"For a head", the tango that hides the anguish of choosing
"Por una cabeza" is one of the most popular tangos internationally, especially after it was a central part of the film "Perfume de Mujer" which starred Al Pacino in the 90s, and for which it won its only Oscar. This tango is perhaps one of the best creations of the duo of Carlos Gardel (author of the music) and Alfredo Le Pera (author of the lyrics), and was composed in New York in 1935. The original version was recorded by Gardel in his last film "Tango-Bar".
Gardel died together with Alfredo Le Pera in a plane crash that same year, three months later, in Medellin (Colombia), while on a regional tour.
This is perhaps one of the most versioned tango songs worldwide including verisions by rocker Andres Calamaro or lyrical singer Andrea Bocelli. It is also the soundtrack of many international films.
The lyrics refer to horse racing, which Gardel was a fan of. "Por una cabeza" is, in the jargon of the Rio de la Plata, an expression to point out when a horse wins the race in a tight, close way.
At the same time, the lyrics accompany the analogy of the race with the bet for the love of a woman he trusts, with whom he gets excited but who breaks his heart.
Both with the game of images between the equestrian and the sensual love, the lyrics allude to the certainty that in both bets, he will always go to lose as the first part of the song says, in this case in the version of the Argentine rocker Andrés Calamaro.
