Right after the Second World War II, on the 9th of October 1946, Édith Piaf recorded the famous French song “La vie en rose” (=Life in pink). The title can remind us of the expression c’est la vie. For once, she decided to sing her own love song. She was influenced by her beautiful love story with the young French singer, Yves Montand. Some rumors said that probably her songwriter, Paul Durand, helped her to create this song but still she is the creator of this artwork. Show
The music has been a huge success in the United States with the English adaption of Louis Armstrong. There were also many covers of this song in France with the French version of Yves Montand, the version of the Jamaican singer Grace Jones or the instrumental version of Michel Legrand. About Édith PiafÉdith Piaf is probably the most famous post-war singer in France and in the world. This French female singer was born in Paris on December 15, 1915. After running away from her family at the age of 15, she ends up singing in the street. Louis Leplée, owner of a musical café on the Champs Elysées, spotted her and introduced her to the world of cabarets. Her music career skyrocketed from there. She became in Paris “La mome piaf” (mome is French slang for child) because she was small and fragile. Her life is unfortunately marked by many personal tragedies. First of all, there was the death of her daughter, Marcelle in 1935 and then the death of her partner Marcel Cerdan in a plane crash in 1949. In addition to that, she was affected by polyarthritis and died young at the age of 47 in 1963 of a ruptured aneurysm. Before her death, she interpreted other hits such as Non, je ne regrette rien (lyrics). "La Vie En Rose"Hold me close and hold me fast When you press me to your heart Give your heart and soul to me Thanks to Miriam Klare for correcting these lyrics. Writer(s): Louiguy, Edith Piaf, Mack David "La Vie En Rose (English)"Hold me close and hold me fast When you kiss me heaven sighs When you press me to your heart And when you speak angels sing from above Give your heart and soul to me And when you speak angels sing from above Give your heart and soul to me Writer(s): Mack David, Edith Giovanna Gassion, Louiguy album: "Voila" (2007) When you kiss me heaven sighs And tho i close my eyes I see la vie en rose. When you press me to your heart I′m in a world apart A world where roses bloom And when you speak, angels sing from above Everyday words seem to turn into love songs Give your heart and soul to me And life will always be la vie en rose. The Web's Largest Resource forMusic, Songs & LyricsA Member Of The STANDS4 Networkmore tracks from the albumOur awesome collection ofPromoted Songs»QuizAre you a music master?»Which member of the pop boy band One Direction left the group?La Vie en Rose lyrics and translation articulate timeless themes of love, romance, and resilience – it’s one of Edith Piaf’s most famous and beloved songs. It has been covered and interpreted by many famous artists, including Louis Armstrong (who sang an English interpretation of the lyrics) and Lady Gaga, who sang it in French in “A Star is Born.” La Vie en Rose is about finding new love after a trying time, and many people saw it as an anthem of hope as it was released shortly after the end of World War 2. French lyrics and English translation below.
Below the translation you will find an analysis of the song and translation, a breakdown of the vocabulary, and a video of Edith Piaf performing “La Vie en Rose” live. La Vie en Rose Lyrics and TranslationFrenchEnglishDes yeux qui font baisser les miensA gaze that make me lower my ownUn rire qui se perd sur sa boucheA laugh that is lost on his lips -Voila le portrait sans retouchesThat is the un-retouched portraitDe l'homme auquel j'appartiensOf the man to whom I belongQuand il me prend dans ses brasWhen he takes me into his armsIl me parle l'a tout basHe speaks to me softlyJe vois la vie en roseAnd I see life through rose-colored glassesIl me dit des mots d'amourHe speaks words of love to meDes mots de tous les joursThey are every day wordsEt ça m' fait quelque choseAnd they do something to meIl est entré dans mon coeurHe has entered into my heartUne part de bonheurA bit of happinessDont je connais la causeThat I know the cause ofC'est lui pour moiIt's only him for meMoi pour lui dans la vieAnd me for him, for lifeIl me l'a dit, l'a jure pour la vieHe told me, he swore to me, for lifeEt, dès que je l'aperçoisAs soon as I notice himAlors je sens en moiI feel inside meMon coeur qui batMy heart beatingDes nuits d'amour à plus en finirEndless nights of loveUn grand bonheur qui prend sa placeBring great happinessLes ennuis, les chagrins, s'effacentThe pain and bothers fade awayHeureux, heureux à mourirHappy, so happy I could dieQuand il me prend dans ses brasWhen he takes me into his armsIl me parle tout basHe speaks to me softlyJe vois la vie en roseAnd I see life through rose-colored glassesIl me dit des mots d'amourHe speaks words of love to meDes mots de tout les joursThey are every day wordsEt ça m' fait quelque choseAnd they do something to meIl est entré dans mon coeurHe has entered into my heartUne part de bonheurA bit of happinessDont je connais la causeThat I know the cause ofC'est lui pour moiIt's only him for meMoi pour lui dans la vieAnd me for him, for lifeIl me l'a dit, l'a jure pour la vieHe told me, he swore to me, for lifeEt, dès que je l'apercoisAs soon as I notice himAlors je sens en moiI feel inside meMon coeur qui batMy heart beatingLalalala, lalalalaLalalala, lalalalaLa, la, la, laLa, la, la, laLa Vie en Rose Vocabulary, Analysis, and ExplanationThe great thing about this song is that it uses relatively simple vocabulary to convey the very deep and heartfelt experience of new love. This song captures so many of the small gestures that we associate with falling in love: feeling your heart race as soon as you spot your new love, looking away when they look at you, etc. baisser: to lower Des yeux qui font baisser les miens: literally “eyes that make me lower my own” Un rire qui se perd sur sa bouche – this is a tough line to translate. I’ve chosen to translate this as “a laugh that is lost on his lips;” literally it would be translated “a laugh that loses itself on his lips.” I think that she is referring to the moment when someone laughs a short, fleeting laugh that seems to dance across their lips. retouche: a correction, amendment, or as we would translate it for a photo “retouching”. tout bas: literally “all low” but in this context it means “softly” or “quietly”. OK and now for the chorus/title – how to best translate “la vie en rose”? We use this phrase occasionally in English, and my preference would be to leave it in French since there isn’t a saying in English that is as elegant. However we do have the saying “to see life through rose-colored glasses.” I feel that this sounds a bit awkward, and not nearly as nice as saying “I see la vie en rose,” which would literally translate as “I see life in pink” or “I see life in rosy-hues.” Il me dit: He speaks to me or he tells me jurer: to promise, to swear dès que je l’aperçois: From the moment I perceive him (am aware of him) Dès translates as “from” in the sense that it marks the beginning of a period of time. Dès que means “as soon as” (in French you can also say “aussitôt que”). à plus finir: endless s’effacer: to fade Edith Piaf Performing La Vie en Rose LiveThis is from the TV show “La joie de vivre” where Edith Piaf performed live on March 4, 1954. Enjoy! What do you think of this translation? Do you have any additional questions? Leave them in the comments below! Thank you. 🙂 What does La Vie en rose in English mean?Directly translated to "life in pink", "La vie en rose" essentially means seeing life through rose-coloured glasses.
What does Je Vois La Vie en rose?The literal translation of the song's title is “Life in Pink“. It also means “Life in Rosy Hues” or “Life through Rose-coloured glasses“.
What does La Vie En mean?La vie is French for "the life", such as found in the phrase "c'est la vie".
Who was La Vie en rose written for?Edith Piaf did not write the song for herself, but for her friend Marianne Michel. The original title was Les Choses en Rose (Rose-tinted Things). Marianne Michel was the one who suggested replacing “things” with “life” as she scribbled on the tablecloth at a bistro during a meeting between the two women.
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