Edith Piaf, a song to God

Edith Piaf passed away 60 years ago on October 10, 1963, at the age of 48. What remains of her is that unmistakable voice, timeless songs, and a fragile figure in a black dress. Édith Piaf also embodied fervent faith, a journey through trials, and an unending quest for God. This is what Pierre Fesquet explores in his latest book Piaf: Un cri vers Dieu (Piaf: A Cry to God).

Thérèse de Lisieux

The author engages in a biography that traces the threads of faith in the life of "La Môme." ("La Môme" translates to "The Kid" in English. It was a term of endearment and a reference to her petite stature. Piaf is often referred to as "La Môme Piaf" in the context of her career and legacy).

Indeed, it all begins with a "miracle." Édith Giovanna Gassion, as per her official records, had nearly lost her eyesight at the age of six. Entrusted to her Normandy grandmother, Louise Gassion, young Édith embarked on a pilgrimage to the tomb of the Carmelite of Lisieux, Thérèse of the Child Jesus, who had just been declared venerable. There was, of course, no basilica in the Normandy town at the time, but pilgrims would visit the grave of the nun who had died at the age of 24, and leave roses. A few days later, Edith's sight was restored.

A true connoisseur of Edith Piaf's repertoire, Pierre Fesquet uncovers even the most subtle verses that reveal the singer's faith. But before achieving worldwide recognition, the young girl was tossed about, following her acrobat father, a circus artist, in his travels, embellishing her father's performances with a few refrains: Dieu seul peut savoir où ils seront demain, les forains (Only God can know where the carnival people will be tomorrow).

In 1925, she returned to Lisieux. The young Thérèse had just been canonized by Pope Pius XI, and Édith discovered the shrine containing the wax statue of the new saint. "On that day, I understood what true glory was. This prevented me from believing in my own glory later on," she said.

Lyrics and refrains

In 1935, the street singer was noticed and soon hired. It marked the beginning of her fame, and she became known as Piaf, Edith Piaf. Life remained challenging as she moved from cabarets to theaters. During moments of doubt, she would pray at Notre-Dame-des-Victoires in Paris, Thérèse de Lisieux's favorite church. After the war, Edith Piaf became a full-fledged star. The artistic elite courted her, starting with Jean Cocteau, the influential French writer, poet and artist who became a significant figure in Piaf's life and career.

Songwriters and composers did everything they could to have her interpret their creations. While she didn't have an explicitly religious repertoire, there was an evident spiritual dimension in the approximately 88 songs she performed, such as Hymne à l'amour (Hymn to Love):

If one day we had to say goodbye

And our love should fade away and die

In my heart, you will remain, dear

And I'll sing a hymn to love

Those who love will live eternally

In the blue, where all is harmony

With my voice raised high to Heaven

Just for you, I'll sing a hymn to love

He unites all those who loved before...

Other lyrics were more despairing, like her 1950 Le Ciel est fermé (Heaven is closed):

Tired of the people on Earth,

The Good Lord, overburdened and worn,

Pondered between two mysteries,

And decided to resign.

He extinguished a few stars,

Closed the sky from top to bottom,

And from a cloud, he made a sail,

Which caught the wind and carried Him away.

Even more so, her life was imbued with a missionary fervor. She introduced Saint Thérèse of Lisieux to Marcel Cerdan before their great love affair ended in a plane crash. She wrote, "I believe in the afterlife. I don't believe in death. After death, those who have truly loved each other will reunite."

Challenges continued to accumulate in her life, including health concerns, accidents, and romantic breakups. In 1960, despite exhaustion, she remained resolute, saying, "I believe in miracles: in three months, I'll be back at the Olympia."

Retracing the tumultuous life of "La Môme Piaf" through her refrains, Pierre Fesquet paints a poignant and partially lesser-known portrait of an artist in search of the absolute. "Every time she sings, it's as if she's tearing her soul out for the last time," Jean Cocteau said of her.