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Top 12 Edith Piaf Songs You’ll Love

Top 12 Edith Piaf Songs You’ll Love

Edith Piaf songs are some of France’s best-known classic songs, telling stories that relate to all people around the world. Edith Piaf (1915-1963) was arguably one of France’s greatest female singers of all time. Today we’re going to discover some of Edith Piaf’s top-12 greatest hits and learn what the story is behind their lyrics.

Edith Piaf songs

Top Edith Piaf songs:

  1. La vie en Rose
  2. Non, Je ne Regrette Rien (French version)
  3. No Regrets (English version)
  4. Hymne à l’amour
  5. Milord
  6. La Foule
  7. L’Accordéoniste
  8. Padam, padam…
  9. Sous Le Ciel De Paris
  10. Mon Dieu
  11. Mon Manège À Moi
  12. Tu Es Partout

Most popular songs of Edith Piaf

1) La vie en rose

La vie en rose is the signature song of Edith Piaf and was written back in 1945. The lyrics express the joy of finding love, and it was particularly popular following the ending of World War II.

La vie en rose lyrics and translation


2) Non, je ne regrette rien

Written in French in 1960, Non, je ne regrette rien translates to “No, I do not regret anything.” The lyrics tell the same story, and Piaf dedicated this song to the Foreign Legion. When the song was recorded, France was taking part in the Algerian War, and this song is still sung by the Foreign Legion on parade to this day.

Non, je ne regrette rien lyrics and translation


3) No regrets

Edith Piaf also recorded an English version of the above song back in 1960. This is one of her most popular songs in English, telling the same tale as the French version.


4) Hymne à l’amour

Hymne à l’amour was written by Piaf in 1950 and was dedicated to the love of her life, French boxer Marcel Cerdan. He was killed in 1949 in the Air France Flight 009 crash, and this song is in memory of him.

Hymne à l’amour lyrics and translation


5) Milord

Milord was recorded in 1959 and shares the story of a lower-class girl in the port who has feelings for a British traveler. The song was a huge hit in Germany, it sold over 400,000 copies in France, and it receives thousands of views on YouTube each day still.

Milord lyrics and translation


6) La foule

Edith Piaf recorded La foule in 1957, creating her own version of a previous Spanish song. The lyrics make this one of the best songs from the artist, telling the story of a female singer and a man who meet in the middle of a crowd. While it’s love at first sight for the singer, they sadly part as quickly as they met.


7) L’accordéoniste

L’accordéoniste was written by Michel Emer in 1940, who offered it to Edith Piaf. It was her first song to sell a million copies, sharing the tale of a prostitute who is in love with an accordion player who gets sent to war.


8) Padam, padam…

While many of Edith Piaf’s hits are slower sad songs, Padam, padam… is a waltz that was released in 1951. The singer describes how a song’s melody can bring back memories of a previous lover and strives to tap into the listener’s memories too.

Padam, padam… lyrics and translation


9) Sous le ciel de Paris

Edith Piaf recorded her versions of Sous le ciel de Paris in 1954. The song was originally written for the 1951 movie of the same name, and the melody has been used in other movies. It shares the story of a night under the Paris sky and the main character’s feelings about his life here.

Sous le ciel de Paris lyrics and translation


10) Mon dieu

Mon dieu is a signature song for Edith Piaf, recorded in 1960. It’s one of the most famous sad songs, which started life as a sailor song but soon became the story of losing a lover and wishing to stay with them a little longer.

Mon Dieu lyrics and translation


11) Mon Manège À Moi

Mon manège à moi was a 1958 hit for Edith Piaf and featured in the movie Mon oncle. The themes of the song include love, carousels, merry-go-rounds, and funfair organ music.


12) Tu es partout

Tu es partout was a featured song in Saving Private Ryan but also appeared in Edith Piaf’s Montmartre-sur-Seine film in 1943. The story is about lost love and the sorrow felt after losing them.

Edith piaf songs – conclusion

All of these songs are signature songs for Edith Piaf and are popular with men and women everywhere. They all have captivating stories and themes, which have captured the attention of listeners for decades.

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French songs | Posts by Dan Forsythe

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Dan Forsythe
A politics and history graduate with a technical writing background and based in France, Dan writes amazing articles for all things French. An insatiable traveler, Dan has crisscrossed France, Europe, and beyond. When he’s not hiking or falling down historical rabbit holes, Dan sips tea and writes technical pieces or blog posts about travel, history, and life in his adopted home.

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Dan Forsythe

A politics and history graduate with a technical writing background and based in France, Dan writes amazing articles for all things French. An insatiable traveler, Dan has crisscrossed France, Europe, and beyond. When he’s not hiking or falling down historical rabbit holes, Dan sips tea and writes technical pieces or blog posts about travel, history, and life in his adopted home.

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