La Vie en rose

Here is the rewritten encyclopedia entry:

Édith Piaf’s signature tune, “La Vie en rose,” was composed in 1945, gained popularity the following year, and came out as a single in 1947. The French title literally means “Life in Pink,” but can also be translated as “Life in happy hues” or “Life seen through rose-coloured glasses.” Piaf wrote the lyrics, while the music is credited to Louiguy, though Robert Chauvigny likely finished it. Piaf first offered the song to Marguerite Monnot, who dismissed it as “foolishness,” so Louiguy took authorship. The song was broadcast live before being recorded, and Piaf gave it to Marianne Michel, who tweaked the lyrics by swapping “les choses” (things) for “la vie” (life). Piaf had performed at a nightclub called “La Vie en Rose” in 1943. Initially, her peers and songwriting team thought the song was weaker than her usual work and advised against it; Piaf set it aside but changed her mind the next year. It was first performed live in concert in 1946, quickly becoming a crowd favorite. The song made Piaf famous internationally, with lyrics celebrating the joy of true love that resonated with those who had lived through World War II.

Released as a 10-inch single in 1947 by Columbia Records (a division of EMI), with “Un refrain courait dans la rue” on the B-side, it sold a million copies in the United States. It was Italy’s best-selling single of 1948 and Brazil’s ninth best-selling single in 1949. Piaf performed it in the 1948 French film *Neuf garçons, un cœur*. The first album to include the song was the 10-inch *Chansons Parisiennes* (1950), and it later appeared on most of her albums and numerous greatest hits compilations. Alongside “Milord” and “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien,” it became her trademark hit. Encouraged by its success, Piaf wrote eighty more songs in her career.

In the United States in 1950, seven versions charted on Billboard. English lyrics were written by Mack David. The charting recordings were by Tony Martin (No. 9), Paul Weston (No. 12), Bing Crosby (No. 13), Édith Piaf (No. 23), Ralph Flanagan (No. 27), and Victor Young (No. 27). Louis Armstrong recorded “C'est si bon” and “La Vie en rose” in New York City with Sy Oliver and his Orchestra on June 26, 1950, reaching No. 28 on the Billboard chart and earning a silver certification in the UK in 2023.