Michel Legrand (Michel Jean Legrand, Paris, France, 24 February 1932 – 26 J… Read Full Bio ↴Michel Legrand (Michel Jean Legrand, Paris, France, 24 February 1932 – 26 January 2019) was a French composer, arranger, conductor, and pianist. A prolific composer, having written over 200 film and television scores, in addition to many memorable songs, he is best known for his often haunting, jazz-tinged film music. His celebrated scores for the films of French New Wave director Jacques Demy, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) and The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967), earned Legrand his first Academy Award nominations. Legrand won his first Oscar for the song "The Windmills of Your Mind" from The Thomas Crown Affair (1968).

Michel Legrand made his fame and fortune from writing for films, but he has done significant work in jazz on an occasional basis. In 1957, he arranged a set of dixieland and swing standards for a French orchestra (recorded on Philips), in 1958 he used three different all-star groups for the classic Legrand Jazz (with such sidemen as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Phil Woods, Herbie Mann, Bill Evans, Ben Webster, Art Farmer and others), in 1968 he recorded a strictly jazz set with a trio and Legrand has written for albums led by Stan Getz (1971), Sarah Vaughan (1972), and on several occasions, Phil Woods. Several of his songs (such as "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life", "Watch What Happens" and "The Summer Knows") have been recorded many times by jazz musicians.

The Good Life
Michel Legrand Lyrics

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Every time it rains
It rains pennies from heaven
Don't you know each cloud contains
Pennies from heaven
You'll find your fortune
Fallin' all over town
Be sure that your umbrella is upside down
Trade them for a package of sunshine and flowers

If you want the things you love
You must have showers
So when you hear it thunder
Don't run under a tree
There'll be pennies from heaven
For you and me

Trade them for a package of sunshine and flowers
If you want the things you love
You must have showers
So when you hear it thunder
Don't run under a tree

There'll be pennies from heaven
For you and me

Overall Meaning

The Good Life by Michel Legrand is classic song that speaks on the beauty of life and encourages one to maintain hope in order to experience the goodness of life. The lyrics "Every time it rains/It rains pennies from heaven/Don't you know each cloud contains/Pennies from heaven" talks about how life can be a treasure trove and that hidden blessings can be found all around us. It encourages the listener to keep their eyes open as the lyrics suggest that opportunity can sometimes come in the most surprising and unexpected ways.

The chorus of the song "Trade them for a package of sunshine and flowers/If you want the things you love/You must have showers/So when you hear it thunder/Don't run under a tree/There'll be pennies from heaven/For you and me" summarizes the central message of the song which urges individuals to embrace change and challenges as these often bring along blessings in disguise. The rain which ordinarily is regarded as an inconvenience for most people is seen as an opportunity for those with a positive outlook to trade for a 'package of sunshine and flowers'. The song closes by reinforcing the idea that the good life is available to those who approach it with a positive attitude.

Line by Line Meaning

Every time it rains
Whenever there is rain

It rains pennies from heaven
There is an abundance of opportunities around you

Don't you know each cloud contains
You might not realize that every situation carries a hidden opportunity

Pennies from heaven
Opportunity, success, or some sort of good fortune

You'll find your fortune
Success can be found where you least expect it

Fallin' all over town
Opportunities are everywhere

Be sure that your umbrella is upside down
Be ready to receive all the good things coming your way

Trade them for a package of sunshine and flowers
Exchange your opportunities for the things you love

If you want the things you love
To get what you want

You must have showers
You must embrace opportunities and take risks

So when you hear it thunder
When there are obstacles or challenges