Fabrice Knecht Tango DJ
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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.
Pudo ser una vida is a Tango written by Carlos Bahr and composed by Elías Randal.
The tango “Pudo ser una vida” encapsulates a poignant narrative of loss and unfulfilled promise, particularly focusing on the heartache of a childless existence. The lyrics poignantly detail the life stages and milestones of a child who never came to be, occurring around significant events such as Christmas. Each line draws a heartbreaking small story of the child growing up—from wearing a little sailor suit to potentially achieving roles like a doctor or a captain, which all remain as unfulfilled potentials. The emotional depth here is intense, where each verse confronts the listener with the grieving process embedded in the what-could-have-been.
The tango uses the imagery of empty celebrations and milestones to symbolize missed opportunities and the perpetual emptiness of parental yearning. Key phrases such as “Por la cuna que siempre está vacía” (For the crib that is always empty) and “El fantasma de un niño que no fue” (The ghost of a child who never was) evoke visceral feelings of absence and loss. Such language choices enhance the poem’s emotional weight by laying bare the unhealed wounds of the childless. The recurring motif of the crib emphasizes continuing life’s hollow sections, vividly painting the emotional and psychological impact on the family.
“Pudo ser una vida,” recorded in late 1945, reflects Argentina’s societal postwar atmosphere, where loss and renewal were in everyone’s consciousness. The song was created in a period of significant global upheaval, and this context may have intensified the public resonance with themes of grief and lost futures. Culturally, tango often is a medium to explore deep, sometimes dark emotions, and in this instance, it might have served as a solace or a means to address personal experiences with loss during turbulent times.
Carlos Bahr was a renowned Argentine poet and tango lyricist whose work often delved deeply into themes of love, sorrow, and the human condition, leaving a lasting impact on the musical landscape of Argentina.