Por una Cabeza


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

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 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.
The starting phrase in the B section may be inspired by Mozart's Rondo for violin and orchestra in C major, K. 373.
The song was originally composed in A major. It was thereafter adapted to the violin and the piano sometimes in A major, sometimes in G major.

Notable uses

"Por Una Cabeza" is featured in a famous tango scene in Martin Brest's film Scent of a Woman, in the opening scene of Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List and in James Cameron's True Lies.
An arrangement, without vocals, is performed by Nicola Benedetti on her 2012 album The Silver Violin.

Lyrics in public domain

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.