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Viejo smoking

Viejo smoking is a Tango written by Guillermo Barbieri and recorded by Francisco Rotundo in 1949. The Tango Viejo smoking is written by Guillermo Barbieri, Francisco Rotundo has recorded Viejo smoking with the singer Carlos Roldán.
“Viejo Smoking,” meaning “Old Tuxedo” in English, evokes the age and elegance of bygone dance halls. The worn threads tell stories of love and loss, whispered softly to the rhythm of a tender tango. In its timeless embrace, memories twirl gracefully, reminding us that every crease holds the eloquence of countless evenings passed.

Tango

Style

Francisco Rotundo

Orchestra

Carlos Roldán

Singer

Celedonio Flores

Author

Guillermo Barbieri

Composer

1949/1/1

Date

Carlos Roldán
Carlos Roldán
Francisco Rotundo
Francisco Rotundo

Discover Other Orchestras

Lucio Demare – Dandy – 1957/1/1
Lucio Demare – Como se hace un tango – 1943/1/9
Lucio Demare – Me llaman El Zorro – 1943/2/11
Lucio Demare – Chatero de aquel entonces – 1943/4/1
Lucio Demare – Tal vez será mi alcohol (Tal vez será su voz) – 1943/5/6
Héctor Varela – Fueron tres años – 1956/5/18
Héctor Varela – 9 de Julio – 1957/4/8
Héctor Varela – Pa’ que te oigan bandoneón – 1974/1/1
Héctor Varela – Portero suba y diga – 1955/10/19
Héctor Varela – El destino la llevó – 1959/12/2
Cuarteto Típico Roberto Firpo – Don Esteban – 1942/8/5
Cuarteto Típico Roberto Firpo – Ojos negros – 1942/8/5
Cuarteto Típico Roberto Firpo – La payanca – 1946/10/21
Cuarteto Típico Roberto Firpo – El esquinazo – 1939/3/3
Cuarteto Típico Roberto Firpo – Organito de suburbio – 1951/8/7
Armando Pontier – El choclo – 1958/7/4
Armando Pontier – Padrino pelao – 1955/10/27
Armando Pontier – Como dos extraños – 1960/7/7
Armando Pontier – Soledad – 1968/9/17
Armando Pontier – Zorro gris – 1957/9/30

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.

Viejo smoking recorded by other Orchestras

Viejo smoking recorded by other Orchestras

1949/1/1 – Por que te habre conocido – Alfredo De Angelis
1949/1/1 – Violetita – Alfredo De Angelis
1949/1/1 – Al pie de la Santa Cruz – Francisco Rotundo
1949/1/1 – Primero el – Francisco Rotundo
1949/1/1 – Una copa nada mas – Francisco Rotundo
Viejo smoking – 1952/11/12 – Juan D-Arienzo – Armando Laborde
Viejo smoking – 1949/1/1 – Francisco Rotundo – Carlos Roldan
Viejo smoking – 1952/12/12 – Francini-Pontier – Julio Sosa

Lyrics Translation of the Tango Viejo smoking

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

Letra del Tango Viejo smoking

Campaneá cómo el cotorro va quedando despoblado

todo el lujo es la catrera compadreando sin colchón

y mirá este pobre mozo cómo ha perdido el estado,

amargado, pobre y flaco como perro de botón.



Poco a poco todo ha ido de cabeza p’al empeño

se dio juego de pileta y hubo que echarse a nadar…

Sólo vos te vas salvando porque pa’ mi sos un sueño

del que quiera Dios que nunca me vengan a despertar.



Viejo smocking de los tiempos

en que yo también tallaba…

¡Cuánta papusa garaba

en tus solapas lloró!

Solapas que con su brillo

parece que encandilaban

y que donde iba sentaban

mi fama de gigoló.



Yo no siento la tristeza de saberme derrotado

y no me amarga el recuerdo de mi pasado esplendor;

no me arrepiento del vento ni los años que he tirado,

pero lloro al verme solo, sin amigos, sin amor;



sin una mano que venga a llevarme una parada,

sin una mujer que alegre el resto de mi vivir…

¡Vas a ver que un día de éstos te voy a poner de almohada

y, tirao en la catrera, me voy a dejar morir!



Viejo smocking, cuántas veces

la milonguera más papa

el brillo de tu solapa

de estuque y carmín manchó

y en mis desplantes de guapo

¡cuántos llantos te mojaron!

¡cuántos taitas envidiaron

mi fama de gigoló!

English lyrics of the Tango "Viejo smoking"

See how the parrot’s room is getting empty

all the luxury is a gurney with friends but no mattress

and see how this poor guy has fallen from grace,

bitter, poor and skinny like a buttoned-up dog.

Little by little everything went head first into the pawnshop

the game was pool and one had to start swimming…

Only you are being saved because, to me, you are a dream

from which I pray to God never to be awakened.

Old tuxedo from the days

when I was cutting it fine…

How many beauties sobbed

on your lapels!

Lapels that with their shine

seemed to dazzle

and wherever I went established

my fame as a gigolo.

I don’t feel the sadness of knowing I’m defeated

and the memory of my past splendor doesn’t sour me;

I don’t regret the money nor the years I’ve wasted,

but I cry seeing myself alone, without friends, without love;

without a hand to come and see me through,

without a woman to brighten the rest of my days…

You’ll see one of these days I’ll use you as a pillow

and, thrown on the gurney, I’ll just let myself die!

Old tuxedo, how many times

the finest dancer at the ball

stained your lapel’s shine

with plaster and lipstick

and in my bold exploits

how many tears soaked you!

how many men envied

my fame as a gigolo!

Viejo smoking by Celedonio Flores

Viejo smoking is a Tango written by Celedonio Flores and composed by Guillermo Barbieri.


Story behind the Tango Viejo smoking

“Viejo smocking [sic]” paints a vivid portrait of despair and nostalgia. It reflects the tale of a man lamenting over his lost youth and prestige, once celebrated but now in ruins. The lyrics tell of how everything important and luxurious in the narrator’s life has gradually been pawned off, possibly due to gambling and misfortune. What remains is a lonely, heartbroken figure surrounded by memories, including his old tuxedo, which embodies the better days when he was a celebrated figure in the glamorous nightlife.


Symbolism of Viejo smoking

The ‘Viejo smocking’, or old tuxedo, symbolizes the narrator’s former glory and the contrasting current state of decline. It serves as a poignant reminder of a time when the narrator was a revered figure in society, surrounded by admirers and lovers. This contrast is powerfully illustrated through the vivid imagery of luxury turning to poverty, turning what was once a subject of pride into just a shadow, a mere dream from which the man fears to wake up. The symbol of the tuxedo sheds light on the transient nature of popularity and material wealth.


Viejo smoking in historic Context

Tango was integral to Argentine culture in 1949, often reflecting deep emotions and human conditions. Post World War II era was a time of significant socio-economic changes globally, including Argentina. The nostalgic tones and themes could resonate with the common feelings of loss and change prevalent in that era of transition. The tango serves as a mirror to the shifting dynamics and the cultural emphasis on memories of better days echoing the societal sentiment of the time.


Celedonio Flores

Celedonio Flores was a notable Argentine lyricist known for his impactful contributions to the genre of tango, offering poetic and often poignant insights into the complexities of life and love in Argentina.