Despite the numerous biographies, many facts and events of Édith's life are shrouded in mystery. She was born Édith Giovanna Gassion in Belleville, Paris, France, the high-immigration district later described by Daniel Pennac. Legend has it that she was born on the pavement of Rue de Belleville 72 but according to her birth certificate that was at Hôpital Tenon, the Belleville arrondissement hospital. She was named Édith after the executed British nurse Edith Cavell (Piaf —Parisian jargon for "sparrow"— came from a nickname she would receive twenty years later).
Her mother, Annetta Giovanna Maillard (1898 – 1945), was a partly-Italian 17-year-old girl, native of Livorno, working as a café singer under the pseudonym Line Marsa; from her, Édith took the middle name of Giovanna. Her father, Louis-Alphonse Gassion (1881 – 1944), was a street acrobat with a theatrical past. The little Édith was soon abandoned and left for a short time to her maternal grandmother, Mena (probably a Kabyle). Shortly after, Édith's father brought the child to his mother, who ran a brothel in Normandy, and then joined the French Army (1916). Thus Édith was in contact with the prostitutes and the various attenders of the brothel since her early years, a circumstance which must have had a deep impact on her personality and vision of life.
From the age of three to seven she was blind. As part of Piaf's legend, she allegedly recovered her sight after her grandmother's prostitutes went on a pilgrimage to Saint Thérèse de Lisieux. In 1929 she joined her father in his acrobatic street performances. Then took a room at Grand Hôtel de Clermont (18 rue Veron, Paris 18ème) and separated from him, going her own way as a street singer in Pigalle, Ménilmontant and Paris suburbs (cf. the song "Elle fréquentait la Rue Pigalle"). She was about 16 years of age when she fell in love with a delivery-boy, Louis Dupont, and shortly after had a child, a little girl named Marcelle. Sadly, Marcelle died in infancy of meningitis.
In 1935, Édith was discovered in the Pigalle area of Paris by the nightclub owner Louis Leplée, whose club was frequented by the upper and lower classes alike. He persuaded her to sing despite her extreme nervousness, which, combined with her height of only 4' 8" (142 cm) inspired him to give her the nickname that would stay with her for the rest of her life and become her stage name: La Môme Piaf (The Little Sparrow). Her first record was produced in the same year. Shortly afterwards, Leplée was murdered and Piaf was accused of being an accessory; she was acquitted.
In 1940, Jean Cocteau wrote the successful play Le Bel Indifférent for her to star in. She began to make friends with famous people, such as the actor Maurice Chevalier and the poet Jacques Borgeat. She wrote the lyrics of many of her songs, and collaborated with composers on the tunes.
Her signature song, "La vie en rose" (which was voted a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1998) was written in the middle of the German occupation of Paris in World War II. During this time, she was in great demand and very successful. She befriended many high-ranking Germans and sang for them. It is said that she collaborated with the Nazis, too. After the war, she toured Europe, the United States, and South America, becoming an internationally known figure. Her popularity in the U.S. was such that she appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show eight times. She helped to launch the career of Charles Aznavour, taking him on tour with her in France and the United States.
The great love of Piaf's life, the boxer Marcel Cerdan, died in 1949. Piaf was married twice. Her first husband was Jacques Pills, a singer; they married in 1952 and divorced in 1956. Her second husband, Theophanis Lamboukas (also known as Théo Sarapo), was a hairdresser-turned-singer and actor, and was twenty years younger than Piaf; they married in 1962.
In 1951 she was in a car accident, and thereafter had difficulty breaking a serious morphine habit.
The Paris Olympia is the place where Piaf achieved fame and where, just a few months before her death, she gave one of her most memorable concerts while barely able to stand. In early 1963, Piaf recorded her last song, "L'homme de Berlin".
At the early age of 47, Piaf died of cancer in Plascassier, on the French riviera, on October 10, 1963. Her friend Jean Cocteau, very shocked and afflicted by her death, died a few hours later. Her body was returned to Paris where her death was only announced on October 11, the official date of her death. She was buried in Père Lachaise cemetery, Paris. Although she was forbidden a Mass by the Roman Catholic archbishop of Paris (because of her lifestyle), her funeral procession drew hundreds of thousands of mourners onto the streets of Paris and the ceremony at the cemetery was jammed with more than forty thousand fans. Charles Aznavour recalled that Piaf's funeral procession was the only time, since the end of World War II, that Parisian traffic came to a complete stop.
There is a museum dedicated to Piaf, the Musée Édith Piaf at 5, rue Crespin du Gast, 75011, Paris.
Today she is still remembered and revered as one of the greatest singers France has ever produced. Her life was one of sharp contrasts: the range of her fame as opposed to her tragic personal life, and her fragile small figure on stage with the resounding power of her voice.
Avant Nous
Édith Piaf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Et tout change, et tout est pareil
Le bonheur n'est pas le nôtre
Pas plus que le soleil
Écoute, écoute dans le monde
Cet orchestre de cœurs battants
De partout ils se répondent
Depuis combien de temps?
Avant nous
D'autres amants ont dit je t'aime
Comme nous
Avant nous
D'autres ont souffert, ont trahi même
Comme-
Non, ne crois pas ça, ne crois pas ça!
L'amour n'est pas cette misère
L'amour, c'est toi entre mes bras
Avant nous
D'autres ont dansé sur des je t'aime
Comme nous
Avant nous
D'autres se sont quittés quand même
Comme-
Non, pas comme nous, ne crois pas ça!
On a dansé sur toute la terre
Et l'on dansera sur ces mots-là
Aimons-nous
Comme ceux-là qui tant s'aimèrent
Comme nous
Et comme ceux qui nous suivront
Et comme ceux qui s'aimeront
Après nous
La la, la la, la
La la, la la, la
La la, la la, la
In Édith Piaf's song Avant Nous, she reflects on the transient and cyclical nature of life and love. She begins by acknowledging that as one season passes, another one comes along, and while everything changes, everything remains the same. The happiness that she longs for - both her own and that of many - seems unattainable like the ever-elusive sun. She listens to the world around her, hearing the beating hearts of lovers who have come before and are yet to come. She wonders how long these echoes have resounded.
Piaf then consoles her lover and herself, that love is nothing new or unique - it has been said and felt before. Others have also suffered and even betrayed each other in the name of love, but that's not what love is. Love is holding each other in an embrace, not the misery that some might associate with it. She goes on to say that others have also danced to the rhythm of love, just like they are doing, and even separated as they might. However, she draws a line here: they are different because they have danced all over the earth, and will continue to dance on the tunes of these words.
The song's central theme revolves around the idea that humans are not the first, nor will they be the last, to experience the joys, sorrows, hopes, and disappointments of love. Piaf acknowledges that others have felt what they are feeling and seen what they have seen, and that love will continue to move people after they are gone.
Line by Line Meaning
Un printemps meurt, en vient un autre
Seasons come and go, change is inevitable
Et tout change, et tout est pareil
Everything changes, yet everything remains the same
Le bonheur n'est pas le nôtre
Happiness is not ours to keep
Pas plus que le soleil
Just like the sun, it comes and goes
Écoute, écoute dans le monde
Listen, listen to the world
Cet orchestre de cœurs battants
Hear the sound of millions of hearts beating
De partout ils se répondent
Everywhere, they respond to each other
Depuis combien de temps?
For how long have they been doing this?
Avant nous
Before us
D'autres amants ont dit je t'aime
Other lovers have said "I love you"
Comme nous
Just like us
D'autres ont souffert, ont trahi même
Others have suffered, even betrayed each other
Non, ne crois pas ça, ne crois pas ça!
No, don't believe that, don't believe that!
L'amour n'est pas cette misère
Love is not this misery
L'amour, c'est toi entre mes bras
Love is you in my arms
Avant nous
Before us
D'autres ont dansé sur des je t'aime
Others have danced to "I love you"
Comme nous
Just like us
D'autres se sont quittés quand même
Others have still parted ways
Non, pas comme nous, ne crois pas ça!
No, not like us, don't believe that!
On a dansé sur toute la terre
We have danced all around the world
Et l'on dansera sur ces mots-là
And we will dance to these words
Aimons-nous
Let's love each other
Comme ceux-là qui tant s'aimèrent
Just like those who loved each other greatly
Et comme ceux qui nous suivront
And like those who will come after us
Et comme ceux qui s'aimeront
And like those who will love each other
Après nous
After us
La la, la la, la
La la, la la, la
La la, la la, la
La la, la la, la
La la, la la, la
La la, la la, la
Lyrics © BEUSCHER ARPEGE
Written by: Marguerite Monnot, Rene Rouzaud
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
valerio val
Una primavera muore, un'altra arrivaUn printemps meurt, en vient un autre
E tutto cambia, e tutto è lo stessoEt tout change, et tout est pareil
La felicità non è nostraLe bonheur n'est pas le nôtre
Non più del solePas plus que le soleil
Ascolta, ascolta il mondoÉcoute, écoute dans le monde
Questa orchestra di cuori che battonoCet orchestre de cœurs battants
Da ogni parte si rispondonoDe partout ils se répondent
Da quando?Depuis combien de temps?
Prima di noiAvant nous
Altri amanti hanno detto ti amoD'autres amants ont dit je t'aime
Come noiComme nous
Prima di noiAvant nous
Altri hanno sofferto, anche traditoD'autres ont souffert, ont trahi même
Come-Comme-
No, non crederci, non crederci!Non, ne crois pas ça, ne crois pas ça!
L'amore non è questa miseriaL'amour n'est pas cette misère
Amore sei tra le mie bracciaL'amour, c'est toi entre mes bras
Prima di noiAvant nous
Altri hanno ballato su Ti amoD'autres ont dansé sur des je t'aime
Come noiComme nous
Prima di noiAvant nous
Gli altri si sono lasciati comunqueD'autres se sont quittés quand même
Come-Comme-
No, non come noi, non crederci!Non, pas comme nous, ne crois pas ça!
Abbiamo ballato in tutto il mondoOn a dansé sur toute la terre
E balleremo su quelle paroleEt l'on dansera sur ces mots-là
AmarsiAimons-nous
Come quelli che si sono tanto amatiComme ceux-là qui tant s'aimèrent
Come noiComme nous
E come chi ci seguiràEt comme ceux qui nous suivront
E come quelli che si amerannoEt comme ceux qui s'aimeront
Dopo gli Stati UnitiAprès nous
La la, la la, laLa la, la la, la
La la, la la, laLa la, la la, la
La la, la la, laLa la, la la, la
Consuelo Avalos
Que hermosa canción #edithpiaf como me estremezco al oírla cantar, que VOZ, 🌹
EriK Gaya
Merci pour cette chanson de la grande Piaf , je ne la connaissais pas encore . Thanks for loading. She makes me proud to be French. Merci à vous Mme Piaf
curcil444
its people like this that deserve to live 20 years longer
Unknown Channel
Childhood Poverty & alcohol abuse tend to be bad hor health unfortunately
valerio val
Una primavera muore, un'altra arrivaUn printemps meurt, en vient un autre
E tutto cambia, e tutto è lo stessoEt tout change, et tout est pareil
La felicità non è nostraLe bonheur n'est pas le nôtre
Non più del solePas plus que le soleil
Ascolta, ascolta il mondoÉcoute, écoute dans le monde
Questa orchestra di cuori che battonoCet orchestre de cœurs battants
Da ogni parte si rispondonoDe partout ils se répondent
Da quando?Depuis combien de temps?
Prima di noiAvant nous
Altri amanti hanno detto ti amoD'autres amants ont dit je t'aime
Come noiComme nous
Prima di noiAvant nous
Altri hanno sofferto, anche traditoD'autres ont souffert, ont trahi même
Come-Comme-
No, non crederci, non crederci!Non, ne crois pas ça, ne crois pas ça!
L'amore non è questa miseriaL'amour n'est pas cette misère
Amore sei tra le mie bracciaL'amour, c'est toi entre mes bras
Prima di noiAvant nous
Altri hanno ballato su Ti amoD'autres ont dansé sur des je t'aime
Come noiComme nous
Prima di noiAvant nous
Gli altri si sono lasciati comunqueD'autres se sont quittés quand même
Come-Comme-
No, non come noi, non crederci!Non, pas comme nous, ne crois pas ça!
Abbiamo ballato in tutto il mondoOn a dansé sur toute la terre
E balleremo su quelle paroleEt l'on dansera sur ces mots-là
AmarsiAimons-nous
Come quelli che si sono tanto amatiComme ceux-là qui tant s'aimèrent
Come noiComme nous
E come chi ci seguiràEt comme ceux qui nous suivront
E come quelli che si amerannoEt comme ceux qui s'aimeront
Dopo gli Stati UnitiAprès nous
La la, la la, laLa la, la la, la
La la, la la, laLa la, la la, la
La la, la la, laLa la, la la, la
herve gilles
Magnifique !
philipchek
Merci pour ces très belles photos, sur cette mélodie improbable :)
Maria del amor Gonzalez
Muy especial. Conmueve.
oepasero
@s5j5b5 Bella niña afrancesada: La musica que a mi me gusta esta en su mayoria en mis favoritos, aunque no toda porque debido a mi avanzada edad obviamente el espectro es bastante amplio.
tychaton08
Merci!