Music: Ricardo Tanturi. Lyrics: Enrique Cadícamo
With love being one of the most prevalent tango themes, it’s fair to say it’s been envisaged from every possible angle! |
Most tango songs either express the emotions of the heartbroken poet or try and explain why he’s been abandoned. Some songs are quite direct, others use metaphors to express the poet’s emotions. Sollozo de bandoneon does both: the poet expresses his own emotions directly (“Tonight I have to tell you that I am love sick from loosing you”) and also lets the bandoneon express some of his personal feelings.
The very particular and sometimes strident sound of the bandoneon explains why it plays such a central role in tango music and universe: “Groaning like our hearts, the bandoneons cry their pain, the same as I sob theirs.” It is true that bandoneons sometimes sound like they’re crying – at least in melodramatic tango love songs.
Sollozo de Bandoneon has been translated by Tanguito, Argentine Tango Academy in London. If you feel have any comment or have other interpretations of the lyrics, please feel free to share your opinion, we’d love to hear what you think. 🙂
The music
The lyrics
Ven a bailar que quiero hablarte aparte de tus amigas. Quiero que escuches mi fracaso y que en mis brazos el tango sigas. Después de un año vuelvo a hablarte y al verte me pongo triste. Porque esta noche he de contarte que por perderte sufro de amor. Quien sufre por amor comprende este dolor, este dolor que nos embarga. Quien sufre por amor comprenderá el dolor que viene a herir como una daga. Te tuve y te perdí, y yo que soy sin ti. Quien sufre por amor comprenderá mejor por qué solloza el bandoneón. Con su gemir de corazones, los bandoneones lloran su pena, igual que yo sollozan ellos. Porque en sus notas hay amores y por amores hoy sufro yo. | Come and dance, I want to talk to you away from your girlfriends, I want you to listen to how I have failed, and to stay in my arms for a tango. It’s been a year since we last spoke, Whoever suffers for love understand this pain, Whoever suffers for love will understand better |