This week’s tango “Por la vuelta” represents a sweet little corner of the songbook, where things are not tragic but ironic, even urbane. The story is of a casual romance, only the song leaves most of it out: instead of direct portrayal, it relies on a bit of dialogue here, a close-up detail there, and a general strategy of understatement—which like its protagonist is a little evasive. The tune by José Tinelli, who was then a session pianist at the Odeon studio, expresses the mood of Cadícamo’s lyrics perfectly, and even uses a few changes more often heard in jazz than tango.
While recorded a few times during the 1930s when it was first composed, “Por la vuelta” would find its larger favor with audiences many years later. It became a big hit in 1956 when José Basso recorded it with singer Floreal Ruiz, and then went the rounds with other acts, including a number of star singers. As with several other Cadícamo tangos, in more recent decades it has been a favorite choice of crossover artists from other genres, with arrangements as a ballad and even a rock/bebop number.
(Note: The lyrics appear with quite various punctuation across different printings, some without quotation marks at all, as is the original below, some with more dialogue marked, as is my translation here.)
To Many More
(Tr. Jake Spatz)
YouTube: Floreal Ruiz (orq. José Basso)
Tita Galatro (with guitars, 1939)
Outside it’s darkness and it’s pouring…
”Come here beside me,” you insisted,
Your word’s a mantle with its warming,
A wrap of friendship in the rain…
”Your cup awaits you,” and you filled it,
”Let’s drink together, old companion…”
You whispered softly as you lifted
Your dainty chalice of champagne…
The story’s bound to be repeated,
My blondest damsel so adoring,
The very love… the very pouring…
The very, very passion’s craze…
Remember? Just a year ago now
Without a single tear we parted…
No fussing, no one broken-hearted,
Just a nonchalant adieu
The two of us were privy to.
“Your cup awaits you,” and we're toasting
To many more, again together,
Your mouth all rosy and proposing
Upon the rim of baccarat…
And later, choking tears from forming,
“Stay here forever,” you insisted…
Outside it’s darkness and it’s pouring…
And you began to cry at last…
Por la vuelta (1937)
Music: José Tinelli
Lyrics: Enrique Cadícamo
.
Afuera es noche y llueve tanto…
Vén a mi lado, me dijiste,
hoy tu palabra es como un manto,
un manto grato de amistad…
Tu copa es ésta, y la llenaste,
Bebamos juntos, viejo amigo…
dijiste mientras levantaste
tu fina copa de champán…
La historia vuelve a repetirse,
mi muñequita dulce y rubia,
el mismo amor… la misma lluvia…
el mismo, el mismo loco afán…
¿Te acuerdas? Hace justo un año
nos separamos sin un llanto…
ninguna escena, ningún daño,
simplemente fue un adiós
inteligente de los dos…
Tu copa es ésta, y nuevamente
los dos brindamos por la vuelta,
tu boca roja y oferente
bebió en el fino bacarát…
Después, quizá mordiendo un llanto,
Quedate siempre, me dijiste…
Afuera es noche y llueve tanto…
y comenzaste a llorar…