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Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya)

Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya) is a Tango written by Sebastián Piana and recorded by Osvaldo Fresedo in 1961. The Tango Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya) is written by Sebastián Piana, Osvaldo Fresedo has recorded Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya) with the singer Oscar luna.
“Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya)” translates to “On the Whim (An Alley in Pompeya)” in English. This evocative title captures the fleeting nature of moments and decisions made in the labyrinthine streets of the Pompeya neighborhood. It suggests a dance between chance and destiny, where each step down the alley is guided by instinct and spontaneity.

Tango

Style

Osvaldo Fresedo

Orchestra

Oscar luna

Singer

José González Castillo

Author

Sebastián Piana

Composer

1961/6/1

Date

Oscar luna
Oscar luna
Osvaldo Fresedo
Osvaldo Fresedo

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Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya) recorded by other Orchestras

Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya) recorded by other Orchestras

Lyrics Translation of the Tango Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya)

This is the translation of the Tango “Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya)” from Spanish to English. The English lyrics of the Tango “Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya)” have been done with AI.

Letra del Tango Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya)

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,
a small streetlamp silvering the mud,
and there a tough smoking,
and a little organ grinding a tango;
to the sound of that milonga,
more than his lowly life,
brooding, that tough guy
recalled the song of his pain.

I am the one who, in Corrales,
—those carnivals
of my loves—
made your beauty shine
with the charm
of their delights;
but your wild fickleness
snatched me from your lips,
like a cigarette stub thrown away
when it
gives neither flavor nor scent.

Beloved tango
that has now forever passed,
like a burnt-out cigarette consumed
the delights of my life
that now are only ashes.
Beloved tango
that has now forever silenced,
who then could tell me
that you would take away
my 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” paint a vivid, somber scene in a back alley of Pompeya, an iconic neighborhood in Buenos Aires, where a lone malevo (a term for a man of the underworld in Argentine slang) reminisces about a lost love while smoking his cigarette down to the stub (pucho). The setting is further animated by the image of a street lamp illuminating the mud and an organ grinder playing a tango. This creates an atmosphere filled with nostalgia and melancholy, embodying the song’s primary themes of lost love and the passing of time.



Symbolism of Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya)

The phrase “sobre el pucho” itself, which refers to smoking a cigarette down to the very end, symbolizes squeezing the last bits of pleasure out of something that’s about to end. This metaphor extends to the central theme of the song, reflecting on how the protagonist relives the last moments of a love affair that’s no more fulfilling or uplifting, but merely a habit that’s tough to let go. The choice of the neighborhood Pompeya, known for its working-class roots and traditional tango culture, adds another layer to the tango’s emotional and cultural depth. It conveys a sense of authenticity and raw emotion, parallel to the unvarnished truths and feelings the singer shares.



Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya) in Historic Context

Written and released in 1961, a period marked by significant social and political shifts in Argentina, “Sobre el pucho” reflects a nostalgic yearning for simpler, albeit harder times. Pompeya, the setting of the tango, is situated in the southern part of Buenos Aires and has been a fertile ground for tango culture, often depicting the life of the working class and their struggles. Through his lyrics, Castillo captures the essence of the Argentine spirit – resilience in the face of hardship, and a melancholic but passionate attachment to the past.



José González Castillo

José González Castillo was a prominent Argentine playwright and lyricist, known for his profound contributions to the Tango genre.