Édith Piaf (born Édith Giovanna Gassion, 19 December, 1915 – 11 October, 19… Read Full Bio ↴Édith Piaf (born Édith Giovanna Gassion, 19 December, 1915 – 11 October, 1963), was a French singer and cultural icon who became universally regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Her singing reflected her life, with her specialty being ballads. Among her songs are "La Vie en rose" (1946), "Non, je ne regrette rien" (1960), "Hymne à l'amour" (1949), "Milord" (1959), "La Foule" (1957), "l'Accordéoniste" (1955), and "Padam... Padam..." (1951).

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.

Milord
Édith Piaf Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Allez venez, Milord
Vous asseoir à ma table
Il fait si froid dehors
Ici, c'est confortable
Laissez-vous faire, Milord
Et prenez bien vos aises
Vos peines sur mon cœur
Et vos pieds sur une chaise

Je vous connais, Milord
Vous ne m'avez jamais vue
Je ne suis qu'une fille du port
Une ombre de la rue

Pourtant, je vous ai frôlé
Quand vous passiez hier
Vous n'étiez pas peu fier
Dame, le ciel vous comblait
Votre foulard de soie
Flottant sur vos épaules
Vous aviez le beau rôle
On aurait dit le roi
Vous marchiez en vainqueur
Au bras d'une demoiselle
Mon Dieu, qu'elle était belle
J'en ai froid dans le cœur

Allez venez, Milord
Vous asseoir à ma table
Il fait si froid dehors
Ici, c'est confortable
Laissez-vous faire, Milord
Et prenez bien vos aises
Vos peines sur mon cœur
Et vos pieds sur une chaise
Je vous connais, Milord
Vous ne m'avez jamais vue
Je ne suis qu'une fille du port
Une ombre de la rue

Dire qu'il suffit parfois
Qu'il y ait un navire
Pour que tout se déchire
Quand le navire s'en va
Il emmenait avec lui
La douce aux yeux si tendres
Qui n'a pas su comprendre
Qu'elle brisait votre vie
L'amour, ça fait pleurer
Comme quoi l'existence
Ça vous donne toutes les chances
Pour les reprendre après

Allez venez, Milord
Vous avez l'air d'un môme
Laissez-vous faire, Milord
Venez dans mon royaume
Je soigne les remords
Je chante la romance
Je chante les milords
Qui n'ont pas eu de chance
Regardez-moi, Milord
Vous ne m'avez jamais vue
Mais vous pleurez, Milord
Ça, je l'aurais jamais cru

Eh, bien voyons, Milord
Souriez-moi, Milord
Mieux que ça
Un petit effort
Voilà, c'est ça!
Allez riez, Milord
Allez chantez, Milord
Ta da da da da da
Ta da da da da da
Ta da da da da da
Ta da da da da da
Ta da da da da da
Mais oui, dansez, Milord
Pa da da da da da
Ta da da da da da
Ta da da da da da
Bravo, Milord
Pa da da da da da
Ta da da da da da
Ta da da da da da
Encore, Milord
Pa da da da da da
Ta da da da da da
Ta da da da da da
Pa da da dam pa da
Pa da da da da da

Ta da da da da da
Ta da da da da da

Overall Meaning

In Édith Piaf's "Milord," the singer invites a stranger, referred to as Milord, to come inside from the cold and sit at her table. Despite never having met before, she implores Milord to make himself comfortable and put his troubles on her heart while placing his feet upon a chair. Piaf, who is a simple girl from the port streets, admits that she has never been seen by Milord. However, she explains how she brushed against him when he passed yesterday, walking with a beautiful girl on his arm. Piaf sings about how Milord looked like a king, parading in triumph with his head held high, but she is saddened as she watches him enter the warmth of a loveless existence.

Piaf reflects on the fleeting nature of life and love, expressing that even a simple act, such as a departing ship, could cause everything to fall apart. She sings about how Milord's love once left with such a ship, a woman with gentle eyes who could not understand the pain she had caused. And so, Piaf invites Milord into her world, where she provides comfort, singing sweet romances and healing all his sorrows. Milord, visibly moved by her songs, starts to cry, a fact that Piaf never believed would happen. She encourages him to keep smiling, laughing, dancing, and singing while gradually coaxing him out of his sorrow.

Overall, "Milord" is a beautiful and poignant song that speaks to the transience of love, the power of music, and the comfort of strangers. It addresses themes of loneliness, love, and the human need for connection.

Line by Line Meaning

Allez venez, Milord
Come on over, Milord, won't you?

Vous asseoir à ma table
Sit at my table, if you are able.

Il fait si froid dehors
Outside is so cold, as you can see.

Ici, c'est confortable
In here, it's warm, and comfortable, you may agree.

Laissez-vous faire, Milord
Milord, let yourself go, you will be adored.

Et prenez bien vos aises
Relax, and take all the time you please.

Vos peines sur mon cœur
Your troubles, your heartache, I will endure.

Et vos pieds sur une chaise
And put your feet up, if you would, in this space.

Je vous connais, Milord
Milord, I know how you feel, without a word.

Vous ne m'avez jamais vue
You don't know me, Milord; I'm just a girl on a rendezvous.

Je ne suis qu'une fille du port
Born by the docks, not the fort.

Une ombre de la rue
A shadow lurking, unseen by everyone but you.

Pourtant, je vous ai frôlé
I've touched you, Milord, don't be afraid.

Quand vous passiez hier
When you walked by here yesterday, I had no fear.

Vous n'étiez pas peu fier
You held your head high, Milord, a sight to inspire.

Dame, le ciel vous comblait
The heavens were smiling upon you, unswayed.

Votre foulard de soie
A silk scarf you wore, without a care.

Flottant sur vos épaules
Drifting down on your shoulders, I swooned, I know it.

Vous aviez le beau rôle
In the lead role, striding ahead, almost heroic.

On aurait dit le roi
As if you were a king, I'm not shy.

Vous marchiez en vainqueur
You walked like a winner, with a girl or two.

Au bras d'une demoiselle
With a lady on your arm, you were so swell.

Mon Dieu, qu'elle était belle
My god, was she lovely, it's easy for me to tell.

J'en ai froid dans le cœur
That sight will stick in my mind, with feelings that linger, pure.

Dire qu'il suffit parfois
It's funny how sometimes, all that is needed is.

Qu'il y ait un navire
Just a ship, of any size, anything to inspire.

Pour que tout se déchire
For things to take a turn and unravel, and become dire.

Quand le navire s'en va
When the ship sails away, and no longer is there.

Il emmenait avec lui
The sweet lady who didn't know, or understand, what to do.

La douce aux yeux si tendres
The one with the tender eyes, the one you had, the one you lost, you engender.

Qui n'a pas su comprendre
She did not see, did not comprehend or sense that you were, so tender.

Qu'elle brisait votre vie
By leaving, she broke your heart, and your life ceased, it is true.

L'amour, ça fait pleurer
Love makes us cry, our hopes dashed in the half-light, oh dear.

Comme quoi l'existence
Proving that life has done its work, this is self-evident, a matter of coexistence.

Ça vous donne toutes les chances
And yet, it leaves us with all the opportunities to forge ahead and take our chances.

Pour les reprendre après
To retrieve the chances we missed, don't despair, go forth and score.

Vous avez l'air d'un môme
You look like a kid again, carefree, so joyful, at home.

Venez dans mon royaume
Come into my realm, Milord, not wanting to roam.

Je soigne les remords
I offer a cure for our regrets, and all the faults we ignore.

Je chante la romance
I sing a song of love and passion, of happy endings, not of chance.

Je chante les milords
I sing for the neglected men who were stepped on and scorned, oh lord.

Qui n'ont pas eu de chance
Those who didn't catch a break, those who forfeited their stance.

Regardez-moi, Milord
Look at me, Milord, I'm not asking for much, I'm adored.

Vous ne m'avez jamais vue
You don't know me, Milord, but I can be there for you.

Mais vous pleurez, Milord
But you are crying, Milord, can it be, love is the sword?

Ça, je l'aurais jamais cru
I couldn't have guessed, it never occurred to me, that you could rue.

Eh, bien voyons, Milord
Well then, let's see, Milord.

Souriez-moi, Milord
Smile now, Milord, and see the world with glee restored.

Mieux que ça
Better than that, come on, give it another shot.

Un petit effort
Make a little effort, and you will see, it's not for naught.

Voilà, c'est ça!
That's it, perfect, smile your troubles all away.

Allez riez, Milord
Come on, laugh, Milord, let life unfold, like fresh hay.

Allez chantez, Milord
Sing out, Milord, let your heart beat out like a sword.