Por una cabeza

"Por una cabeza" (pronounced [poɾ ˈuna kaˈβesa]) is a tango song written in 1935 with music by Carlos Gardel and lyrics by Alfredo Le Pera.^[1]

"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

Le Pera and Gardel died together in an aeroplane crash in Medellín, Colombia, on June 24, 1935.^[2]

Composition and lyrics

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 horses 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]

See also

• Music of Argentina
• Music of Uruguay
• Public domain music