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.
Sous le ciel de Paris
Édith Piaf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
S'envole une chanson
Hum, hum
Elle est née d'aujourd'hui
Dans le cœur d'un garçon
Sous le ciel de Paris
Marchent des amoureux
Hum, humLeur bonheur se construit
Sur un air fait pour eux
Sous le pont de Bercy
Un philosophe assis
Deux musiciens, quelques badauds
Puis les gens par milliers
Sous le ciel de Paris
Jusqu'au soir vont chanter
Hum, hum
L'hymne d'un peuple épris
De sa vieille cité
Près de Notre Dame
Parfois couve un drame
Oui mais à Paname
Tout peut s'arranger
Quelques rayons du ciel d'été
L'accordéon d'un marinier
L'espoir fleurit
Au ciel de Paris
Sous le ciel de Paris
Coule un fleuve joyeux
Hum, hum
Il endort dans la nuitLes clochards et les gueux
Sous le ciel de Paris
Les oiseaux du Bon Dieu
Hum, hum
Viennent du monde entier
Pour bavarder entre eux
Et le ciel de Paris
A son secret pour lui
Depuis vingt siècles, il est épris
De notre Île Saint Louis
Quand elle lui sourit
Il met son habit bleu
Hum, hum
Quand il pleut sur Paris
C'est qu'il est malheureux
Quand il est trop jaloux
De ses millions d'amants
Hum, hum
Il fait gronder sur eux
Son tonnerre éclatant
Mais le ciel de Paris
N'est pas longtemps cruel
Hum, hum
Pour se faire pardonner
Il offre un arc-en-ciel
The song Sous le ciel de Paris by Edith Piaf is one of the most popular French songs ever produced. The song's title means "Under the Sky of Paris," and it talks about the city of Paris, its people, and its charm. The first verse of the song talks about a song that is born in the heart of a boy, talking about the melody that the people of Paris love. The next verse tells of lovers walking under the skies of Paris and building their happiness on a tune that is made just for them.
The third verse mentions a philosopher who sits under the bridge of Bercy, and the rest of the Parisians sing the hymn of a people in love with their old city. The song also touches on the dark side of life in the city of Paris, as the fourth verse talks about how sometimes drama builds up near Notre Dame, but the hope offered by the accordion of a sailor can bring forth new life.
The final verse imagines the sky of Paris as a living entity that has secrets of its own. The song ends on a positive note, with the sky of Paris offering an apology to its millions of lovers by presenting them with a beautiful rainbow. Overall, this song is a beautiful ode to Paris, its people, its music, and its ineffable charm.
Line by Line Meaning
Sous le ciel de Paris
Under the sky of Paris
S'envole une chanson
Rises a song
Elle est née d'aujourd'hui
It was born today
Dans le cœur d'un garçon
In the heart of a boy
Marchent des amoureux
Lovers walk
Leur bonheur se construit
Their happiness is built
Sur un air fait pour eux
On a melody made for them
Sous le pont de Bercy
Under the Bercy bridge
Un philosophe assis
A philosopher sitting
Deux musiciens, quelques badauds
Two musicians, some passersby
Puis les gens par milliers
Then thousands of people
Jusqu'au soir vont chanter
Will sing until the evening
L'hymne d'un peuple épris
The anthem of a people in love
De sa vieille cité
Of their old city
Près de Notre Dame
Near Notre Dame
Parfois couve un drame
Sometimes a drama brews
Oui mais à Paname
Yes, but in Paname
Tout peut s'arranger
Everything can be fixed
Quelques rayons du ciel d'été
Some rays of summer sky
L'accordéon d'un marinier
The accordion of a sailor
L'espoir fleurit
Hope blooms
Au ciel de Paris
In the sky of Paris
Coule un fleuve joyeux
Flows a joyful river
Il endort dans la nuit
It puts to sleep in the night
Les clochards et les gueux
The beggars and the destitute
Les oiseaux du Bon Dieu
The birds of God
Viennent du monde entier
Come from all over the world
Pour bavarder entre eux
To chat among themselves
Et le ciel de Paris
And the sky of Paris
A son secret pour lui
Has its secret to itself
Depuis vingt siècles, il est épris
For twenty centuries, it has been in love
De notre Île Saint Louis
With our Saint Louis Island
Quand elle lui sourit
When it smiles at it
Il met son habit bleu
It puts on its blue coat
Quand il pleut sur Paris
When it rains in Paris
C'est qu'il est malheureux
It's because it's unhappy
Quand il est trop jaloux
When it's too jealous
De ses millions d'amants
Of its millions of lovers
Il fait gronder sur eux
It makes thunder roar on them
Son tonnerre éclatant
Its dazzling thunder
Mais le ciel de Paris
But the sky of Paris
N'est pas longtemps cruel
Is not cruel for long
Pour se faire pardonner
To make up for it
Il offre un arc-en-ciel
It offers a rainbow
Lyrics © PREMIERE MUSIC GROUP, MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Tratore, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Jean Drejac, Hubert Giraud
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gustavr4073
Sous le ciel de Paris
S'envole une chanson
Hum, hum
Elle est née d'aujourd'hui
Dans le cœur d'un garçon
Sous le ciel de Paris
Marchent des amoureux
Hum, hum
Leur bonheur se construit
Sur un air fait pour eux
Sous le pont de Bercy
Un philosophe assis
Deux musiciens, quelques badauds
Puis les gens par milliers
Sous le ciel de Paris
Jusqu'au soir vont chanter
Hum, hum
L'hymne d'un peuple épris
De sa vieille cité
Près de Notre Dame
Parfois couve un drame
Oui mais à Paname
Tout peut s'arranger
Quelques rayons du ciel d'été
L'accordéon d'un marinier
L'espoir fleurit
Au ciel de Paris
Sous le ciel de Paris
Coule un fleuve joyeux
Hum, hum
Il endort dans la nuit
Les clochards et les gueux
Sous le ciel de Paris
Les oiseaux du Bon Dieu
Hum, hum
Viennent du monde entier
Pour bavarder entre eux
Et le ciel de Paris
A son secret pour lui
Depuis vingt siècles, il est épris
De notre Île Saint Louis
Quand elle lui sourit
Il met son habit bleu
Hum, hum
Quand il pleut sur Paris
C'est qu'il est malheureux
Quand il est trop jaloux
De ses millions d'amants
Hum, hum
Il fait gronder sur eux
Son tonnerre éclatant
Mais le ciel de Paris
N'est pas longtemps cruel
Hum, hum
Pour se faire pardonner
Il offre un arc-en-ciel
@antoniasousa7398
Sous le ciel de Paris
S'envole une chanson
Hum hum
Elle est née d'aujourd'hui
Dans le cœur d'un garçon
Sous le ciel de Paris
Marchent des amoureux
Hum hum
Leur bonheur se construit
Sur un air fait pour eux
Sous le pont de Bercy
Un philosophe assis
Deux musiciens quelques badauds
Puis les gens par milliers
Sous le ciel de Paris
Jusqu'au soir vont chanter
Hum hum
L'hymne d'un peuple épris
De sa vieille cité
Près de Notre Dame
Parfois couve un drame
Oui mais à Paname
Tout peut s'arranger
Quelques rayons
Du ciel d'été
L'accordéon
D'un marinier
L'espoir fleurit
Au ciel de Paris
Sous le ciel de Paris
Coule un fleuve joyeux
Hum hum
Il endort dans la nuit
Les clochards et les gueux
Sous le ciel de Paris
Les oiseaux du Bon Dieu
Hum hum
Viennent du monde entier
Pour bavarder entre eux
Et le ciel de Paris
A son secret pour lui
Depuis vingt siècles il est épris
De notre Ile Saint Louis
Quand elle lui sourit
Il met son habit bleu
Hum hum
Quand il pleut sur Paris
See'est qu'il est malheureux
Quand il est trop jaloux
De ses millions d'amants
Hum hum
Il fait gronder sur nous
Son tonnerre éclatant
Mais le ciel de Paris
N'est pas longtemps cruel
Hum hum
Pour se faire pardonner
Il offre un arc en ciel
@nostalgiechansonsfrancaises_19
A toutes les personnes qui viennent écouter cette légende de la chanson: je vous aime vous avez du goût peu importe votre age❤
@romalisan1
70
@reemttttttt
@@romalisan1 19
@SAM-ub1rh
38 , bizou du Canada
@suelidac
Adorável ❤
@Danky_chu
18 ans 💪 Je me souviens avoir appris cette chanson au solfège quand j’étais enfant
@tekoaruggiero7392
I dreamt of paris again last night
@SkittyDangerzne
I dreamt of Paris again last night
@jean-baptistelore6959
Sometimes, it seems like only us, french people confined into their tiny apartments, stacked into stinking subways early in the morning doesn't dreams about Paris. XD
@Andre69626
🚬