Por una cabeza
1935 song by Carlos Gardel and Alfredo Le Pera
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Por una cabeza" (pronounced [poɾ ˈuna kaˈβesa]) is a tango song composed by Carlos Gardel with lyrics by Alfredo Le Pera[1] for the 1935 film Tango Bar.
| "Por una cabeza" | |
|---|---|
| |
| Song by Carlos Gardel | |
| Language | Spanish |
| Written | 1935 |
| Genre | Tango |
| Length | 2:34 |
| Label | RCA Victor |
| Composer | Carlos Gardel |
| Lyricist | Alfredo Le Pera |
The title of the song is a Spanish horse-racing phrase meaning "by a head", which refers to a horse winning (or losing) a race narrowly – by just the length of its head. The lyrics speak of a compulsive horse-track gambler who compares his addiction for horse racing with his attraction to women.[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]
Copyright
Le Pera and Gardel died together in an aeroplane crash in Medellín, Colombia, on June 24, 1935.[2] After the 70-year period required by Argentine law[5] had elapsed, as of January 1, 2006, “Por una cabeza”—its music and lyrics—as well as all the joint works by both authors, entered the public domain.[6]