Edith Piaf//Milord

A few nights ago, Anika and I finished watching La Vie en Rose, the stunning and oft-depressing movie about Edith Piaf. It’s fair to say that since watching it, I’ve had some Piaf song or another on constant repeat in my brain. If her song choices weren’t so enjoyable or her vocal quality weren’t so incredible, this would be annoying. But, since Piaf was such a remarkable performer with such incredible presence, it’s not.

And Jeez, did this woman have a crazy-ass life! I had trouble following the film at points, since it seemed that the form of the movie echoed the chaotic and uncertain nature of Piaf’s own existence. Her life began with a drunk penniless street-singing mom, a circus contortionist dad and a madam grandma whose whores were her care-givers. Amazingly, it only got crazier from there, so it’s no wonder that Piaf selected songs that reflected her hard street life, and blew them out of the water with such intense performances.

It’s hard to chose just one song to feature here, but this is the one that sticks with me most, even if it’s not her most well-known or heartbreaking (Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien or La Vie en Rose). I love how this song is so French (duh), from the sound-sets to the rhythm. A composition of her longtime collaborator Marguerite Monnot, the song fits perfectly with Piaf’s style.



Milord.mp3

J'en ai froid dans le coeur.

(I am cold in my heart.)