There are many tangos that take place over a glass of something terrible that happened in life, but it’s surprising that nobody wrote this one until Héctor Marcó absolutely nailed it to the wall in 1957.
There are previous songs on this theme—not just drinking sorrows away, as in “Nostalgias,” but sharing the misery, as in “La copa del olvido,” “Tomo y obligo,” “No me pregunten porqué,” and “Traiga otra copa.” These all depict the scene of men at a bar, often involving a waiter. Yet each of these earlier songs gives voice to a character stewing in his own sorrows. “Whisky,” by contrast, takes the second side of the conversation, and gives voice to the other guy, the consoling friend… who, of course, is heartbroken too.
There is something about the song which is positively funny as well, as is often the case with the blues. Perhaps that comes from how simply singable it is—maybe thanks to this most experienced of songwriters providing both words and music. The first big recording was made by the team that made hits out of so many Marcó songs, the orchestra of Carlos Di Sarli with Jorge Durán singing, setting one more jewel in the crown of the Golden Age.
Whisky
(Tr. Jake Spatz)
YouTube: Jorge Durán (orq. Carlos Di Sarli)
I know that you’re crying about her,
That you’re all lovesick and blue,
And how there’s no kiss you’ll encounter
As pure and as tender
As the one she gave you.
I know that you’re dying without her,
And killing your heart like a fool…
I know because I too have been there,
And I bear your same sorrow
Nailed into me too.
Sloucher! Why make yourself suffer?
Sloucher! Renounce her and live!
Go on! The world’s just a wagon
That’s driven by scoundrels
With no damns to give!
Come on! You see how she’s laughing?
It’s no age for crying, my friend!
Go on! Throw down one more whisky!
The scythe’s gonna whistle
For us all in the end!
I know that you want to uproot her
And rid every trace from your room,
And yet in each corner there linger
Some thoughts that include her,
And all your passions resume…
I know because all the same trials
Afflict me the same way as you…
But you’d better be quiet awhile,
Or else I’ll cease to console you,
And start crying too.
Whisky (1957)
Music & lyrics:
Héctor Marcó
Yo sé que llorás por ella,
que estás enfermo de amor
y que no encontrás el beso
ni tan puro ni tan dulce
como el que ella te dio.
Yo sé que te estás matando
como un gil el corazón.
Lo sé porque lo he vivido
y clavao en carne propia
llevo tu mismo dolor.
¡Flojo! ¿Pa’ que andás penando?
¡Flojo! ¡Cantále y viví!
¡Dale! ¡Que el mundo es un carro
cinchao por los sonsos
que quieren así!
¡Vamos! ¿No ves que ella ríe?
¡No es de este siglo llorar!
¡Dale! ¡Mandáte otro whisky!
¡Total la guadaña
nos va a hacer sonar!
Yo sé que del cuarto tuyo
vos arrancarla querés,
pero en cada rinconcito
flota algún recuerdo suyo
y entra en tu alma otra vez.
Lo sé porque de esos males
yo también sufro con vos…
Pero es mejor que los calle
porque, en vez de consolarnos,
vamos a llorar los dos.