Tango-The Story of a Milonguero's Life

Do you still think that the magic of Tango resides largely in its fascinating music? Then, just take a look at the lyrics of these Tangos, and the deeply tragic stories they reveal about what lies inside the hearts of the old Milongueros of Buenos Aires. [If you don't recognize the song, click the link on the title].

Once Upon a Time, in San Telmo...

A little boy stood in one of the arrabal's lost street corners, shining shoes to help his mother make ends meet...

Se Lustra, Senor -- I shoeshine, Sir! (Music by Alessio and Del Piano; Lyrics by Martinez Vila)

Con sus ropitas viejas, curtido por el sol,

With his old little clothes, burnt by the sun,

la vida lo ha tratado con todo su rigor.

life has treated him with all of its rigor.

Siempre en la misma esquina, voceando su pregon,

Always in the same corner, announcing his trade,

"Senor, aqui se lustra mejor que en el Salon!"

"Sir, our shoe-shine is better than at the [Milonga] Salon!"

 Conozco su historia, y se de su valor;

I know his story, and I know his worth;

que, cierto dia, su padre no regreso al hogar...

that, one day, his father did not come back home...

y que el, sin decir nada, hizo aquel cajon,

and that he, without a word, made that little woodbox,

y que en su casa nunca les ha faltado pan.

and that, at home, bread has been always at the table.

As he grew up, the boy started dancing, and soon was fascinated by Tango, the dance, the music... He was a good, joyful young man from San Telmo, dancing his heart out in all the barrios of Buenos Aires, well known and respected...

Yo soy de San Telmo--I am from San Telmo (Music: Galluci; Lyrics: Velazquez)

Yo soy de San Telmo y vengo

I am from San Telmo, and I come

por estos barrios para dejar

to this neighborhood to give

un verso para las madres

a verse to all the mothers

y mozas de mi ciudad

and girls of my city.

Yo soy un cantor sincero,

I am a sincere singer,

sencillo y sentimental

simple, and sentimental,

trabajo como el hornero

I work as hard as the ovenbird

y canto como el zorzal.

And I sing like the thrush.

Siempre supe respetar

I always knew to respect

al que hablo y trato conmigo;

that who spoke and related to me;

en San Telmo me conocen

in San Telmo I am known

por cantor y buen amigo

as a singer and as a good friend.

Si hay que calmar el dolor

If there is a need to calm the pain

del que vive padeciendo

of the one who lives in suffering

soy primero en la ocasion

I'm the first to take the chance

para alegrar su corazon.

to try and cheer his heart up.

But he was soon engulfed by the gang (the "muchachada"), the game, the drink, the addictive way of life of the Milonga. He forgot about the mother he had helped so much as a little boy. And he charmed a lot of women... he had fun.

Tengo mil novias--I have a thousand girlfriends (Music: Rodriguez; Lyrics: Cadicamo)

Yo no se por que mi corazon hace asi

I don't know why my heart does like this

Tiqui tic tiqui tac,

[ibid]

Tiqui tic tiqui tac

[ibid]

Ese ruido, con su repicar, a mi

That noise, with its constant ticking,

no me deja comer ni dormir.

does not let me eat, nor sleep!

Yo me quiero en seguida casar porque ya,

I would like to marry inmediately, since by now

con mis novias, Senor, hay un lio mayor...

with my girlfriends, Sir, there is a huge mess...

Pero que hago si son como mil, y yo,

But what can I do, if they are like a thousand, and I

con las mil no me puedo casar.

cannot marry the thousand of them.

Me gustan todas,

I like them all,

(Le gustan todas!)

(He likes them all!),

Que voy a hacerle si soy picaflor;

What can I do, if I'm like a hummingbird;

Rubias, morenas,

blondes, and brunettes,

(Tiene centenas!)

(He has them by the hundreds!)

Tengo un surtido de todo color...

I have them in all sorts of colors.

Tengo mil novias

I have a thousand girlfriends

(Tiene mil novias!)

(He has a thousand girlfriends!)

De los amores yo soy el campeon,

(In love, I'm the champion!)

Muchas novias hermosas yo tengo,

I have so many beautiful girlfriends,

(El las tiene en la imaginacion)

(Yeah, right, he has them in his dreams).

Una rubia se quiso matar

A blond one wanted to kill herself

(Ja ja ja)

(Ha, ha, ha)

Es verdad!

It is true!

(Ja ja ja)

(Ha ha ha)

Al saberlo despues su papa grito, 

When he found out, her father went like crazy

Y del mapa me quiso borrar

And he wanted to erase me from the map...

Y es por eso que mi corazon hace asi

And that is why my heart goes like this

Tiqui tic tiqui tac

[ibid]

Tiqui tic tiqui tac

[ibid]

Pero que hago, si son como mil, y yo

but what can I do, if they are like a thousand, and I

Con las mil no me puedo casar...

cannot marry the thousand of them...

Time passed by, and once he found love. But she was jealous of the time he spent at the Milongas, with his gang, with the other women. Unable to quit his lifestyle for her, he just let her go, while thinking... "Tough luck!"

Mala suerte (Music: Lomuto; Lyrics: Gorrindo)

"Se acabo nuestro carino"

"Our love is over"

Me dijiste friamente;

You told me coldly;

Yo pense pa' mis adentros

I thought to myself

"Puede que tenga razon!"

"She might be right!"

Lo pense, y te deje sola

I thought about it, and left you alone

Sola, y duena de tu vida,

Alone, and the owner of your own life,

Mientras yo con mi conciencia

While I was fully aware

me jugaba el corazon.

that I was playing with my own heart.

Y cerre fuerte los ojos, y aprete fuerte los labios

I closed my eyes hard, and I pressed my lips hard

pa' no verte, pa' no hablarte, 

not to see you, not to talk to you,

pa' no gritar un adios...

not to cry a good bye...

Y tranqueando despacito

And stumbling slowly

me fui al bar que esta en la esquina

I went to the bar in the corner,

para ahogar con cuatro tragos

to drown with those four drinks

lo que pudo ser tu amor.

what your love could have been.

Yo no pude prometerte cambiar la vida que llevo

I couldn't promise you to change my life

porque naci "calavera" y asi me habre de morir...

because I was born a heartbreaker, and a heartbreaker I'll die...

A mi me tira la farra, el cafe, la muchachada,

What calls me is the party, the cafe, and my friends,

Y donde haya una milonga, yo no puedo estar sin ir

and if there is a milonga, I just cannot stop going.

Bien sabes como yo he sido,

You know well how I have been,

Bien sabes como he pensado

You know well how I think,

de mis locas inquietudes

of all my crazy desires,

de mi afan de callejear.

of my need to be in the streets.

Mala suerte, si hoy te pierdo;

Tough luck, if I lose you today,

mala suerte si ando solo...

tough luck, if I am alone...

el culpable soy de todo, 

I'm guilty of everything

ya que no puedo cambiar.

since I cannot change.

Por que yo se que mi vida

Because I know that my life

no es una vida modelo;

it's not a good type of life;

porque quien tiene un carino,

because that who has a love

al carino se ha de dar.

must give himself to that love.

Y yo soy como el jilguero

And I am like the goldfinch

que aunque estando en jaula de oro

that even in a gold cage

en su canto llora siempre

in its song is always crying

el antojo de volar.

its longing for flying.

He tenido mala suerte,

I've had bad luck,

pero hablando francamente

but frankly speaking

yo te quedo agradecido,

I'm grateful to you,

has sido novia y mujer;

you've been a girlfriend, my woman,

si la vida ha de apurarme con rigores algun dia

and if life treats me harshly one day

ya podes estar segura que de vos me acordare!

you can be sure I'll remember you!!

And he continued his way, the King of the Milonga, for many years. But some times, a few more glasses of wine brought some nostalgic memories...

Patotero Sentimental--Sentimental Gangster (Music: Joves; Lyrics: Romero)

Patotero, rey del bailongo

Patotero, King of the Dance

Patotero sentimental

sentimental patotero

escondes bajo tu risa

you hide under your laughter

muchas ganas de llorar.

a deep desire to cry.

Ya los anos van pasando

Now the years are passing by

y en mi pecho no entra un querer

and no love enters my heart;

en mi vida hubo muchas, muchas minas

in my life there were many, many girls,

pero nunca una mujer.

but there was never a woman.

Cuando tengo dos copas de mas

When I'm drunk,

en mi pecho empieza a surgir

from my chest emanates this feeling

el recuerdo de aquella fiel mujer

the memory of that loyal woman

que me quiso de verdad

who loved me sincerely

y que, ingrato, abandone.

and that, ungrateful, I abandoned.

De su amor me burle, sin mirar

Of her love, I made a joke, without realizing

que pudiera sentirlo despues

that I could feel it later

sin pensar que los anios, al correr,

without thinking that the years, as they went off,

iban, crueles, a amargar a este Rey del Cabaret.

would slowly bitter this King of the Cabaret.

Pobrecita, como lloraba...

Poor her, how she cried...

cuando, ciego, la eche a rodar,

when, blind, I pushed her aside,

la patota me miraba

the gang was watching me

y no es de hombre el aflojar

and it was not a manly thing to give in.

Patotero, Rey del Bailongo

Patotero, King of the Dance,

siempre de ella te acordaras;

forever you will remember her;

hoy reis, pero en tu risa

today, you laugh, but in your laughter

solo hay ganas de llorar.

there is only a wish to cry.

And his time went by, and he found himself at the end of his life. The gang had left him, and only his mother was by his side... seeing this, he could only feel the deepest regret.

Con los amigos -- With my friends (Music: Gardel/Galzano; Lyrics: Almafuerte)

Con los amigos que el oro me produjo

With the friends that my money made me

las horas, con afan, pasaba yo;

I passed, willingly, my hours,

y de mi bolsa, el poderoso influjo

and from the powerful effect of my wallet

todos gozaban de esplendente lujo, pero mi madre no.

everyone enjoyed all the great luxuries, except my mother.

Pobre madre..! Yo de ella me olvidaba

Poor, my mother! I simply forgot her;

cuando en manos de mi vicio me dormi

while I slept in the hands of my vice

un inmenso cortejo me rodeaba

a large court surrounded me;

de mis afectos, a nadie le faltaba...

and nobody lacked my affection...

pero mi madre si!

except my mother!

Hoy, moribundo, en lagrimas deshecho,

Today, I'm dying, and broken into tears,

al ver que gime mi angustiado pecho

when they see that my anxious heart cries out

todos se alejan de mi pobre lecho...

everyone runs away from my poor dying bed...

pero mi madre, no.

but not my mother.

Y cerca ya del ultimo suspiro

And close to the last breath

todos se alejan por lo que hay en mi

everyone abandons me, because of my illness,

en mi triste derredor, a nadie miro

and in my sad surroundings, I see nobody

pero a mi madre si.

except my mother.

Good bye, Milonguero...