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Mentiras criollas

Mentiras criollas is a Tango written by Oscar Arona and recorded by Roberto Firpo in 1929. The Tango Mentiras criollas is written by Oscar Arona, Roberto Firpo has recorded Mentiras criollas with the singer Teófilo Ibáñez.
“Mentiras Criollas,” or “Creole Lies,” weaves a tapestry of tales spun in shadowed corners of the heart. In this dance of deception, truth mingles with tradition, where the whispers of bygone eras cascade through the melody like forgotten secrets. Each note tells a story of dreams entwined with reality, capturing the bittersweet tango of love and illusion.

Tango

Style

Roberto Firpo

Orchestra

Teófilo Ibáñez

Singer

Oscar Arona

Author

Oscar Arona

Composer

1929/10/18

Date

Teófilo Ibáñez
Teófilo Ibáñez
Roberto Firpo
Roberto Firpo

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Rodolfo Biagi – Oyendo tu voz – 1942/8/28
Rodolfo Biagi – Si la llegaran a ver – 1943/12/7
Rodolfo Biagi – Soñemos – 1957/1/9
Rodolfo Biagi – Pájaro herido – 1941/10/7
Carlos di Sarli – Barba de choclo – 1945/6/4
Carlos di Sarli – El paladín – 1941/12/11
Carlos di Sarli – En un beso la vida – 1940/9/23
Carlos di Sarli – Organito de la tarde – 1954/8/31
Carlos di Sarli – Entre pitada y pitada – 1942/3/30
Francisco Canaro – Asaura – 1924/1/1
Francisco Canaro – El palomo ladrón – 1922/1/1
Francisco Canaro – Entrá nomás – 1925/1/1
Francisco Canaro – Padre nuestro – 1923/1/1
Francisco Canaro – La Diana – 1924/1/1
Astor Piazzolla – Mi refugio – 1957/1/1
Astor Piazzolla – Michelangelo ’70 – 1987/1/1
Astor Piazzolla – Lo que vendrá – 1957/1/1
Astor Piazzolla – La chiflada – 1945/7/30
Astor Piazzolla – Anoné – 1957/1/1

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.

1929/10/18 – Canto de amor (2) – Roberto Firpo
1929/10/18 – La eterna milonga – Roberto Firpo
1929/10/18 – Flor y truco – Orquesta Tipica Victor
1929/10/18 – Hombrecito – Orquesta Tipica Victor
1929/10/20 – De todo te olvidas (Cabeza de novia) – Roberto Firpo

Lyrics Translation of the Tango Mentiras criollas

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

Letra del Tango Mentiras criollas

Si querés vivir feliz,

si ilusión querés tener,

conformate con creer

sin entrar a discutir:

que te besan por amor;

qu’es alegre el cabaret;

que por diez dan lo de cien

cuando hay liquidación;

que si corren p’ganar

te lo vienen a decir…

Que te van a conseguir

un empleo nacional…

Que no ha sido un mancarrón

la ‘ternera’ que comés

y que el vino que te alegra

vió la uva alguna vez…



Si al consejo andás cuerpeando

te prevengo como amigo,

que las cosas que te digo

son verdades al revés.

¡Dalas vuelta… meditalas!…

¡Campaneá que son fuleras!

¡Mirá lo que t’espera

si en mentiras no creés!…



¡Vas tomuer si analizás!

¡No te hagas el Kaiserling!…

Que es mejor hacerse el gil,

ser creyente… y no dudar.

Que el casorio arreglarás

con la rifa del chalet

que firmás los pagarés

por la guita que te dan;

qu’el patrón te v’aumentar

si cinchás de sol a sol,

que de músico o doctor

por correo aprenderás…

Qu’el calmante pa’l resfrío

no te faja el corazón…

y por su valor escrito

jugarás la del millón.

Si al consejo andás cuerpeando

te prevengo como amigo,

que las cosas que te digo

son verdades al revés.

¡Dalas vuelta… meditalas!…

¡Campaneá que son fuleras!

¡Y mirá lo que te espera

si en mentiras no creés!…

English lyrics of the Tango "Mentiras criollas"

If you want to live happily,
if you want to have dreams,
content yourself with believing
without starting to argue:
that they kiss you for love;
that the cabaret is joyful;
that they give ten for a hundred
when there’s a sale;
that if they run to win,
they come to tell you…
That they will get you
a national job…
That it’s not a worn-out horse
the ‘calf’ you eat
and that the wine that cheers you
has ever seen a grape…

If you dodge advice,
I warn you as a friend,
that the things I tell you
are reversed truths.
Turn them around… ponder them!…
Ring the bell that they’re ugly!
Look at what awaits you
if you don’t believe in lies!…

You’ll drop dead if you analyze!
Don’t act like a know-it-all!…
It’s better to play dumb,
to believe… and not doubt.
That you’ll settle your marriage
with the raffle of the chalet
you sign promissory notes
for the money they give you;
that the boss will give you a raise
if you work from dawn to dusk,
that you’ll learn to be a musician or a doctor
by mail…
That the cold remedy
won’t slam your heart…
and for its written value
you’ll play the million.
If you dodge advice
I warn you as a friend,
that the things I tell you
are reversed truths.
Turn them around… ponder them!…
Ring the bell that they’re ugly!
And look at what awaits you
if you don’t believe in lies!…

Mentiras criollas by Oscar Arona

Mentiras criollas is a Tango written by Oscar Arona and composed by Oscar Arona.



Story behind the Tango Mentiras criollas

“Mentiras criollas,” translating to “Creole Lies” in English, explores the theme of disillusionment and skepticism towards commonly accepted truths or promises within Argentine society. The lyrics question the sincerity behind expressions of love, the happiness in nightlife, and the reliability of financial and personal assurances. By advising listeners to understand these statements inversely, Arona captures deep cultural cynicism and the struggle between reality and appearance, an emotional landscape filled with irony and resignation.



Symbolism of Mentiras criollas

Oscar Arona employs ordinary scenarios and mundane objects to convey complex meanings. The mention of a cabaret as cheerful suggests the superficial joy often portrayed to mask deeper discontent. The “casorio” or marriage arranged by the raffle of a chalet symbolizes the commodification of personal life orchestrated through supposed chance. Each metaphor and symbol Arona deploys paints a broader portrait of a society entrenched in deception, where truths are often the reverse of what is spoken, and where survival perhaps depends more on the acceptance of lies than on the pursuit of truth.



Mentiras criollas in historical Context

Recorded in 1929, “Mentiras criollas” emerged in a period of significant political and social change in Argentina, characterized by the rise and fall of governments and the beginning impacts of the Great Depression. This context of instability and the flourishing of tango music as a vehicle for expressing emotional and social truths of the lower and middle classes reflects the anxieties and disillusionment captured in the lyrics. The economic trials and societal shifts could have heightened the perception of dishonesty in public and personal dealings, shaping the song’s skeptical tone.



Oscar Arona

Oscar Arona was a prolific Argentine composer and lyricist, known for his poignant contributions to the Tango genre.