Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya)

Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya) is a Tango written by Sebastián Piana and recorded by Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO in 1968. Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO has recorded Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya) as an instrumental Tango.

“Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya)” translates to “About the Stub (An Alley in Pompeii)” in English. This title evokes a fleeting moment, a lingering trace of something once whole, perhaps the last puff of a cigarette savored in a secluded passageway. The alley in Pompeii hints at a forgotten corner of life, where echoes of the past resonate with the present.

Tango

Style

Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO

Orchestra

Instrumental

Singer

José González Castillo

Author

Sebastián Piana

Composer

1968/9/11

Date

Instrumental

Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO

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José De Alto (Dir. José Basso) – Yo no sé por qué te quiero – 1959/9/14
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José Garcia – Verde luna – 1942/7/27
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Armando PONTIER – Verdemar – 1960/7/21

Un callejón de Pompeya
y un farolito plateando el fango
y allí un malevo que fuma,
y un organito moliendo un tango;
y al son de aquella milonga,
más que su vida mistonga,
meditando, aquel malevo
recordó la canción de su dolor.

Yo soy aquel que, en Corrales,
-los carnavales
de mis amores-
hizo brillar tus bellezas
con las lindezas
de sus primores;
pero tu inconstancia loca
me arrebató de tu boca,
como pucho que se tira
cuando ya
ni sabor ni aroma da.

Tango querido
que ya pa’siempre pasó,
como pucho consumió
las delicias de mi vida
que hoy cenizas sólo son.
Tango querido
que ya pa’siempre calló,
¿quién entonces me diría
que vos te llevarías
mi única ilusión?

English lyrics of the Tango "Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya) "

A back alley in Pompeya
with a lantern silvering the mud
and there, a tough guy smoking,
and a barrel organ grinding out a tango;
and to the sound of that milonga,
the shabby life he knew too well,
thoughtfully, that tough guy
recalled the song of his pain.

I am the one who, in Corrales,
-during the carnivals
of my romances-
made your beauty shine
with the fine gifts
of my affections;
but your crazy fickleness
snatched me from your lips,
like a butt that’s thrown away
when it
gives no taste nor scent anymore.

Beloved tango
that’s gone forever now,
like a spent cigarette end
consumed the delights of my life
that now are only ashes.
Beloved tango
that’s forever silenced,
who would then have told me
that you would take away
my one and only dream?

Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya) by José González Castillo

Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya) is a Tango written by José González Castillo and composed by Sebastián Piana.

Story behind the Tango Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya)

The lyrics of “Sobre el pucho” depict a melancholic and introspective scene in the neighborhood of Pompeya, Buenos Aires. A man, referred to as a “malevo” (a term for a tough guy), reflects on lost love and life’s fleeting pleasures. Through the imagery of a dimly lit alleyway and the sound of a tango being played on a street organ, the song explores themes of nostalgia, regret, and the passage of time. The malevo remembers a past Carnival where he celebrated his love, only to find that love has since faded, much like a cigarette (“pucho”) that has lost its flavor and aroma.

Symbolism of Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya)

The major symbol in the song is the “pucho,” which represents something that was once desirable but is now spent and discarded. This metaphor is tied to the malevo’s feelings about his past romance, emphasizing the transient and sometimes disposable nature of love. The setting in Pompeya, a modest and working-class neighborhood, complements the themes of everyday struggles and the authenticity of emotions experienced by common people. Additionally, the tango, inherently a dance of deep emotion and complexity, serves as the background music to his thoughts, reinforcing the depth of his feelings and memories.