Édith Piaf wrote the words of “La Vie en rose” in 1945 and recorded it in 1947. The idea is simple and enormous: when the man she loves takes her in his arms and speaks softly to her, she sees life through rose-tinted glasses. His words, his look, his laugh — they push every sorrow away.
It became Piaf's signature song and one of the best-known French songs in the world, sung since by Louis Armstrong, Grace Jones and countless others.
For learners it's ideal: slow, with every syllable sung, and full of the basic vocabulary of love — the heart, happiness, words of love, in his arms. “Voir la vie en rose” is also an everyday French expression for being optimistic.