No regrets, a song Edith Piaf made her own.
When Edif Piaf sings No regrets it is as though she is tearing her soul from her body.
Written in 1960 by Charles Dumont, in a fit of despair, he gave the music to lyricist Michel Vaucaire, but was surprised by the words he wrote. Dumont thought the song should be about war or revolution. Vaucaire explained he wanted to give the song to Edith Piaf. She was living in Paris at the time, having recently finished her ‘suicide tour’ during which she had collapsed. At that time, Piaf didn’t think much of Charles Dumont and tried to cancel their appointment. But on hearing the song, Piaf told Dumont that with this song, she would sing again.
No! Absolutely nothing…
No! I regret nothing
Neither the good that I’ve done nor the bad
All this is much the same to me!
No! Absolutely nothing…
No! I regret nothing…
It is paid, swept away, forgotten
I don’t care about the past!
With my souvenirs
I lit a fire
My sorrows, my pleasures
I need them no more!
Swept away the love affairs
With their tremors
Swept away forever
I leave with nothing …
No! Absolutely nothing…
No! I regret nothing
Neither the good that I’ve done nor the bad
All this is much the same to me!
No! Absolutely nothing…
No! I regret nothing…
Because my life, because my joys
Today that begins with you!
I turned on the radio this Sunday lunchtime and caught a programme, Soul Music, on how No regrets came to be composed, how it defined Edif Piaf. The programme even included the composer playing on the piano at which it was composed.
I was surprised to learn No regrets was composed in 1960 as it has the feel of the 1930s.
Tags: Edif Piaf, Je Ne Regrette Rien, music, No regrets, Non
Keithpp's Blog 
March 25, 2012 at 4:32 pm |
I like this song …. I like Edith Piaff too 🙂