Fabrice Knecht Tango DJ

Por una cabeza

Por una cabeza is a Tango written by Carlos Gardel and recorded by Miguel Caló in 1953. The Tango Por una cabeza is written by Carlos Gardel, Miguel Caló has recorded Por una cabeza with the singer Carlos Barbé.
“Por una cabeza,” translated into English as “By a Head,” evokes the image of a narrow victory, like that of a horse winning by the slightest margin in a race. This tango echoes the bittersweet dance of love and loss, where emotions sway precariously on the edge of triumph and heartache. It captures the fleeting nature of passion, won or lost by the smallest of chances.

Tango

Style

Miguel Caló

Orchestra

Carlos Barbé

Singer

Alfredo Le Pera

Author

Carlos Gardel

Composer

1953/4/8

Date

Carlos Barbé
Carlos Barbé
Miguel Caló
Miguel Caló

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Lyrics Translation of the Tango Por una cabeza

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

Letra del Tango Por una cabeza

Por una cabeza

de un noble potrillo

que justo en la raya

afloja al llegar,

y que al regresar

parece decir:

No olvidés, hermano,

vos sabés, no hay que jugar.

Por una cabeza,

metejón de un día

de aquella coqueta

y burlona mujer,

que al jurar sonriendo

el amor que está mintiendo,

quema en una hoguera

todo mi querer.



Por una cabeza,

todas las locuras.

Su boca que besa,

borra la tristeza,

calma la amargura.

Por una cabeza,

si ella me olvida

qué importa perderme

mil veces la vida,

para qué vivir.



Cuántos desengaños,

por una cabeza.

Yo juré mil veces,

no vuelvo a insistir.

Pero si un mirar

me hiere al pasar,

sus labios de fuego

otra vez quiero besar.

Basta de carreras,

se acabó la timba.

¡Un final reñido

ya no vuelvo a ver!

Pero si algún pingo

llega a ser fija el domingo,

yo me juego entero.

¡Qué le voy a hacer..!

English lyrics of the Tango "Por una cabeza"

By a head

of a noble colt

that right at the line

slows down upon arriving,

and that on returning

seems to say:

Don’t forget, brother,

you know, you shouldn’t gamble.

By a head,

a day’s infatuation

with that coquettish

and mocking woman,

who, while swearing with a smile

the love she’s lying about,

burns in a bonfire

all my love.

By a head,

all the madness.

Her kissing lips,

erase the sadness,

soothe the bitterness.

By a head,

if she forgets me

what does it matter losing

my life a thousand times,

what’s the point of living.

How many disappointments,

by a head.

I’ve sworn a thousand times,

I won’t insist again.

But if a glance

wounds me as it passes,

her lips of fire

I want to kiss again.

Enough of races,

the betting’s over.

A close finish

I no longer want to see!

But if a dark horse

becomes a sure thing on Sunday,

I bet it all.

What can I do..!

Por una cabeza by Alfredo Le Pera

Por una cabeza is a Tango written by Alfredo Le Pera and composed by Carlos Gardel.



Story behind the Tango Por una cabeza

The tango “Por una cabeza” is a poignant narrative intertwining themes of gambling and romantic passion. The lyrics metaphorically compare the addictive thrill and ultimate risk of gambling on horses to the volatile allure and emotional stakes of falling in and out of love. Alfredo Le Pera uses a horse-racing term “por una cabeza,” which translates to “by a head”, to signify losing a horse race by the narrowest of margins, encapsulating the theme of narrow loss and regret both in gambling and in love.



Symbolism of Por una cabeza

The phrase “Por una cabeza” symbolizes the fine line between victory and defeat, a recurring motif in the lyrics, and reflects broader themes of chance and fate in life’s pursuits. The lyrics lament missed opportunities both at the racetrack and in love, using the horse race as a symbol for the gamble of romance. Le Pera beautifully juxtaposes the fleeting thrill of a kiss (“Su boca que besa”) against the enduring pain of romantic disillusionment (“Cuántos desengaños, por una cabeza”).



Por una cabeza in historic Context

Written and recorded in early 1953 in Argentina, “Por una cabeza” emerged during a period rich with tango culture, reflecting societal attitudes towards romance and the traditional values of masculinity and honor. The setting of the tango in the culturally vibrant but economically fluctuating Argentina provides a backdrop of uncertainty and fervor, echoed in both the romantic and gambling themes of the lyrics. The metaphor of horse racing resonates widely in Argentina’s popular culture, which holds deep connections to both equestrian sports and tango as forms of narrative storytelling.



Alfredo Le Pera

Alfredo Le Pera was an Argentine lyricist and journalist known for his collaborations with the famous tango composer Carlos Gardel, including the creation of enduring classics like “Por una cabeza”.