No words need pre-empt this classic of classic, an essential stepping stone in the development of the French chanson. The song not only defined the career of original singer Edith Piaf, but also came to nestle under its wing a whole host of other star studded greats, such as Tony Martin, Paul Weston, Bing Crosby, Ralph Flanagan, Victor Young, Dean Martin, and Louis Armstrong (and those are only the covers recorded in 1950), all with the ukulele chords that La Vie en Rose is based on.
The song has subsequently been covered by innumerable numbers of artists over the years, especially after the song was catapulted back to international fame by all round polymath Grace Jones in 1977.
Lyrics and Ukulele Chords La Vie en Rose
Given that the entirety of the song can be played with just seven chords (A minor – C – D – D7 – E minor – G – Gmaj7) it would be pertinent to explore the lyrics in more detail, though before we go on the chords will be detailed below, for your diligent study:
The Actual Lyrics to Sing Along to
In English:
Hold me close and hold me fast
The magic spell you cast
This is la vie en rose
When you kiss me, Heaven sighs
And though I close my eyes
I see la vie en rose
When you press me to your heart
I’m in a world apart
A world where roses bloom
And when you speak
Angels sing from above
Every day words
Seem to turn into love songs
Give your heart and soul to me
And life will always be
La vie en rose
I thought that love was just a word
They sang about in songs I heard
It took your kisses to reveal
That I was wrong, and love is real
Hold me close and hold me fast
The magic spell you cast
This is la vie en rose
When you kiss me, heaven sighs
And though I close my eyes
I see la vie en rose
When you press me to your heart
I’m in a world apart
A world where roses bloom
And when you speak
Angels sing from above
Every day words
Seem to turn into love songs
Give your heart and soul to me
And life will always be
La vie en rose
En Francaise:
Des yeux qui font baisser les miens
Un rire qui se perd sur sa bouche
Voilà le portrait sans retouches
De l’homme auquel j’appartiens
Quand il me prend dans ses bras
Il me parle tout bas
Je vois la vie en rose
Il me dit des mots d’amour
Des mots de tous les jours
Et ça me fait quelque chose
Il est entré dans mon cœur
Une part de bonheur
Dont je connais la cause
C’est lui pour moi, moi pour lui dans la vie
Il me l’a dit, l’a juré pour la vie
Et dès que je l’aperçois
Alors je sens en moi
Mon cœur qui bat
Des nuits d’amour à plus finir
Un grand bonheur qui prend sa place
Des ennuis, des chagrins s’effacent
Heureux, heureux à en mourir
Quand il me prend dans ses bras
Il me parle tout bas
Je vois la vie en rose
Il me dit des mots d’amour
Des mots de tous les jours
Et ça me fait quelque chose
Il est entré dans mon cœur
Une part de bonheur
Dont je connais la cause
C’est toi pour moi, moi pour toi dans la vie
Il me l’a dit, l’a juré pour la vie
Et dès que je t’aperçois
Alors je sens dans moi
Mon cœur qui bat
La la, la la, la la
La la, la la, ah la
La la la la
Final Tones
So, there you have it, a short though, I hope, comprehensive study of this timeless classic, providing you with all the tools you need to come to it with your own ideas and conclusions. Godspeed!
FAQs Ukulele Chords La Vie en Rose
It can be whatever you want it to be, and perhaps is best sussed out by your own explorations, since there are so many different versions, all of which perform the song somewhat differently, some even in different time signatures!
