Song commentary

&

lyric translation

The story of Siempre es Carnaval

The lively Siempre es carnaval (It’s always carnival) is one of Osvaldo (and Emilio) Fresedo’s most renown tangos. To understand its origin and its real depth, it’s necessary to look at Fresedo’s life itself…

Being born in Buenos Aires to a wealthy family definitely influenced Fresedo’s art: his orchestra, refined and aristocratic, was the favourite of upper circles. However, the neighbourhood he grew up in equally had a bearing on him – when he was ten, his family surprisingly decided to move to La Paternal, a humble suburban neighbourhood. There he started playing the bandoneon and became acquainted with tango.

During his career, the longest one in tango history (over 1,250 recordings over 63 years), Fresedo was known as El pibe de La Paternal, the kid from La Paternal.

Despite its cheerful music and its definite carnival-like atmosphere, Siempre es carnaval is a condemnation of modern consumerist society, which compares consumers to carnival goers, and the lies they use to dodge paying their bills to carnival masks. While it starts with a general take on society, the song also seems to target one individual in particular, as shown by the end verse: ‘how many pesos do you owe me?’.

This song has been translated by Tanguito, Argentine Tango Academy.

Old school milongueros say it’s easier to fully interpret a tango song when you know the lyrics. So, we have translated and commented over 35 of the most beautiful and famous tango songs. Browse our translations and enjoy the stronger connexion with the music.

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The song

The lyrics of Siempre es Carnaval

in Spanish & English

Siempre es Carnaval

¡Cuántos viven disfrazados
sin saber que así quedaron!
¡Cuántos se oyen sin reír!
Este mundo es escenario
de un gran cine continuado
que nos hace consumir.
Cuánto, al fin, se macanea,
ya que nunca es todo cierto,
y es un juego el acertar:
“La señora está indispuesta”
o “ha salido hace un momento”;
y el esposo se hace el muerto
si es que vienen a cobrar.
It’s always carnival

So many live in a fancy dress,
without realising they’ve stayed like this!
So many can be heard without laughing!
This world is the stage
of a big non-stop cinema
of mass consumption.
So much ends up being a joke,
nothing is certain at all,
guessing the truth is a gamble:
“the lady is not available”
or “she left a minute ago”;
the husband plays dead
if anyone comes asking to pay the bills.
Y siempre es carnaval.
Van cayendo serpentinas,
unas gruesas y otras finas
que nos hacen tambalear.
Y cuando en tu disfraz
la careta queda ausente
en tu cara de inocente,
todo el año es carnaval.
¡Y viva el carnaval!
Vos ves siempre lucecitas.
Sos la eterna mascarita
que gozás con engañar.
Y cuando en tu disfraz
la careta queda ausente
en tu cara de inocente,
todo el año es carnaval.		 And it’s always carnival.
Streamers fall,
some thick, some thin,
they make us wobble.
And in your fancy dress,
you wear no mask
on your innocent face,
all year round it’s carnival.
Long live the carnival!
You always see glimmers.
You wear an eternal mask,
your pleasure is to be deceitful.
And in your fancy dress
you wear no mask
on your innocent face,
all year round it’s carnival.
¡Qué tuviste una fortuna!
¡Qué de oro fue tu cuna!
Que esto cuesta: ¡Qué se yo!
Las mujeres y los hombres
por tu amor tocan la luna
y otras cosas más por vos…
¡Y si hablás de tu familia!…
tu pretérito imperfecto
lo pasaste como un rey.
Yo quisiera que me digas,
y dejando un poco de esto,
si la cuenta vos has hecho
¿cuántos pesos me debés?		 How fortunate you’ve been!
With your golden cradle!
How much does it cost… How would I know!
Women and men
reach out to the moon out of love for you
and do so much, all for you…
If you talk about your family…,
you use the past tense
like a king!
I’d like you to tell me,
and I’ll take a little bit off,
if you’ve done the maths:
how many pesos do you owe me?
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Photo by Llanydd Lloyd on Unsplash