The Little Sparrow

At the end of everything, could you honestly say you lived your life with no regrets? Edith Piaf could. The French singer was known for her talent, her passion and her way with men. In this week's episode, we talk about her biography, No Regrets, and her unusual childhood. Piaf was raised by a father who performed in the circus, her self-absorbed mother and her dutiful but distant grandmother. She spent her life searching for the love her childhood lacked. She always found it on the stage and sometimes found it in the arms of men. Many, many men. We lost count. The movie La Vie en Rose was based on her life and was the title of one of her most famous songs. Piaf struggled with excess. She frequently used alcohol, drugs and people to escape the darker sides of her personality. Her spirit never died, but before she turned 50, her body could no longer contain it and she passed away in 1963. The funeral procession and throngs of mourners stopped traffic in France. Not since World War II had that happened. The subject matter in this episode was a little bleak, we'll admit. But we livened it up as much as possible with references to Lyle Lovett, trying to figure out the time difference between Germany and France as, as always, references to Flight of the Conchords.