Non, je ne regrette rien

The composer Charles Dumont tells in the book Edith Piaf, Opinions publiques, by Bernard Marchois (TF1 Editions 1995), that Michel Vaucaire's original title was "Non, je ne trouverai rien" (No, I will not find anything) and that the song was meant for the popular French singer Rosalie Dubois. But, thinking of Edith, he changed the title to "Non, je ne regrette rien" (No, I Regret Nothing).

According to journalist Jean Noli, in his book Edith (Éditions Stock 1973), when Charles Dumont and Michel Vaucaire visited Piaf's home at Boulevard Lannes in Paris, on 24 October 1960, she received them in a very impolite and unfriendly manner. Dumont had several times tried to offer Piaf his compositions, but she disliked them and had refused them – the standard was too low, according to her. On that day she was furious that her housekeeper Danielle had arranged a meeting with the two men without informing her. So she let them wait an hour in her living room before she appeared. "As you can see I am extremely tired", she said to them, very irritated. "Hurry up, only one song! Quick to the piano, go ahead!" she commanded. Nervous and perspiring, Dumont sang the song in a low voice. When he finished there was a big silence, as they waited for Piaf's verdict. "Will you sing it again?" asked Piaf in a sharp voice. When he was hardly halfway through, she interrupted him. "Formidable! [Fantastic!]" she exclaimed. "Formidable. This is the song I have been waiting for. It will be my biggest success! I want it for my coming performance at L'Olympia!" Vaucaire, delighted, replied, "Of course, Edith, the song is yours".

Piaf dedicated her recording of the song to the French Foreign Legion.[2] At the time of the recording, France was engaged in a military conflict, the Algerian War (1954–1962), and the 1st REP (1st Foreign Parachute Regiment) – which backed the failed 1961 putsch against president Charles de Gaulle and the civilian leadership of Algeria – adopted the song when their resistance was broken. The leadership of the Regiment was arrested and tried but the non-commissioned officers, corporals and Legionnaires were assigned to other Foreign Legion formations. They left the barracks singing the song, which has now become part of the French Foreign Legion heritage and is sung when they are on parade.[3]

The song has been recorded by other performers, including:

• Piaf herself recorded an English version, titled No Regrets.
• Frances McDormand as DuBois sings the song in Madagascar 3 Europe’s Most Wanted
• Shirley Bassey in 1965, (reaching No. 39 on the UK charts) and on the album Love Songs.
• Karen Akers on her 1981 album "Presenting Karen Akers".
• Bad Boys Blue in 1989, on album "The Fifth" recorded an English version titled No Regrets.
• The rock band Half Man Half Biscuit recorded a 1991 English version titled No Regrets.
• La Toya Jackson in her 1992 Moulin Rouge revue Formidable.
• Emmylou Harris contributed an English version to the 1994 multi-artist "Tribute to Edith Piaf" album.
• Elaine Paige on 1994 album Piaf, released to coincide with her portrayal of the lead character in the play of the same name.
• Brazilian singer Cássia Eller in 2001 Acústico MTV album.
• Vicky Leandros on her 2010 album "Zeitlos" (Timeless) sung in German with the title "Nein, ich bereue nichts" .
• Cajun band Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys on their 2011 album Grand Isle.
• Raquel Bitton sang "No Regrets" in the film "Piaf..Her story..Her songs" and CD "Raquel Bitton sings Edith Piaf"
• German singer Martinique released a Disco/Synth-Pop version "No Regrets (Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien)" in 1984

• In the United Kingdom, the song was at one time associated with the former Conservative politician Norman Lamont, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, who quoted the song's title to sum up his political career.[4]
• The song was adopted as "a personal anthem" by the former Dutch colonial soldier Johan Cornelis Princen (better known as Poncke Princen).[5]
• The song is used in many movies, including Bull Durham (1988); Doris Dörrie's German film Keiner liebt mich (1994), titled Nobody Loves Me in English; Babe: Pig in the City (1998); Bernardo Bertolucci's film The Dreamers (2003), the Coen Brothers' film Intolerable Cruelty, the 2005 film Monamour, the 2006 film Piaf Her story Her songs, the French criminal biopic Mesrine (2008), Valiant (2005), a British animated film about World War II; Inception (2010) where the song is connected with hypnic jerk;[6] and Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012).
• The song features prominently in the biographic movie La Vie en Rose, which tells the story of Édith Piaf (portrayed by French actress Marion Cotillard)
• A Spanish version of the song performed by Javiera Mena, plays during the end credits of the 2012 Chilean film Young and Wild.
• The song is featured in Episode 14 of Season 11 of American fantasy drama Supernatural, when Dean Winchester travels back in time to World War II.
• This song was added to The Boring Company website when 50,000 "boring hats" were sold.[7][8]
• Lyrics from this song are featured in Rammstein's "Frühling in Paris" from Liebe ist für alle da (2009).

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics