Grammarama Article on tango lyrics

The Argentine tango-song (tango-canción) uses poetic lyrics to discuss a wide variety of topics. Born around 1880 in the impoverished neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, the tango-song gradually developed stylistically and attracted followers across a broader spectrum of society. In this way, it reached a `golden age` in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. It then passed through a stage which could be called a `time of survival.` Over the last twenty years, it has experienced a period of revitalization.

Many experts and enthusiasts have noted the artistic flair inherent in the tango since its very beginning. A good number of tango-songs prior to the `golden age` utilize the speech patterns of the city dwellers and tell how the realities of daily life were dealt with. In that early period, the songs were full of `Lunfardo´ words. This jargon, created and used by local convicts at the end of the 19th century, quickly spread among the people of Buenos Aires and its outskirts. Many of these people were immigrants who in turn added their own slang terms derived from various European languages and dialects. With respect to subject matter, a theme that has often been considered by tango lyrics is the ups and downs of romantic relationships.

It is within this context that we can situate -- and perhaps appreciate -- the 1927 tango-song `Gloria,´ with lyrics by Armando José Humberto Tagini and music by Humberto Canaro. The main character of this story is a woman. She creates a definition for the term `glory´ -- linking it to the happiness experienced by a pair of lovers, an emotion which elevates the condition of each individual. Her definition is far removed from that other definition, valued and promoted across the centuries, in which glory involves fame, the winning of honors, and, ultimately, material and economic reward.

Music lovers are invited to listen to `Gloria´ and to read the lyrics by visiting the following page from the website `Tango and Chaos´ (click on this link). Meanwhile, below, you can read the definitions of some terms used in this tango -- most of which are Argentine idioms or Lunfardo slang -- in order to remember or learn their meanings.

`Tenés vento, sos un gran señor…´ (`You have money, you’re a great man´) -first verse-: `tenés´ and `sos` are the verb forms for the personal pronoun `vos` which correspond to the verbs `tener` (have) and `ser` (be), respectively; `vos` is used in Argentina instead of `tú.` This kind of conjugation can be found in throughout the song. Vento: money (Lunfardo word)

engrupir (to fool): to make someone believe a lie (colloquial word from Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile, José Gobello´s definition)

(desde) el pique: from the start (popular term from Argentina)

Te juné -verb `junar`- (I was wise): to perceive, to understand or to know a person or an object (Lunfardo word originally from the Caló dialect, also called Spanish Romani (José Gobello´s definition)

gigoló (playboy): handsome man who has relationships with several women (`gigoló` is also a Lunfardo term that means something else, but in this case this word refers to libertine life)

espiantar: to run away quickly (Lunfardo word, José Gobello´s definition)

viejo (old): this word is first used as a colloquial way to refer to a friend who receives a word of advice (`viejo/a` and `viejos/as` is often utilized in Latin America to name a friend, a spouse (partner) or a parent. On the other hand, this term is used the second time in a sarcastic manner to show that the man is much older than the young, female main character of the story. (Rick McGarrey´s contribution)

bacán: someone who is rich --or pretends to be-- and flaunts it. (Lunfardo word, José Gobello´s definition)

piantale al placer (verb `piantar`): to run away quickly from enjoyment (Lunfardo word, José Gobello´s definition)

petit-hôtel: `Born and developed as a version of the Parisian `grand hôtel particulier` --the big brother that was superior in dimension, aspiration, and prestige-- the `petit-hôtel` was a kind of family housing unit that made steady headway into the new residential urban neighborhoods occupied by the upper middle class at the end of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century.` (Word from Argentina, Bellucci, Alberto and Portantiero, Hugo´s definition available only in Spanish; see photos on this link).

voiture: sports car (French word)

altillo (attic): mind (poetic form for attic)

berretín: illusion, hope cherished without justification (Lunfardo word, José Gobello´s definition).

Tango ´Gloria.’ Score for piano.