Por una Cabeza

"Por una Cabeza"
Song
Released 1935
Recorded 1935
Genre Tango
Length 2:34
Label RCA -Víctor
Composer(s) Carlos Gardel
Lyricist(s) Alfredo Le Pera

"Por una Cabeza" is a tango song with music and lyrics written in 1935 by Carlos Gardel and Alfredo Le Pera respectively.[1]

Composition and lyrics

The name is a Spanish horse-racing phrase meaning "by a head", which refers to a horse winning a race by the length of one head. The lyrics speak of a compulsive horse-track gambler who compares his addiction for horses with his attraction to women.

Alfredo Le Pera was an Argentine, born in Brazil, son of Italian immigrants. Le Pera and Gardel died in an airplane crash in Medellín, on Monday, June 24, 1935.[2]

The starting phrase in the B section may be inspired by Mozart's Rondo for violin and orchestra in C major, K. 373.[3][4][5]

The song was originally composed in A major.[6] It was thereafter adapted to the violin and the piano sometimes in A major,[7][8] sometimes in G major.[9][10]

New releases

"Por una cabeza"
Single by Il Divo
from the album Amor & Pasión
Released October, 2015
Recorded 2015, México
Genre Classical crossover
Label Sony Music, Syco Music and Columbia Records.
Writer(s) Carlos Gardel, Alfredo Le Pera
Producer(s) Julio Reyes Copello
Il Divo singles chronology
"Wicked Game"
(2011)		 "Por una Cabeza"
(2015)		 "Bésame Mucho"
(2015)

The tango has since been performed by numerous tango orchestras.

During a state visit, U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama danced to the tune with Mora Godoy and José Lugones, respectively, in Buenos Aires, Argentina on March 23, 2016.[11][12]

John Williams arranged a version of the piece that appears on the album "Cinema Serenade" with the violin solo performed by Itzhak Perlman

Lyrics in public domain

Carlos Gardel
Wikisource has sheet music and full lyrics in Spanish and English:

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 risueña 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,
su boca de fuego
otra vez quiero besar.
Basta de carreras,
se acabó la timba.
¡Un final reñido
yo no vuelvo a ver!
Pero si algún pingo
llega a ser fija el domingo,
yo me juego entero.
¡Qué le voy a hacer..!

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.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Por una Cabeza". Todo Tango. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  2. ↑ Clavell, M. (1996) (in Spanish), Biografía. In: Los Mejores Tangos de Carlos Gardel. Alfred Publ. Van Nuys, California.
  3. ↑ http://www.tyalgumfestival.com.au/TFCM/C2_Concert_Notes.html
  4. ↑ http://www.miamimusicproject.org/files/dancing.pdf
  5. ↑ http://imslp.org/wiki/Por_una_Cabeza_%28Gardel,_Carlos%29
  6. ↑ YouTube, Carlos Gardel and Alfredo Le Pera - « Por una Cabeza » (in A major)
  7. ↑ Wikisource, Scores of « Por una Cabeza » (in A major)
  8. ↑ YouTube, Miguel Gragera - « Por Una Cabeza » (in A major)
  9. ↑ YouTube, Carlos Gardel - « Por una cabeza » with score (in G major)
  10. ↑ YouTube, « Por Una Cabeza » in True Lies (in G major)
  11. ↑ http://www.aol.com/article/2016/03/24/watch-president-obama-dance-the-tango/21332772/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl35%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D1332727587
  12. ↑ Vincent, Isabel; Fredericks, Bob. "Meet Obama's sexy tango partner". New York Post. Retrieved 2016-03-28.
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