La Vie en Rose

In an interview clip I saw recently as part of an “in memoriam” piece, legendary producer Richard Zanuck said “The most important thing is the story – not the script, but the story.”  It is not hyperbole to say that I have based my career on this… On my ability to capture and tell stories.

I reflected on this today as I watched an old clip of Edith Piaf singing “La Vie en Rose” – Piaf’s signature song, translated literally to “The Life in Pink.”  No, I’m not doing a documentary on Edith Piaf.  I don’t even know how to pronounce her name.  I think it’s a lovely tune.  I don’t speak French so I had to find a translation.  The clip from 1954 of her singing the song doesn’t have great production value; the performance isn’t one that makes me think “My gosh, I’m glad I was able to witness this.”  That is, until I found out the story behind the person singing it.

Piaf’s life was anything but “rosy.”  She was born in a slum in Paris.  As an abandoned child she lived in a brothel.  She sang on the streets of Paris for change, struggling to survive.  She spent her adult life addicted to alcohol and drugs.  By 1954, she was undergoing grueling treatments for her addictions, yet apparently she would often take morphine before performing.  Clearly, her hard life had taken its toll because in the clip she is just 38 years old.

As I say, the clip itself is nothing special… Until you know the story of the person singing it.  That story transforms the performance into something very touching and memorable.