"Padam... Padam..." is a French song with music by Norbert Glanzberg, who composed the melody in 1942, and lyrics by Henri Contet, added later. Édith Piaf released it as a single in 1951, recorded with Robert Chauvigny's orchestra in November of that year. It is a waltz in 3/4 time with a nostalgic, almost hypnotic feel. The lyrics describe a woman recalling an alluring melody that evokes a former lover, and the repeated "padam, padam" suggests a heartbeat.
Piaf later recorded the song for her 1955 album Olympia, and a 1954 EMI Columbia EP also included it. It became one of the great international hits of her repertoire and of French chanson. Many artists have covered it, among them Tony Martin, Mireille Mathieu, Michael Heltau, who sang German lyrics, Patricia Kaas, Chimène Badi, Ann Christy, Anne Sofie von Otter and Roberto Alagna. Jazz versions were recorded by Didier Lockwood, Martin Taylor, and the Wynton Marsalis Quintet with Richard Galliano.
