Composer(s) Marguerite Monnot Language French | Lyricist(s) Georges Moustaki | |
"Milord" ([milɔʁ]) or "Ombre de la Rue" [ɔ̃bʁə də la ʁy] ("Shadow of the Street") is a 1959 song (lyrics by Georges Moustaki, music by Marguerite Monnot), famously sung by Édith Piaf. It is a chanson that recounts the feelings of a lower-class "girl of the port" (perhaps a prostitute) who develops a crush on an elegantly attired apparent upper-class British traveller (or "milord"), whom she has seen walking the streets of the town several times (with a beautiful young woman on his arm), but who has not even noticed her. The singer feels that she is nothing more than a "shadow of the street" (ombre de la rue). Nonetheless, when she talks to him of love, she breaks through his shell; he begins to cry, and she has the job of cheering him up again. She succeeds, and the song ends with her shouting "Bravo! Milord" and "Encore, Milord".
The song was a #1-hit in Germany in July 1960. In UK it reached #24 (1960), in Sweden #1 during 8 weeks (15/6-1/8 1960), in Norway #6 (1959), and in the United States #88 (Billboard Hot 100 in 1961).
Cover versions
"Milord" was one of Germany's biggest selling songs of 1960. Aside from Edith Piaf's original French version, there have also been German cover versions by Dalida, Lale Andersen, and Corry Brokken. Brokken also recorded the song in Dutch. An English version was recorded by Lolita.
Italian versions were recorded by Dalida and Milva. A Swedish version was cut by Anita Lindblom.
This song was also covered by male crooner, Bobby Darin in 1964, with slightly altered French lyrics, to account for the fact that Darin was a man (the original lyrics were written to be sung by a woman).
A reworded English cover was recorded by Frankie Vaughan in which he explains to a man he refers to as Milord that the woman he loves is with someone else and he should forget her, relax, be happy and find another woman.
Benny Hill produced a skit modeled on the musical Cabaret, and included the song "Milord," sung — in English — by Louise English, a member of Hill's Angels. It is the closing number in the skit and the refrain is repeated as the patrons toast each other and throw confetti.
Cher sang an English version of "Milord" on her second solo album The Sonny Side of Cher which was released in 1966. It has also been sung by Liza Minnelli in 1966, the all-girl punk group the Mo-dettes in 1980, and Candan Erçetin in 2003.
Harpers Bizarre recorded "Milord" for their 1967 album "Anything Goes."
In-grid sang a remix of "Milord" in her album La Vie en Rose released in 2004. The song was edited to have a faster speed than the original.
Herb Alpert recorded an instrumental version on the album Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass, Volume 2 (1963).
French jazz, soul singer Raquel Bitton performed the song as part of her Piaf tribute show "Piaf: Her Story, Her Songs".
Paris Saint-Germain supporters from the Auteil stand of the Parc des Princes have a chant based on "Milord".
A German Schlager version titled "Das rote Pferd (The Red Horse)" was performed by Markus Becker und die Mallorca Cowboys.
English rock band the Struts released a cover in 2013.
Irish singer-songwriter Eleanor McEvoy regularly covers the song in her live shows, releasing it in her 2014 album, STUFF