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.
T'es beau tu sais
Édith Piaf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Et ça s'entend lorsque tu passes
T'es beau, c'est vrai
J'en suis plus belle quand tu m'embrasses
Je te dessine du bout du doigt
Ton front, tes yeux, tes yeux, ta bouche
Comment veux-tu dessiner ça?
La main me tremble quand j'y touche
Et moi, vois-tu, je suis si petite
T'es beau tout le temps
Que ça me grandit quand j'en profite
Reste là, ne bouge pas
Laisse-moi t'imaginer
T'as l'air d'être l'été
Celui qui pleut jamais
Reste là, bouge pas
Laisse-moi quand même t'aimer
Je ne peux même pas penser
Que je te méritais
T'es beau, tu sais
Ça m'impressionne comme les églises
T'es beau, c'est vrai
Jusqu'à ta mère qu'en est surprise
Tu me réchauffes et tu m'endors
Tu fais soleil, tu fais colline
Viens contre moi, il pleut dehors
Mon coeur éclate dans ma poitrine
T'es beau partout
C'est trop facile d'être sincère
T'es beau, c'est tout
T'as pas besoin de lumière
Il était beau et c'était vrai
Mais la gosse ne le voyait pas
Ses yeux perdus à tout jamais
Il en pleurait
Quand il guidait ses pas
T'es beau, tu sais
T'es beau, c'est vrai
T'es beau, tu sais
T'es beau, c'est vrai
The song "T'es beau tu sais" by Edith Piaf is a love song that deeply appreciates a person's beauty, both inside and outside. The song flows like a heartfelt conversation between lovers, with the singer admiring her partner's beauty with every passing moment. The opening lines, "T'es beau, tu sais / Et ça s'entend lorsque tu passes" translate to "You're beautiful, you know / And it shows when you walk by." The singer then goes on to describe how his beauty enhances her own, especially when he kisses her. She even tries to capture his beauty in her mind's eye, trying to draw him with her fingers. The song then moves towards the singer's inner turmoil, with her feeling undeserving of such a beautiful partner. She realizes how he makes her feel larger than life, and how his presence alone is enough to make her feel safe and warm. The song ends with a lament towards someone the singer failed to appreciate for their beauty, leaving her with a broken heart.
Line by Line Meaning
T'es beau, tu sais
You are beautiful, you know that
Et ça s'entend lorsque tu passes
It shows when you walk by
T'es beau, c'est vrai
You are beautiful, it's true
J'en suis plus belle quand tu m'embrasses
I feel more beautiful when you kiss me
Je te dessine du bout du doigt
I trace your features with my fingers
Ton front, tes yeux, tes yeux, ta bouche
Your forehead, your eyes, your eyes, your mouth
Comment veux-tu dessiner ça?
How can I possibly draw that?
La main me tremble quand j'y touche
My hand trembles when I touch it
T'es beau, mon grand
You are beautiful, my big one
Et moi, vois-tu, je suis si petite
And I, you see, am so small
T'es beau tout le temps
You are beautiful all the time
Que ça me grandit quand j'en profite
It makes me feel larger when I enjoy it
Reste là, ne bouge pas
Stay there, don't move
Laisse-moi t'imaginer
Let me imagine you
T'as l'air d'être l'été
You seem like summer
Celui qui pleut jamais
The one that never rains
Reste là, bouge pas
Stay there, don't move
Laisse-moi quand même t'aimer
Let me still love you
Je ne peux même pas penser
I can't even think
Que je te méritais
That I deserved you
T'es beau, tu sais
You are beautiful, you know that
Ça m'impressionne comme les églises
It impresses me like churches
T'es beau, c'est vrai
You are beautiful, it's true
Jusqu'à ta mère qu'en est surprise
Even your mother is surprised
Tu me réchauffes et tu m'endors
You warm me up and put me to sleep
Tu fais soleil, tu fais colline
You make sunshine, you make hills
Viens contre moi, il pleut dehors
Come against me, it's raining outside
Mon coeur éclate dans ma poitrine
My heart bursts in my chest
T'es beau partout
You are beautiful everywhere
C'est trop facile d'être sincère
It's too easy to be sincere
T'es beau, c'est tout
You are beautiful, that's all
Il était beau et c'était vrai
He was beautiful and it was true
Mais la gosse ne le voyait pas
But the girl didn't see it
Ses yeux perdus à tout jamais
Her eyes lost forever
Il en pleurait
He cried about it
Quand il guidait ses pas
When he guided her steps
T'es beau, tu sais
You are beautiful, you know that
T'es beau, c'est vrai
You are beautiful, it's true
T'es beau, tu sais
You are beautiful, you know that
T'es beau, c'est vrai
You are beautiful, it's true
Lyrics © EDITIONS METROPOLITAINES
Written by: Henri Contet, Joseph Mustacchi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@notreyever
T'es beau, tu sais
Et ça s'entend lorsque tu passes.
T'es beau, c'est vrai.
J'en suis plus belle quand tu m'embrasses.
Je te dessine du bout du doigt :
Ton front, tes yeux, tes yeux, ta bouche.
Comment veux-tu dessiner ça ?
La main me tremble quand j'y touche...
T'es beau, mon grand,
Et moi, vois-tu, je suis si petite.
T'es beau tout le temps
Que ça me grandit quand j'en profite.
Reste là, ne bouge pas.
Laisse-moi t'imaginer.
T'as l'air d'être l'été,
Celui qui pleut jamais.
Reste là, bouge pas.
Laisse-moi quand même t'aimer.
Je ne peux même pas penser
Que je te méritais.
T'es beau, tu sais.
Ça m'impressionne comme les églises.
T'es beau, c'est vrai,
Jusqu'à ta mère qu'en est surprise.
Tu me réchauffes et tu m'endors.
Tu fais soleil, tu fais colline.
Viens contre moi, il pleut dehors.
Mon cœur éclate dans ma poitrine.
T'es beau partout.
C'est trop facile d'être sincère.
T'es beau, c'est tout.
T'as pas besoin de lumière.
Il était beau et c'était vrai
Mais la gosse ne le voyait pas,
Ses yeux perdus à tout jamais.
Il en pleurait
Quand il guidait ses pas.
T'es beau, tu sais.
T'es beau, c'est vrai.
T'es beau, tu sais.
T'es beau, c'est vrai...
@madcat173
You're beautiful, you know
And that means when you pass.
You're beautiful, that's right.
I am more beautiful when you kiss me.
I draw you with the fingertip:
Your forehead, your eyes, your eyes, your mouth.
How do you want to draw that?
The hand trembles when I touch it ...
You're beautiful, my grand,
And I, you see, I'm so small.
You're beautiful all the time
That it grows me when I benefit.
Stay there, do not move.
Let me imagine you.
You look like summer,
The one who never rains.
Stay there, do not move.
Let me love you anyway.
I can not even think
That I deserved you.
You're beautiful, you know.
It impresses me like the churches.
You're beautiful, that's right,
Until your mother is surprised.
You warm me up and you fall asleep.
You make sun, you make hill.
Come against me, it's raining outside.
My heart bursts in my chest.
You are beautiful everywhere.
It's too easy to be sincere.
You're handsome, that's all.
You do not need light.
It was beautiful and it was true
But the kid did not see him,
His eyes lost forever.
He was crying
When he guided his steps.
You're beautiful, you know.
You're beautiful, that's right.
You're beautiful, you know.
You're handsome, it's true ..
@isabellefavier6363
Quelle chanson magnifique 🌹🌹🌹 merci Edith Piaf ! Quelle interprétation !!
@jeanmarielebrot7866
Magnifique chanson sublime ❤ la grande voix d ’ Édith ❤ une grande voix ❤ un talent ❤
@doriscontet369
Pourquoi ne pas désigner cette chanson parmi une des plus belles
@anniekurpisz7503
Qu'elle belle chanson et une magnifique interprétation, c'est vrai on trouve toujour très beau l'amour de sa vie. 💖👍🐞🥀
@danmm878
THE song! I just love it. Cadence, lyrics, music, and her voice: all the ingredients in one song.
¡LA canción! Simplemente me encanta. Cadencia, letra, música, y la voz de ella: todos los ingredientes en una canción.
@giovanniocchipinti3912
une des plus belles chansons de Edith
@nirmalamayi
This song is a beautiful tribute to her love..and such inspiration to those that are alive and still love ....
@FCB.Diego1984
I'm sorry you had such a hard life little sparrow. I hope you found comfort in the after life and are singing your little heart out. I know I'd be listening if I was there
@huguesblanco3406
1u
@Snizzfart
I don't speak or know an ounce of french, but you don't need to know french to know how beautiful it sounds.