Nostalgias

The song 'Nostalgias' by Enrique Cadícamo is a poignant expression of heartache and longing, deeply rooted in the tradition of Argentine tango. The lyrics convey the story of someone who is trying to drown their sorrows and the pain of a lost love by seeking refuge in alcohol and the company of others. The narrator speaks of an attempt to erase the memories of past kisses with new ones, yet acknowledges the futility of this endeavor as the obsession with the lost love persists.

The title 'Nostalgias' itself suggests a deep yearning for the past, a sentiment that is further amplified by the evocative imagery of hearing the loved one's laughter and feeling their breath as if it were a fire. The anguish of abandonment and the jealousy of imagining the loved one with someone else are palpable. The narrator refuses to degrade themselves by begging or crying, choosing instead to witness the withering of their youth's 'dead roses' from a place of lonely resignation.

Musically, the song calls upon the bandoneón to weep its 'gray tango,' a reference to the instrument's melancholic sound that is synonymous with tango music. The bandoneón's lament mirrors the narrator's sentimental wounds, creating a shared experience of sorrow. The song ends with a resolve to drink to the heart's failures in love, a bittersweet toast to the universal experience of romantic defeat.