La Vie en Rose is a classic French tune written in 1945 by Louiguy with lyrics by Édith Piaf, and it became Piaf’s signature song. It was popularized in 1946 and released as a single in 1947 from the album Chansons Parisiennes. The title, often translated as Life in rosy hues, reflects the joy of finding true love after hardship, a theme that helped Piaf rise to international fame. The original recording, about 3 minutes long, was released by Columbia and later sparked English versions that charted in the United States in 1950 by artists such as Tony Martin, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, and Louis Armstrong. The tune has been widely covered, including Grace Jones’s 1977 disco-bossa nova remake on Portfolio, which gave it a new international hit status. La Vie en Rose earned a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1998 and remains a staple of Piaf’s repertoire, with appearances in films like Sabrina and WALL-E.
