"La Vie en rose" (; ) is the

signature song A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a handwritten (and often stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. The writer of a ...

of popular French singer

Édith Piaf Édith Piaf (, , ; born Édith Giovanna Gassion, ; December 19, 1915– October 10, 1963) was a French singer, lyricist and actress. Noted as France's national chanteuse, she was one of the country's most widely known international stars. Pi ...

, written in 1945, popularized in 1946, and released as a single in 1947. The song became very popular in the US in 1950, when seven versions reached the ''Billboard'' charts. These recordings were made by Tony Martin, Paul Weston,

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

(recorded June 22, 1950), Ralph Flanagan, Victor Young,

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

, and

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and Singing, vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and se ...

. A version in 1977 by

Grace Jones Grace Beverly Jones (born 19 May 1948) is a model, singer and actress. Born in Jamaica, she and her family moved to Syracuse, New York, when she was a teenager. Jones began her modelling career in New York state, then in Paris, working for ...

was also a successful international hit. "La Vie en rose" has been covered by many other artists over the years, including a 1977 version by

Bette Midler Bette Midler (;'' Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, comedian and author. Throughout her career, which spans over five decades, Midler has received numerous accolades, including four Golden ...

, a 1993 version by Donna Summer, a 2018 version by

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

, and a 2019 version by Lucy Dacus.

Harry James Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947 but shortly after he reorganized ...

also recorded a version in 1950.

recorded the song again for his 1953 album '' Le Bing: Song Hits of Paris''.

Background and release

The song's title can be translated as "Life in happy hues", "Life seen through rose-colored glasses", or "Life in rosy hues"; its literal meaning is "Life in Pink." The lyrics of "La Vie en rose" were written by Édith Piaf for music composed by

Louiguy Louis Guglielmi (3 April 1916 – 4 April 1991), known by his pen name Louiguy (), was a Spanish-born French musician of Italian descent. He wrote the melody for Édith Piaf's lyrics of "La Vie en Rose" and the Latin jazz composition "Ceri ...

, and is registered with SACEM. It was probably Robert Chauvigny who completed the music. When Piaf suggested to Marguerite Monnot that she sing the piece, the latter rejected "that foolishness." It was eventually Louiguy who accepted authorship of the music. The song was broadcast live before being recorded. Piaf offered the song to Marianne Michel, who modified the lyrics slightly, changing "les choses" ("things") for "la vie" ("life"). In 1943, Piaf had performed at a nightclub/bordello called "La Vie en Rose." Initially, Piaf's peers and songwriting team did not think the song would be successful, finding it weaker than the rest of her repertoire. Heeding their advice, the singer put the song aside, only to change her mind the next year. It was performed live in concert for the first time in 1946. It became a favorite with audiences. "La Vie en rose" was the song that made Piaf internationally famous, its lyrics expressing the joy of finding true love and appealing to those who had endured the difficult period of World War II. "La Vie en rose" was released on a 10" single in 1947 by

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded on January 15, 1889, evolving from the A ...

, a division of EMI, with "Un refrain courait dans la rue" making the B-side. It met with a warm reception and sold a million copies in the US. It was the best-selling single of 1948 in Italy, and the ninth best-selling single in Brazil in 1949. Piaf performed the song in the 1948 French movie ''Neuf garçons, un cœur''. The first of her albums to include "La Vie en rose" was the 10" ''Chansons Parisiennes'', released in 1950. It appeared on most of Piaf's subsequent albums, and on numerous greatest hits compilations. It went on to become her signature song and her trademark hit, ranking with " Milord" and " Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien" among her best-known and most recognizable tunes. Encouraged by its success, Piaf wrote eighty more songs in her career. English lyrics were written by Mack David, and numerous versions were recorded in the US in 1950. The recordings that charted were by Tony Martin (reached the No. 9 position in the ''Billboard'' charts), Paul Weston (No. 12 position),

(No. 13 position), Édith Piaf (No. 23 position), Ralph Flanagan (No. 27 position) and Victor Young (No. 27 position).

recorded ''

C'est si bon "" (; ) is a French popular song composed in 1947 by Henri Betti with the lyrics by André Hornez. The English lyrics were written in 1949 by Jerry Seelen. The song has been adapted in several languages. History In July 1947, Henri Betti ...

'' and ''La Vie en rose'' in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

with Sy Oliver and his Orchestra on June 26, 1950, which reached the No. 28 position in the Billboard charts. Bing Crosby also recorded the song in French in 1953 for his album '' Le Bing: Song Hits of Paris''. More recently actress

Ashley Park Ashley Park is a private residential neighbourhood at Walton-on-Thames in Surrey. Its central feature was a grandiose English country house, at times enjoying associated medieval manorial rights, which stood on the site, with alterations, bet ...

, as Emily's best friend, Mindy, covered "La Vie en rose" in French a cappella in the Netflix TV show '' Emily in Paris''. It was the #1 downloaded TV song for that week. Michael Bublé covered the song with Cécile McLorin Salvant for his 2018 album ''

Love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest Interpersonal relationship, interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of ...

''. The song received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1998.

Track listings

* 10" Single (1947) # "La Vie en rose" # "Un refrain courait dans la rue"

Chart performance

Grace Jones version

Background and release

covered "La Vie en rose" in 1977 for her debut

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...

'' Portfolio''. It was the third and the last single from that album, and at the same time, her first single release on

Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anothe ...

after having signed with the label. The single version was heavily edited from its original album version. Jones's fairly radical bossa nova interpretation of

's signature tune became her first international hit single and a staple of her repertoire. It was later performed as part of her 1981 ''

A One Man Show ''A One Man Show'' is a long-form music video collection featuring Jamaican singer Grace Jones, released in 1982. The video mainly consists of music videos, with some concert footage filmed when Jones was touring with the eponymous tour. Backgroun ...

'', then the only track from her disco era to be included in the show. In Spain and Mexico the track was billed as "La Vida en Rosa" on the 7" single release, although it was not a Spanish language version of the song. Jones's recording of "La Vie en rose" was later re-released a number of times in the early 1980s and finally reached #12 in the UK charts when re-released as a double A-side with "

Pull Up to the Bumper "Pull Up to the Bumper" is a 1981 song by Jamaican singer Grace Jones, released as the third single from her fifth album, '' Nightclubbing'' (1981). Sonically, it is an uptempo electro-disco, post-punk, dance-pop and reggae-disco song with dub ...

" in 1985. The single was certified Gold in France and Italy. Jones said about the song, "That's a very special song to me. Oh God, I cry every time I sing it. I had quite a few French lovers, so every time I sing it I think about them." The music video for the song was made using the chroma key technique. It presents Jones dancing and singing the song with the famous 1978 montage of herself in the background, which was later used for the cover of her 1985 ''

Island Life ''Island Life'' is a compilation album by Grace Jones, released in December 1985, summing up the first nine years of her musical career. The album sits among Jones' best-selling works. Production and release After the major commercial success G ...

'' compilation. The video begins with Jones wearing a rose-patterned coat. Having removed it, the singer dances in a scanty gold dress which reveals her right nipple as well as black underwear. Numerous versions of Jones’s "La Vie en rose" spawned numerous songs that sampled parts of the song, such as "Beach Walk" by Whitewoods, which sampled the live version without acquiring copyright permission until 2019, when Whitewoods released a video stating that their track has acquired permission.

Chart performance

Certifications

References in popular culture

Biopics

Two films about Piaf named after the song's title have been produced. The first one, a 1998 documentary, used archive footage and interviews with Raquel Bitton, and was narrated by

Bebe Neuwirth Beatrice "Bebe" Jane Neuwirth ( ; born December 31, 1958) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. On television, she played Dr. Lilith Sternin, Frasier Crane's wife, on both the TV sitcom ''Cheers'' (in a starring role) and its spin-off '' ...

. The biographical feature film '' La Vie en Rose'' (2007) won Marion Cotillard an

Academy Award for Best Actress The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year ...

for portraying Piaf in the film from childhood until her death at 47.

As music in films

In games

* It is used prominently multiple times in '' BioShock Infinites DLC '' BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea''.

In literature

(Alphabetical by author's surname) * ''La Vie en rose'' is mentioned in

John Boyne John Boyne (born 30 April 1971) is an Irish novelist. He is the author of eleven novels for adults and six novels for younger readers. His novels are published in over 50 languages. His 2006 novel '' The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas'' was adap ...

's novel ''

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas ''The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas'' is a 2006 Holocaust novel by Irish novelist John Boyne. Much like the process he undertakes when writing most of his novels, Boyne has said that he wrote the entire first draft in two and a half days, without ...

'' (2006). * Lyrics from the song are quoted in Albert Cohen's 1968 novel ''

Belle du Seigneur ''Belle du Seigneur'' is a 1968 novel by the Swiss writer Albert Cohen. Set in Geneva in the 1930s, the narrative revolves around a Mediterranean Jew employed by the League of Nations, and his romance with a married Swiss aristocrat. The novel is ...

'' (chapter LVI). *

Ian Fleming Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer who is best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., an ...

references the song in his first

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...

novel '' Casino Royale'', when Bond is eating with Vesper Lynd, and again in his fourth novel '' Diamonds Are Forever'', when Bond chooses to skip it on the record player as it has "painful memories." * Lawrence Ferlinghetti in ''A Far Rockaway of the Heart'' (1997).

In television

(Alphabetical by show) * The main title song of the Korean television drama '' A Rosy Life'' is a Korean version aptly titled "장밋빛 인생" (

Revised Romanization Revised Romanization of Korean () is the official Korean language romanization system in South Korea. It was developed by the National Academy of the Korean Language from 1995 and was released to the public on 7 July 2000 by South Korea's Mini ...

''jangmitbit insaeng'', translated as "rose-colored life"), which is also the original Korean title of the drama. *

(in the role of Mindy Chen) sang the song in public to Lily Collins (Emily Cooper) in season 1 episode 6 of " Emily in Paris". *

Cristin Milioti Cristin Milioti (born August 16, 1985) is an American actress. She is known for playing Tracy McConnell in the CBS sitcom '' How I Met Your Mother'' from 2013 to 2014, and for her work in theater productions such as ''That Face'', ''Stunning'' ...

performed an English version of the song in an episode of ''" How I Met Your Mother"''. * Actress and Singer Daniela Anahí Bessia sang La Vie Rose for the

China Central Television China Central Television (CCTV) is a Chinese state- and political party-owned broadcaster controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Its 50 different channels broadcast a variety of programing to more than one billion viewers in six lan ...

at the Special Show Open Door (TV programme) in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

. * In season 3 episode 6 of Gotham, this song plays in the background as the

Penguin Penguins (order Sphenisciformes , family Spheniscidae ) are a group of aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is found north of the Equator. Highly adap ...

prepares for a dinner with the Riddler. *In the season 4 '' I Love Lucy'' episode "Hollywood Anniversary", the song is played by a band in the final scene. * ''La Vie en Rose'' was the name of a spaceship in '' Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'' and '' Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ'', as well as an episode title of '' Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory''. * Juliet Prowse, playing a French singer, sings an English version of the song at the start of the fourth-season opener of '' Murder, She Wrote, "A Fashionable Way to Die". * Actress and singer Zsa Zsa Padilla, who portrays the villanious Red Dragon, sings this song at a charity ball she organized in the Philippine political suspense-drama ''

Wildflower A wildflower (or wild flower) is a flower that grows in the wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. The term implies that the plant probably is neither a hybrid nor a selected cultivar that is in any way different from the ...

''.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vie En Rose, La 1945 songs 1947 singles 1993 singles Dalida songs Bette Midler songs Donna Summer songs Édith Piaf songs La Toya Jackson songs Louis Armstrong songs Madonna songs French songs Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients Songs with lyrics by Édith Piaf 1940s jazz standards Columbia Records singles Island Records singles