Sosa was born in Las Piedras, a Canelones Department suburb of Montevideo, Uruguay. He moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1949, where became famous with Enrique Francini and Armando Pontier's Orquesta típica. Working with numerous other orchestras, he was reunited with Pontier in 1955, with whom he recorded several best-selling albums on the RCA Victor and Columbia labels and became one of the most important tango singers in the genre's history.
He married Nora Ulfed in 1958 and had a daughter. His marriage ended in separation, however, and he settled into a relationship with Susana Merighi. Nicknamed El Varón del Tango ("the man's man of tango"), Sosa also published a book of poetry, Dos horas antes del alba ("Two Hours Before the Dawn"), in 1960. Following his switch to Columbia Records in 1961, the Pontier orchestra incorporated a new bandoneonist, Leopoldo Federico, and the association helped make the group the most successful in its genre, at the time.
Sosa's fame acquainted him with sports cars, as well. He suffered numerous accidents during the early 1960s, mostly as a result of speeding. He was behind the wheel of a DKW coupé when, in the early hours of November 25, 1964, he crashed into a roadside hazard light on Buenos Aires' Figueroa Alcorta Avenue, killing him instantly at age 38.
La Cumparsita
Julio Sosa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
que aún dentro de mi alma,
conservo aquel cariño
que tuve para ti...
Quién sabe si supieras
que nunca te he olvidado,
volviendo a tu pasado
te acordarás de mí...
Los amigos ya no vienen
ni siquiera a visitarme,
nadie quiere consolarme
en mi aflicción...
Desde el día que te fuiste
siento angustias en mi pecho,
decí, percanta, ¿qué has hecho
de mi pobre corazón?
Sin embargo,
yo siempre te recuerdo
con el cariño santo
que tuve para ti.
Y estás en todas partes,
pedazo de mi vida,
y aquellos ojos que fueron mi alegría
los busco por todas partes
y no los puedo hallar.
Al cotorro abandonado
ya ni el sol de la mañana
asoma por la ventana
como cuando estabas vos,
y aquel perrito compañero,
que por tu ausencia no comía,
al verme solo el otro día
también me dejó...
The above lyrics are from Julio Sosa's song La Cumparsita, which is a classic tango song that was composed by the Uruguayan musician Gerardo Matos Rodríguez in 1916. The song is widely considered to be one of the most famous and beloved tango songs of all time, and is often referred to as the "anthem of tango." The lyrics of the song tell the story of a love affair that has ended, and the pain and heartbreak that the singer is experiencing as a result.
The first verse of the song expresses the singer's deep feelings for their former lover, and their sadness that the relationship has ended. The second verse speaks to the loneliness and isolation that the singer is feeling, as they explain that their friends and loved ones no longer come to visit them. They ask their former lover what they have done to their "poor heart," showing that they still feel a deep connection to them despite the hurt they have caused.
In the final verse, the singer continues to reminisce about their past with their former lover, and expresses their ongoing love and devotion to them. They describe searching for the memory of their lover's eyes "everywhere," but not being able to find them. The imagery of the abandoned bird and dog also underscores the singer's feelings of loneliness and abandonment.
Overall, the lyrics of La Cumparsita capture the deep emotional intensity of a love affair that has ended, and the pain and sadness that can linger long after the relationship is over.
Line by Line Meaning
Si supieras, que aún dentro de mi alma, conservo aquel cariño que tuve para ti...
If you only knew how deep within myself I still hold onto the love I once had for you...
Quién sabe si supieras que nunca te he olvidado, volviendo a tu pasado te acordarás de mí...
Who knows if you were aware that I have never forgotten you, and someday when you reminisce, you will remember me...
Los amigos ya no vienen ni siquiera a visitarme, nadie quiere consolarme en mi aflicción...
My friends no longer visit me, and nobody wants to comfort me in my times of sorrow...
Desde el día que te fuiste siento angustias en mi pecho, decí, percanta, ¿qué has hecho de mi pobre corazón?
Ever since the day you left, I have felt nothing but anguish in my heart. Tell me, woman, what have you done to my poor heart?
Sin embargo, yo siempre te recuerdo con el cariño santo que tuve para ti...
Nevertheless, I always remember you with the holy love that I once had for you...
Y estás en todas partes, pedazo de mi vida, y aquellos ojos que fueron mi alegría los busco por todas partes y no los puedo hallar.
You are everywhere, a piece of my life. Those eyes that brought me joy, I search for them everywhere and cannot find them.
Al cotorro abandonado ya ni el sol de la mañana asoma por la ventana como cuando estabas vos, y aquel perrito compañero, que por tu ausencia no comía, al verme solo el otro día también me dejó...
Even the morning sun no longer shines through the window of the neglected birdcage, as it did when you were here. And that dear little dog who refused to eat in your absence, when he saw me alone the other day, he too left me...
Writer(s): Gerardo H. Matos Rodriguez, Paqual Contursi, Gerardo Hernan Matos Rodriguez, Pascual Contursi, Enrique Pedro Maroni Copyright: Universal Music Publishing Ricordi S.r.l., Sadaic Latin Copyrights Inc., S.I.A.E. Direzione Generale
Contributed by Jason R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.