Having worked its way out of the brothels of Buenos Aires , through the international scene and into the hearts of all Argentines as a national musical and dance style, the tango served as a representation of social mobility. Therefore, it appeals most to the European immigrants who came to Argentina and comprise a large portion of the population ( Taylor 1976: 284 ) . Coming to Argentina in search of economic stability and success, these immigrants found themselves working in the brothels at the lowest levels of society (Guillermoprieto 2003: 35). For their dreams to become a reality they would have to climb the social ladder, just as the tango had.

  Carlos Gardel is the singer who represents the tango to many Argentines, receiving unanimous “praise as the greatest tango singer of all time” ( Taylor 1987: 484). Gardel was born in France and moved to Argentina at the age of three with his mother (Guillermaprieto 2003: 35). Being an immigrant, Gardel seemed to have the same fate as his fellow immigrants, a life in the lower classes of Argentina (Salmon 1977: 863). Having tried and failed at many jobs, Gardel finally discovered his ability to sing. He sang the tango and suddenly rose from the lower-most rungs of society to fame and wealth in the upper-class (Taylor 1976: 285). To this day he is inspiration to all those with the same hopes and dreams of someday emerging from their dismal lives in the slums of Argentina .

  Although it now serves as a symbol of social mobility because of the success it has seen, the lyrics of the tango are also significant to the culture of Argentina . One of the common themes apparent in so many tangos is that of nostalgia (Jakubs 1984: 139 ). The tango is a way for the immigrants to evade the world in which they have found themselves (Salmon 1977: 861). Many of the lyrics refer to life in their native lands and how they long to return. For those born in Argentina , the nostalgia also extends to include a longing for the innocence they had growing up in their working-class neighborhoods (Jakubs 1984: 139). Most of these neighborhoods were destroyed or changed by the government, so many lyrics will tell the story of a man returning to his neighborhood hoping that it was lucky enough to avoid change (Taylor 1987: 483).

  Studies of the tango commonly point the different roles it played for males and females. The tango is a male dominated musical style. Early on women also found a love for the tango, but were forced to participate within the confines of their private homes and never in public. This was so extreme that a large number of female tango artists were resorted to dressing as males in order to perform (Castro 1994: 70). The tango thus reflected Argentine society, where women are traditionally subservient to men ( Castro 1994: 66). Male dominance is asserted in the dance, but the lyrics seem to show the strength and importance of the woman (Taylor 1987: 485).

  Tango lyrics tend to reflect the loneliness of the Argentine man and the nation. This loneliness, though, is never the fault of the singer and blame is always placed elsewhere. Argentina as a nation has an abundance of natural resources similar to that of the U.S. and Canada , but has never had the same success as these countries. The lyrics speak of the defeat that the nation has felt that has led to a feeling of being separate and alone (Jakubs 1984: 141). More common than this theme of loneliness as a nation, the male tango artists sing of their loneliness as individuals due to lost love. The blame is placed solely on the woman, with the man being a victim (Salmon 1977: 861). With its origins found so deep in the brothels, many of the tangos were used as warnings to other men to beware of certain prostitutes or proclaimed the talent of other prostitutes (Castro 1994: 68). This expression of an interest in sex was not accepted by the upper classes of society. The only place it was allowed to be expressed was in the brothels, so the tango became a form of expressing this desire for sex. Research is very clear, though, that the tango is only an expression of sex, not love. The men did not use the prostitutes to find love, only for pleasure (Salmon 1977: 861).

  Today, the tango has become popular around the world. Although many successful and powerful women now enjoy taking part in this dance, it originally conveyed male dominance. The man portrays perfect control and power over the women through the dance, but beneath that are the feelings of insecurity expressed in the lyrics (Taylor 1987: 485). On the surface and from an outsiders perspective the man and the woman are dancing together, but this is not really the case. According to Russel O. Salmon in his article “The Tango: Its Origins and Meaning”, “One of the objects of the tango is for partners to dance as one but without admitting the existence of one another.” (Salmon 1977: 861). The woman is expected to follow every step of the man in complete submission so that he really doesn't need to pay any attention to her (Castro 1994: 71).