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.
Heaven Have Mercy
Édith Piaf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No more prayers, no more fears
Nothing left, why go on
When your lover is gone
Shout with one
Ring the bells
Throughout the towns
And the farms
Bring him back to my arms
Must each man go to war
Evermore, evermore
While some lone woman stands
Empty heart, empty hands
When the time came to part
And he kissed me goodbye
From the depths of my heart
Came a great lonely cry:
Heaven have mercy!
Heaven have mercy!
Miners came
They carved his name
Upon a cross
I remember the dance
Where we first fell in love
How we whirled round and round
While the stars danced above
We would walk by the shore
Watch the ships sail away
Lovers need nothing more
Just a new dream each day
So we dreamed of a home
With a garden so fine
And a son with his eyes
And a nose just like mine
Now it's done, why be brave?
Why should I live like this?
Shall I wait by the grave
For my lost lover's kiss?
Stop the bell! Stop the bell!
I've no tears left to cry
Must I stay here in hell?
Lord above, let me die
Heaven have mercy!
Heaven have mercy!
Heaven have mercy!
The lyrics of "Heaven have mercy" by Édith Piaf are a poignant reflection of the pain and loss that one experiences when a lover is gone. The song begins with a sense of hopelessness as the singer declares that there is nothing left to go on for, with no more smiles, tears, prayers, or fears. She questions if shouting and ringing bells will bring her lover back to her arms. She also questions the endless cycle of war and the pain that women have to endure while men are away fighting. The song then delves into memories of happier times, where the lovers danced and dreamed of a life together, culminating in the devastating final lines where the singer begs for mercy from heaven, wishing for death to end her suffering.
Through the lyrics, the emotions of the singer are palpable as she struggles to come to terms with her loss. The repeated exclamations of "Heaven have mercy" convey the desperation and heart-wrenching pain felt by someone who has lost a loved one. The allusions to war and the toll it takes on families and relationships add depth to the song's meaning, making it relatable to not just those who have lost a lover, but also those who have experienced the pain of separation due to conflict.
Overall, "Heaven have mercy" by Édith Piaf is a beautiful and somber reflection on love, loss, and the enduring pain of separation.
Line by Line Meaning
No more smiles, no more tears
I am unable to express any emotions anymore.
No more prayers, no more fears
I have lost faith and I am no longer afraid of anything.
Nothing left, why go on
I have lost everything and there is no reason for me to keep going.
When your lover is gone
I have lost my lover and I can no longer cope with life.
Shout with one
I am calling out for help.
Ring the bells
I am making a plea for attention.
Throughout the towns
I want everyone to hear my plea.
And the farms
Even those in the countryside should hear me.
Will the shouts and the bells
I am questioning whether my plea will be answered.
Bring him back to my arms
I want my lover to come back to me.
Must each man go to war
I am questioning why there is so much violence in the world.
Evermore, evermore
It seems like the violence will never end.
While some lone woman stands
I am the lone woman standing, grieving for my loss.
Empty heart, empty hands
I am left with nothing but emptiness.
When the time came to part
When the moment of separation arrived.
And he kissed me goodbye
My lover said his final goodbye.
From the depths of my heart
From the very core of my being.
Came a great lonely cry:
I let out a loud and mournful cry.
Heaven have mercy!
I am pleading to a higher power for mercy.
Miners came
Others noticed my loss and took action.
They carved his name
They commemorated my lover's memory.
Upon a cross
They marked his name on a memorial.
I remember the dance
I recall the memories of our happy times together.
Where we first fell in love
The place where we first became a couple.
How we whirled round and round
The fun we had while dancing together.
While the stars danced above
The romantic and beautiful atmosphere of the night.
We would walk by the shore
Our romantic walks by the seashore.
Watch the ships sail away
We would watch the ships on the horizon.
Lovers need nothing more
All we needed was each other's love.
Just a new dream each day
We would dream about our future together.
So we dreamed of a home
Our most cherished dream was having a home together.
With a garden so fine
We wanted a beautiful garden to spend time in.
And a son with his eyes
We imagined having a child with my lover's eyes.
And a nose just like mine
We wanted our child to resemble both of us.
Now it's done, why be brave?
Since my lover is gone, why should I act courageously?
Why should I live like this?
My life seems meaningless without my lover.
Shall I wait by the grave
I question whether I should stay by my lover's burial site.
For my lost lover's kiss?
Hoping that my lover's spirit would come back to me.
Stop the bell! Stop the bell!
I want the funeral bell to stop, signifying the end of my pain.
I've no tears left to cry
I have run out of tears from grieving.
Must I stay here in hell?
I question whether I should continue living in this state of emotional pain.
Lord above, let me die
I pray to a higher power to end my suffering.
Heaven have mercy!
I am making a final plea to a higher power for mercy.
Heaven have mercy!
I plead one last time for divine mercy.
Heaven have mercy!
One final plea for heavenly mercy.
Writer(s): Philippe Gerard, Marcel Ageron, Jacques Larue
Contributed by London P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@giannid5142
No more smiles no more tears
No more prayers no more fears
Nothing left, why go on
When your lover is gone
Shout with one, ring the bells
Through the towns and the farms
With the shouts and the bells
Bringing him back to my arms
Must each man go to war ever more ever more
While some loner woman stands empty heart empty hands
When the time came to part
And he kissed me goodbye
From the depths of my heart came a great lonely cry
"Heaven have mercy"
"Heaven have mercy"
Once again they carved his name upon a cross
I remember the dance where we first fell in love
How we walzed around and around
While the stars danced above
We would walk by the shore
Watch the ships sail away
Lovers need nothing more
Just a new dream each day
So we dreamed of a home
With a garden so fine
And a son with his eyes
And a nose just like mine
Now its done why be brave?
Why should I live like this?
Shall I wait by the grave for my lost lovers kiss?
Stop the bell, stop the bell!
I have no tears left to cry
Must I stay here in hell?
Lord above let me die
"Heaven have mercy"
"Heaven have mercy"
"Heaven have mercy"
@giannid5142
No more smiles no more tears
No more prayers no more fears
Nothing left, why go on
When your lover is gone
Shout with one, ring the bells
Through the towns and the farms
With the shouts and the bells
Bringing him back to my arms
Must each man go to war ever more ever more
While some loner woman stands empty heart empty hands
When the time came to part
And he kissed me goodbye
From the depths of my heart came a great lonely cry
"Heaven have mercy"
"Heaven have mercy"
Once again they carved his name upon a cross
I remember the dance where we first fell in love
How we walzed around and around
While the stars danced above
We would walk by the shore
Watch the ships sail away
Lovers need nothing more
Just a new dream each day
So we dreamed of a home
With a garden so fine
And a son with his eyes
And a nose just like mine
Now its done why be brave?
Why should I live like this?
Shall I wait by the grave for my lost lovers kiss?
Stop the bell, stop the bell!
I have no tears left to cry
Must I stay here in hell?
Lord above let me die
"Heaven have mercy"
"Heaven have mercy"
"Heaven have mercy"
@gracesss1272
Gianni D ships not sheep sailed away 😂😂 thank you for the lyrics
@user-cc5nf3dg4u
also "Now it's done, why be BRAVE?" not grave)))
@jeffamunoz
I have goosebumps everywhere. The perfect to the movie La Vie En Rose, such an epic song - hauntingly beautiful.
@distamaral
My favorite song... strong, sad... Beautiful.
@victorsosa-cortes5900
Very intense, indeed.
@jameslyman5793
Edith was more than just a great singer. You really get the sense that she means what she's saying.
@t7908
Almost as powerful and intense as 'Non, je ne regrette rien' . This song is a discovery for me. Thank you, Edith! We remember you.
@ruthiehenshallfan99
I just saw La Vie en Rose two nights ago! Marion Cotillard was perfect!
@EdgeOfLight
yeah she can act so well