Brittany Butler

ENG 1201-B53

Professor Kretzer

4 April 2020

La Vie en Rose

“Hold me close and hold me fast, the magic spell you cast, this is la vie en rose” is the

opening line to this beautiful song. In two different videos we see both artists captured in

photographs that resemble happiness and love. The song has also been adapted into various films

targeting a vast audience. “La Vie en Rose” is an old-time classic originally sung by Edith Piaf,

later sung by Louis Armstrong, that has a way of putting people into a love trance with its French

lyrics by Pilaf and its jazzy swagger by Armstrong. The two versions have a similar message

they are portraying, “looking through rose-colored glasses”, while targeting audiences young and

old.

Edith Piaf was one of France’s prized singers who sang mostly about love, loss, and pain.

When “La Vie en Rose” was first written in 1945, its lyrics were targeting those who had just

suffered through the second World War. The hope was for these folks to see joy and true love

after such chaos. Friends and colleagues encouraged Piaf to set the song aside because they did

not think it was as strong as some of the other material in her repertoire. After a year, Piaf

decided to revisit the piece and perform it in at a concert which proved its popularity. This song

made Piaf internationally famous. In 1947 the single was released and later became the most

popular single in Italy in 1948 and, in 1949, became Brazil’s ninth best-selling single. Because of

its success, Piaf had the encouragement to continue writing and producing songs.
 One rendition of the song was done by Louis Armstrong, one of the most influential jazz

artists of his time. In 1950, Armstrong recorded “La Vie en Rose” with Sy Oliver and his

orchestra, taking the single to a new place. It reached number 28 on the Billboard charts. Its new

jazzy tones and elongated intro put a new spin on the single, continuing its fame. This is the main

difference between the two versions. Piaf sang in French and Armstrong put his flair on the

English lyrics. However, even with the English lyrics present, we still see the line la vie en rose

in the second and fourth verses of the song, resembling life “through rose colored glasses”.

The phrase “la vie en rose” has the meaning “seeing life through rose colored glasses”.

When you hear either version begin, it is as if you are being taken into another realm, making

you want to smile, sway, and disappear into the arms of a loved one. “When you kiss me,

Heaven sighs, And though I close my eyes, I see la vie en rose” is a perfect example. When a

person closes their eyes, or has seen things that cannot be unseen, they are still looking through

those rose-colored glasses. It gives the audience a feeling of comfort that, over the years, has

been lost or unrecognizable. Pathos is an audience’s emotional response to something. Because

La Vie en Rose states the powerful meaning of love, and makes the audience feel such, this

rhetoric fits best. No matter how old a person may be, there is something about this song that

makes it possible to reach a multitude of personalities.

The song was adapted into various films over the years, the first being Neuf garcons en

Coeur, meaning nine boys, one heart. Piaf herself performs the song. We hear and see, again, the

feeling behind this single. Later, in 2007, a film titled La Vie en Rose was released, giving detail

behind Piaf’s life of struggle, poverty, and fame. In this film we understand how the songwriter

made this single so popular, amongst many others.

 The two versions of this songs main claim are more similar than they are different. To

point out one difference, Piaf was targeting an audience of war where Armstrong was targeting a

much broader audience than just this. Soldiers had just fought in a brutal war and many were lost

because of it. Families were broken apart and Edith Piaf’s version was trying to touch those

hearts. She was trying console people and send a positive message that would lift their spirits.

Armstrong’s jazzy take spoke to an even broader audience. This version began to play on radios

all over and had a presence in movies and television shows. Armstrong was a famous musician

that was able to reach the ears of a broader community. Another difference is apparent with the

lyrics, one being French, the other English. The last main difference in the song is the style. The

1945 Piaf version has the old time feel of sitting in a night club or restaurant with live

entertainment and the Armstrong version takes us to a jazzier, upbeat style. Both are beautiful in

their respective ways. Being that the song is geared toward love, a pathos approach takes

precedent. It is a song that makes you feel good and offers emotion that one may have been

unaware was inside them.

Two renditions of a love song have been developed into popular outlets of song, dance,

and film. Piaf and Armstrong have ways of making their audience feel strong emotions through

language style, visual appearance, and musical ability. In times of crisis, this type of music can

make a person feel something they may have lost or did not know they had. Both artists achieved

great success in the presentation of seeing life through rosy hues.

 Works Cited

“La Vie En Rose.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Mar. 2020,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Vie_en_rose.

“Louis Armstrong - La Vie En Rose Lyrics.” MetroLyrics, www.metrolyrics.com/la-vie-en-rose-

lyrics-louis-armstrong.html.