“What is love for?”, the love duet of Édith Piaf and Théo Sarapo

This winter break, we explore love – all forms of love. Let’s begin our journey through the verb to love with a duo who is happier than they seem.

There are songs like that that don’t have a good reputation and end up meaning something other than what they mean. Obviously, Edith Piaf’s voice doesn’t help you feel optimistic and joyful. And then What’s the point of love?, written and composed by Michel Emer, is a song which suffers from a terrible context. It’s a duet between Édith Piaf and the last man in her life, Théo Sarapo.

And it must be said, this love story is sinister. Piaf is 46 years old, she is in a disastrous state of health – alcohol, addiction to painkillers, several very major surgeries, and soon no one will be surprised that her life is ending.

But she is in love with a young hairdresser of Greek origin, 25 years old, to whom she gives the pseudonym Théo Sarapo – that means “Théo I love you”, in Greek. And she wants to launch him into song. After all, she did the same thing with Yves Montand and some other of her lovers, and Michel Emer, therefore, brings her a song which is rather to the glory of love. But it’s always been like that, it’s difficult to feel the joy in Édith Piaf.

In this episode of These party songsyou hear excerpts from:

Edith Piaf and Théo Sarapo, What’s the point of love?, 1962

Edith Piaf, The Goualante of poor Jean, 1954

Joe Dassin, It’s a heart of paper, 1967

Gérard Manset, Friends, 1978

Anne Sylvestre, Honor, 1985

Michel Fugain, Every day more, 1991

Véronique Sanson, An ideal being, 1998

Natasha St Pier, Why so many tears, 2002

Fally Ipupa, Bad Company, 2022

Georgette Lemaire and Sanseverino, What’s the point of love ?, 2014

Thomas Lauderdale and Meow Meow feat. Rufus Wainwright, What’s the point of love?, 2020

Chimène Badi and Dany Brillant, What’s the point of love?, 2023

Marcio Farraco, What’s the point of love?, 2008

Edith Piaf and Théo Sarapo, What’s the point of love?, 1962

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And you can also find the podcast on this link Behind our voices, with the writing and composition secrets of eight major artists of the French scene, Laurent Voulzy, Julien Clerc, Bénabar, Dominique A, Carla Bruni, Emily Loizeau, Juliette and Gaëtan Roussel.