We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

PIAF

from DEMOS by Rick Berlin

/

about

I came late as a believer in Edith. I did respond to her voice in the same visceral way I responded to Billie Holiday, Judy Garland and Nina Simone (it always seems to be the women in the voice-of-truth category. After I saw the french biopic about her, I was head-over-heels about this woman. The song lifted out of me, total cabaret but not camp.

lyrics

PIAF

she opened her mouth
her body shook
fist like a rock
against her breast
the war went crazy
the bullets flew
kids were dyin'
+ love meant death
again

l'amour, toujours l'amour...

a tiny sparrow
with a giant voice
a wounded mouth
enormous eyes
her fingers burn
her life explodes
in the city of light
she made us feel
again

l'amour, toujours l'amour...

i adore her
but i don't know her
her voice like a whore in a choir
i adore her
but i don't know her
her voice like a gun in a church

l'amour, toujours l'amour...

crowd on its feet
their hearts in their throats
they could feel every note:
(she lost everyone she loved)
frail from drugs
crooked with age
afraid of nothing
she looked up
she shurgged
+ sang

l'amour, toujours l'amour...

credits

from DEMOS, released November 18, 2012

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Rick Berlin (now playing w/ THE NICKEL & DIME BAND) Jamaica Plain

A giant on the Boston music scene. His colorful songwriting + strong stage presence have influenced countless other artists since the early 1970s. He continues to make music w/ intelligence + integrity, building an international reputation around his knotty, singular piano playing, straight-from-the-heart singing and a style of character-based songwriting that's drawn comparisons to Waits + Cohen ... more

contact / help

Contact Rick Berlin (now playing w/ THE NICKEL & DIME BAND)

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this track or account

Rick Berlin (now playing w/ THE NICKEL & DIME BAND) recommends:

If you like Rick Berlin (now playing w/ THE NICKEL & DIME BAND), you may also like: