longing, set against the backdrop of a tango’s melancholy rhythms. The lyrics detail the sorrowful return of Margo to a city, where her very exhaustion carries the weight of an unresolved past. The narrative flows from deep personal reflections to broader experiences of alienation and sorrow in both Paris and Buenos Aires, cities symbolic of Margo’s emotional journey.

Symbolism of Margo

The repeated reference to a “tango más amargo” (a more bitter tango) encapsulates the essence of Margo’s despair and the overall emotional tone of the song. The tango, traditionally a dance of passion and intense emotions, here symbolizes the bitterness and sorrow in Margo’s life. The stark imagery of Margo crying “que dan ganas de llorar” (that it makes you want to cry) highlights the depth of her sadness, so profound that it evokes empathy and shared grief. Furthermore, the contrast of Margo’s purity, likened to “the moon over the sea,” against her silent, bleeding sorrow underscores her silent, internalized suffering.

Margo in historic Context

Created in 1946, shortly after World War II, “Margo” reflects a world recovering from profound loss and upheaval. During this period, tango music often mirrored sentiments of nostalgia and melancholy, a reflection of society’s collective mourning and rebuilding. Margo’s journey between Paris, a city historically seen as a beacon of light but darkened in this narrative, and Buenos Aires, typically vibrant but portrayed here as a place of lost songs and faith, symbolize the disorientation and the search for meaning in a post-war world.

Homero Expósito

Homero Expósito was a renowned Argentine lyricist who significantly influenced the world of tango with his sophisticated and emotive lyrics.