La Gata Varela
Cacho Castaña
Lyrics
Translation
La gata sale a cantar, envuelta en adrenalina
The cat goes out to sing, wrapped in adrenaline
Y perfuma el escenario con inciensos y glicinas
And perfumes the stage with incense and wisteria
Con un código de tango, sin libros y sin escuela
With a tango code, without books and without school
Y te lo dice pintando con colores de acuarela
And tells you by painting with watercolor colors
El mejor de los cantores
The best of singers
Tiene la vieja enseñanza
Has the old teaching
De callar cuando se debe
To be silent when necessary
Y de hablar cuando hace falta
And to speak when needed
Gata mojada de lluvia
Rain-soaked cat
Que aligerando los vicios
Easing the vices
Sale a andar por las cornisas
Goes for a walk on the cornices
Sin caer al precipicio
Without falling into the abyss
Parece una atorranta cuando canta
She seems like a loose woman when she sings
Parece que se deja y no se deja
It seems like she allows it, but she doesn't
Te da la sensación cuando camina
You get the feeling when she walks
Que, en vez de una mujer, llegan dos minas
That instead of one woman, two come
Parece medio loca y te provoca
She seems a bit crazy and provokes you
Porque el tango en su boca es un gemido
Because tango in her mouth is a moan
Parece que ya nada la sorprende
It seems like nothing surprises her anymore
Parece saber todo de la vida
It seems she knows everything about life
Parece, pero no es lo que parece
It seems, but it's not what it seems
Es una gata herida
She's a wounded cat
Los que cantan a los gritos
Those who sing loudly
Seguirán siendo aprendices
Will remain apprentices
Porque el tango no se canta
Because tango is not sung
Porque al tango se lo dice
Because tango is spoken
Con la pausa y el silencio
With pauses and silence
Al que aluden los poetas
Referred to by the poets
Despacito, poco a poco
Slowly, little by little
Para que entiendan la letra
So that they understand the lyrics
Cuando el público no escucha, la gata tiene el orgullo
When the audience doesn't listen, the cat takes pride
De tener la mente fresca en el medio del barullo
In having a fresh mind in the middle of the chaos
Yo también escribo y canto, sin libros y sin escuela
I also write and sing, without books and without school
Despacito, poco a poco, como la Gata Varela
Slowly, little by little, like Gata Varela
Parece una atorranta cuando canta
She seems like a loose woman when she sings
Parece que se deja y no se deja
It seems like she allows it, but she doesn't
Te da la sensación cuando camina
You get the feeling when she walks
Que, en vez de una mujer, llegan dos minas
That instead of one woman, two come
Parece medio loca y te provoca
She seems a bit crazy and provokes you
Porque el tango en su boca es un gemido
Because tango in her mouth is a moan
Parece que ya nada la sorprende
It seems like nothing surprises her anymore
Parece saber todo de la vida
It seems she knows everything about life
Parece, pero no es lo que parece
It seems, but it's not what it seems
Es una gata herida
She's a wounded cat