"Por una Cabeza," meaning in Spanish "by a head [of a horse]," is a popular tango song composed in 1935 by Carlos Gardel and Alfredo Le Pera. Gardel was the composer and Le Pera the lyricist. Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ... Tango music is traditionally played by an orquesta típica, a sextet which includes two violins, piano, doublebass, and two bandoneons. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ... Alfredo Le Pera (4 June 1900? – 24 June 1935) was an Argentine journalist, dramatist, and lyricist, best known for his brief but fruitful collaboration with the Argentinian tango singer Carlos Gardel. ...

The lyrics of the song talk about a compulsive horse-track gambler who compares his addiction for the horses with his attraction to women. Horse-racing is an equestrian sporting activity which has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot races of Roman times were an early example, as was the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. ... The term gambling has had many different meanings depending on the cultural and historical context in which it is used. ... Compulsive gambling is an urge or addiction to gamble despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop. ...

It has been performed by numerous tango orchestras and lately is commonly featured in films and television not only because of its undisputed quality but also for its free copyright after Gardel and Le Pera's 50 years death. Tango scenes with "Por una Cabeza" appear in Episode 37 of Nip/Tuck, as well as in Schindler's List, Scent of a Woman [1],True Lies[2], All the King's Men (2006 film), and Episode 9 of Sweet Spy (2005 Korean drama). Additionally, this song is played in the movie Bad Santa when Billy Bob Thornton's character is rummaging through a wealthy homeowner's den looking for a safe to rob. The song is also played in the movie True Lies Nip/Tuck is an Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning American television medical drama series created by Ryan Murphy for FX Networks. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Scent of a Woman is a 1992 film which tells the story of a preparatory school student who takes a job as an assistant to an irascible blind, medically retired Army officer. ... True Lies is a 1994 action/comedy remake of the 1991 French film La Totale!. It was directed by James Cameron, and stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Bill Paxton, Tia Carrere, Charlton Heston and Art Malik. ... Promotional poster for All the Kings Men All the Kings Men (2006) is an adaptation of the 1946 Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Robert Penn Warren and a remake of the 1949 Academy Award-winning movie, All the Kings Men. As of December 2005, extended post-production... Screen Shot for Sweet Spy Sweet Spy is a MBC TV drama series and has been a major part of the Korean Wave both in Asia and throughout the United States. ... Bad Santa is a 2003 film directed by Terry Zwigoff, produced by Joel and Ethan Coen, and starring Billy Bob Thornton as the title character and Tony Cox as his partner-in-crime. ... Billy Bob Thornton (born William Robert Thornton on August 4, 1955) is an Academy Award-winning American screenwriter, actor, as well as occasional director, playwright and singer. ... True Lies is a 1994 action/comedy remake of the 1991 French film La Totale!. It was directed by James Cameron, and stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Bill Paxton, Tia Carrere, Charlton Heston and Art Malik. ...

External links

• Por una Cabeza's Lyrics
• English translation
• The tango scene in Scent of a Woman