Canciones que cuentan una historia - Hoy: Nada

 Música de Marvin Hamlisch y letra de Edward Kleban 

Canciones que cuentan una historia - Hoy: They Don't Let You in the Opera (If You Are a Country Star)

 Now, I was born down in Georgia

But Georgia wasn't good enough for me

I'd sing country songs for them

But my heart sang La Bohème

And it didn't help we moved to Tennessee

Nashville's not the place you sing high C

If you wanna sing at all

You best sing country

So I picked up how to do it pretty fast

Be a country star or go

In the sticks them hicks don't know

Verdi's Rigoletto from their ass

So a country star's how I came to pass

But I'll sing opera one day

"It's like Opry with an a"

I told my agent in his fancy car

And it pained him I could tell

When he said, "no chance in hell

They don't let you in the opera

If you're a country star"

"Is it the way I say oblighetto?"

So I took that country singing job and shoved it

And I headed to The Met at NYC

I know that stage is hard to reach

But Domingo likes a peach

You should hear that tenor voice sing rockabilly

Now I'm trying out for The Barber of Seville

When a voice booms from the house

"From those tassels on your blouse

I can tell you've got a twang and play guitar

I bet they loved you in the South

But please, don't open your mouth

We can't let you in the opera

If you're a country star

'Cause no patron trusts an opera

In the hands of a country star"

Do you think I can't wail

'Cause I got long pink fingernails?

I had to play more country songs

Just to stay afloat

Though Aida's my role

I'm in a southern pigeon hole

I sing like Maria Callas

But no one's heard a note

'Till I charmed an old blowhard

Who owns half of Juilliard

Said my singing was so beautiful he cried

And I felt my heartbeat hop

Then I heard his heartbeat stop

He said, "welcome to the opera"

And then the bastard died

Well, time went by, I gave up on the opera

Grabbed a man, got ready for a kid

Though La Scala never called

My ears still get enthralled

When I hear a great soprano blow her lid

So head up to the opera house I did

But as vibratos start to shake

I feel my water break

I'd never even make it down the aisle

If you'd have been there you'd have seen

From that second mezzanine

First a head, then two feet

From my ninety dollar seat

As I lifted up my gown

To the doctor TWO ROWS DOOOOOOOOOOWN...!

It hurts like hell

Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God

Does that squish the baby?

How can it breathe?

Contraction! Contraction!

Contraction! Contraction!

My God, I paid so much for Dr. Chung

And now this

Ow! You son of a bitch!

No, thank you, I mean it

AHHHH, you fucker!

Contraction! Contraction!

Yes! I feel that!

Ow ow ow ow ow ow!

Ow ow ow ow ow!

I'm pushing

I'm pushing

Oh my God, oh my God

It's like pushing a watermelon

Through a hole the size of a lemon

Aha! Aha! Aha!

What? Well, it better be a girl!

Ahhhhh...

Ahhhhh...

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaaaaaa...

(spoken)

I'm so sorry about your dress!

(sung)

AAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhh...!

Well, now, to my surprise

Those patrons had tears in their eyes

The New York Times review

Even raved I was all that

Found the headline bizarre

"Opera gives birth to a new star

When she was done, what fun

And a newborn in her lap"

Then the head of the trustees board

Said, "before you cut the cord

Here's an eight-year contract and some caviar

You'll start right away, my dear

We have daycare, please sign here"

Been my dream since I sang country

Now I'm an opera star

(Baby cries)

Shh, shh!

But you were the best part of the opera by far

Now a crib ain't where you're needing pearls of wisdom

But listen up before you've cried a word

When you hear no, don't get upset

It means yes, but just not yet

Fight the most when folks say you're absurd

In the end, I believe we all get heard

But if I may suggest one rule

Before I'm no longer cool

What you do ain't always who you are

So if you find your heart is set

On both Memphis and The Met

And they force you to choose

Screw 'em both, go sing the blues

Bet your ass you can sing opera

If you're a country– that's a C

Star! Hey!

Letra y música: Dan Lipton y David Rossner 

Canciones que cuentan una historia - Hoy: El tango de la Menegilda

¡Pobre chica, la que tiene que servir!
Más valiera que se llegase a morir;
Porque si es que no sabe por las mañanas
Brujulear;
Aunque mil años viva
Su paradero es el hospital

 

Cuando yo vine aquí
Lo primero que a hacer aprendí
Fue a fregar, a barrer;
A guisar, a planchar y a coser;
Pero viendo que esas cosas
No me hacían prosperar;
Consulté con mi conciencia
Y al punto me dijo 'Aprende a sisar'
Aprende a sisar, aprende a sisar.'

 

 

Salí tan mañosa, que el cabo de un año
Tenía seis trajes de seda y satén
A nada que ustedes discurran un poco
Ya saben o al menos
Ya se han figurao'
De dónde saldría
Para ello el parné

 

Yo iba sola por la mañana a comprar
Y me daban seis duros para pagar:
Y de sesenta reales gastaba treinta
O un poco más
Y lo que me sobraba me lo guardaba
Un militar

 

Yo no sé como fue
Que un domingo después de comer
Yo no sé que pasó
Que mi ama a la calle me echó;
Pero al darme el señorito
La cartilla y el parné
Me decía por lo bajo:
'Te espero en Eslava tomando café.'
'Tomando café, tomando café.'

 

Después de este lance serví a un boticario
Serví a una señora que estaba muy mal;
Me vine a esa casa y aquí estoy al pelo
Pues sirvo a un abuelo
Que el pobre está lelo
Y yo soy el ama
Y punto final

 

Canción de Federico Chueca y Joaquín Valverde Durán

Canciones que cuentan una historia – Hoy: Hambre

Andá a hacerle el cuento a otra, que conmigo has terminado.
¿Qué te crees, que porque aguanto estoy en liquidación?
Voy a darte vacaciones por tiempo indeterminado,
pa’ que otra vez no confundas gordura con hinchazón.
Ya me tenés requeteharta con tanto grupo en almíbar,
me has hecho bajar seis kilos de un solo saque, ¡traidor!
Vos me hacés ver la comida con catalejo'e marina
y después andas diciendo que estoy flaca por amor.

Che, fresco de Goya,
rey del apoliyo,
sacudí el altillo
y andá a trabajar.
Laburá de guarda,
hacete pequero,
chafe, pistolero,
o mozo de bar.
¡Basta de vigilias,
se acabó el aguante!
¡Perdona el espiante
yo quiero vivir!
No ves que parezco
un cacho de alambre,
que te aguante el hambre
la mujer fakir.

Tu tranquilidad pasmosa es lo que más me subleva,
vos no te hacés mala sangre de campanear como voy.
Me tenés en el trapecio de la vida haciendo pruebas,
¿soy tu mujer, soy un bulto? Al final, ¿qué es lo que soy?
No quiero correr más liebres, mi independencia ha llegado.
Te dejo un ramo de olivos y que seas muy feliz.
No vaya a ser todavía que por quedarme a tu lado,
de ayunar tan a menudo se me piante hasta el chasis.

Letra: Enrique Cadícamo

Música: Juan Carlos Cobián

Cerrado por amargura

 Nos tomamos una semana o dos hasta aceptar mejor esta realidad tan aciaga. Volveremos, porque no van a vencernos. 

Gustavo Monteros

Canciones que cuentan una historia - Hoy: Aquel tapado de armiño

 Aquel tapado de armiño,
todo forrado en lamé,
que tu cuerpito abrigaba
al salir del cabaret.
Cuando pasaste a mi lado,
prendida a aquel gigoló,
aquel tapado de armiño
¡cuánta pena me causó!

¿Te acordás?, era el momento
culminante del cariño;
me encontraba yo sin vento,
vos amabas el armiño.
Cuántas veces tiritando,
los dos junto a la vidriera,
me decías suspirando:
¡Ay, amor, si vos pudieras!
Y yo con mil sacrificios
te lo pude al fin comprar,
mangué a amigos y usureros
y estuve un mes sin fumar.

Aquel tapado de armiño
todo forrado en lamé,
que tu cuerpito abrigaba
al salir del cabaret.
Me resultó, al fin y al cabo,
más durable que tu amor:
el tapado lo estoy pagando
y tu amor ya se apagó.

Letra: Manuel Romero

Música: Enrique Delfino

Canciones que cuentan una historia - Hoy: Goodbye to Boston

 Goodbye to Boston

He was my love before I knew the meaning
Just eighteen, both very in-between
Deciding who to tell and when to hide
In a time when shame was turning into pride

Choose your way or you lose your way
Find tomorrow from yesterday

The single bed we shared was warm and wide
And the walls were blue, and love was true
And everything was new
In Boston

When college ended, I went off to search for
Something more--I was bound for glory
He moved to Concord where the red bird sings
We were still in love, just needing different things

Choose your way and you lose your way
Find each other again someday

We separated all our books and clothing
Shared a cry 'til our eyes ran dry
And then we said goodbye
To Boston

I found another life and so did he
And love became a memory
Exchanging Christmas cards each year or two
We tried to keep in touch
As people do

I got a call to say the news was bad
There were pills for pain, a fire in his brain
His lover told me he was full of fight
But the final round was probably in sight

I went to see him when the snow was falling
Soft and wet, I never will forget
He stood to greet me while I parked the car
With a green silk hat on, covering the scar

Spring and summer and autumn fly
Winter comes, and we don't know why
We can't hold on, no matter how we try
So we choose each day as we lose each day
And we try to find our way
To Boston

Letra y música: Sam Davis