| "Por una Cabeza" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Written | 1935 |
| Genre | Tango |
| Length | 2:34 |
| Label | RCA Victor |
| Composer(s) | Carlos Gardel |
| Lyricist(s) | Alfredo Le Pera |
"Por una Cabeza" (pronounced [ˈpoɾ ˈuna kaˈβesa]) is a tango song written in 1935 with music by Carlos Gardel and lyrics by Alfredo Le Pera.[1]
Composition and lyrics
The name is a Spanish horse-racing phrase meaning "by a head", which refers to a horse winning a race narrowly – by just the length of its 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 born in Brazil, son of Italian immigrants. Le Pera and Gardel died in an aeroplane crash in Medellín, on Monday, June 24, 1935.[2]
Notable uses
"Por Una Cabeza" is featured in a famous tango scene in Martin Brest's film Scent of a Woman (1992), in the opening scene of Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List (1993), and in James Cameron's True Lies (1994).[3][4]
Lyrics
|
Por una cabeza |
Por una cabeza, |
Cuántos desengaños, |
 Wikisource has sheet music and full lyrics in Spanish and English:
Por una cabeza, |
See also
References
- ↑ "Por una Cabeza". Todo Tango. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
- ↑ Clavell, M. (1996) (in Spanish), Biografía. In: Los Mejores Tangos de Carlos Gardel. Alfred Publ. Van Nuys, California.
- ↑ Schickler, David (2013). The Dark Path. Riverhead Books. ISBN 978-1594486456.
...an instrumental recording of Por una Cabeza used in the films Scent of a Woman and True Lies. The original version of the song, a hit from the 1930s by Carlos Gardel and Alfredo La Pera...
- ↑ Thompson, Robert (2005). Tango: The Art History of Love. Vintage Books. p. 21. ISBN 978-1400095797.
Finally, in Steven Spielburg's Schindler's List (1993), Liam Neeson dances, once again, to "Por una cabeza."