"Por una cabeza" (pronounced [poɾ ˈuna kaˈβesa]) is a tango song composed by Carlos Gardel with lyrics by Alfredo Le Pera[1] for the film Tango Bar (1935).
| "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
edit"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
editLe 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]
See also
editReferences
edit- ↑ "Por una Cabeza". Todo Tango (in Spanish). Retrieved July 29, 2014.
- 1 2 Clavell, Mario (1996). "Biografía". Los Mejores Tangos de Carlos Gardel. California: Alfred Publ. Van Nuys.
- ↑ 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.'
- ↑ "Ley 11". servicios.infoleg.gob.ar. Archived from the original on 2026-02-25. Retrieved 2026-03-30.
- ↑ "Category:Carlos Gardel and Alfredo Le Pera Por una Cabeza - Wikimedia Commons". commons.wikimedia.org. Retrieved 2026-03-31.