Por una cabeza

• Gardel wrote his popular tango song, “Por una cabeza,” in 1935, setting lyrics by Alfredo Le Pera.¹
  • Sad fact – Le Pera was also among the musicians who died in Gardel’s tragic plane crash in 1935.
• The phrase “Por una cabeza” is a horse racing term meaning “to lose by a head,” and the song’s lyrics compare losing a horse race to losing a woman.²

English translation of the Spanish lyrics

1. “Por una cabeza (Gardel, Carlos),” IMSLP, accessed October 24, 2025, https://imslp.org/wiki/Por_una_cabeza_(Gardel,_Carlos).
2. “The Origin of Por una Cabeza (Carlos Gardel),” Brisbane House of Tango (2023), accessed October 24, 2025, https://brisbanehouseoftango.com.au/the-origin-of-por-una-cabeza/.