les miserables letras

Musical Letras

1

SYNOPSIS

Prologue: Work Song

Prologue: Valijean Arrested/Valijean Forgiven

Prologue: What Have I Done?

At The End Of The Day

I Dreamed A Dream

Lovely Ladies

Who Am I?

Fantine's Death: Come To Me

Fantine's Death: Confrontation

Castle On A Cloud

Master Of The House

Thenardier Waltz

Stars

Look Down

Little People

Red & Black

Do You Hear The People Sing?

In My Life/A Heart Full Of Love

Plumet Attack

One Day More!

On My Own

The Attack

A Little Fall Of Rain

Drink With Me

Bring Him Home

Dog Eat Dog

Soliloquy

Turning

2

Empty Chairs At Empty Tables

Wedding Chorale/Beggars at the Feast

Finale

3

SYNOPSIS

PROLOGUE: 1815, DIGNE

Jean Valjean, released on parole after 19 years on the chain gang, finds that the yellow ticket-of-leave he must, by law, display condemns him to be an outcast. Only the saintly Bishop of Digne treats him kindly and Valjean, embittered by years of hardship, repays him by stealing some silver. Valjean is caught and brought back by police, and is astonished when the Bishop lies to the police to save him, also giving him two precious candlesticks. Valjean decides to start his life anew.

1823, MONTREUIL-SUR-MER

Eight years have passed and Valjean, having broken his parole an changed his name to Monsieur Madeleine, has risen to become both a factory owner and Mayor. One of his workers, Fantine, has a secret illegitimate child. When the other women discover this, they demand her dismissal. The foreman, whose advances she has rejected, throws her out.

Desperate for money to pay for medicines for her daughter, Fantine sells her locket, her hair, and then joins the whores in selling herself. Utterly degraded by her new trade she gets into a fight with a prospective customer and is about to be take to prison by Javert when "The Mayor" arrives and demands she be taken to a hospital instead.

The Mayor then rescues a man pinned down by a runaway cart. Javert is reminded of the abnormal strength of convict 24601 Jean Valjean, a parole-breaker whom he has been tracking for years, but who, he says has just been recaptured. Valjean, unable to see an innocent man go to prison in his place, confesses to the court that he is prisoner 24601.

At the hospital Valjean promises the dying Fantine to find and look after her daughter Cosette. Javert arrives to arrest him, but Valjean escapes.

1823, MONTFERMEIL

Cosette has been lodged for five years with the Thenardiers who run an inn, horribly abusing the little girl whom they use as a skivvy while indulging their own daughter, Eponine. Valjean finds Cosette fetching water in the dark. He pays the Thenardiers to let him take Cosette away and takes her to Paris. But Javert is till on his tail...

1832, PARIS

Nine years later there is a great unrest in the city because of the likely demise of the popular leader General Lamarque, the only man left in the Government who shows any feeling for the poor. The urchin Gavroche is in his element mixing with the whores and the beggars of the capital. Among the street-gangs is one led by Thenardier and his wife, which sets upon Jean Valjean and Cosette. They are rescued by Javert, who does not recognize Valjean until after he has made good his escape. The Thenardiers' daughter Eponine, who is secretly in love with the student Marius, reluctantly agrees to help him find Cosette, with whom he has fallen in love.

At a political meeting in a small cafe, a group of idealistic students prepare for the revolution they are sure will erupt on the death of General Lamarque. When Gavroche brings the news of the General's death, the students, led by Enjolras, stream out into the streets to whip up popular support. Only Marius is distracted by the thoughts of the mysterious Cosette.

4

Cosette is consumed by the thoughts of Marius, with whom she has fallen in love. Valjean realizes that his 'daughter" is changing very quickly but refuses to tell her anything of her past. In spite of her own feelings for Marius, Eponine sadly brings him to Cosette and then prevents an attempt by her father's gang to rob Valjean's house. Valjean, convinced it was Javert who was lurking outside his house, tells Cosette they must prepare to flee the country. On the eve of the revolution the students and Javert see the situation from their different viewpoints; Cosette and Marius part in despair of ever meeting again; Eponine mourns the loss of Marius; and Valjean looks forward to the security of exile. The Thenardiers, meanwhile, dream of rich pickings underground from the chaos to come.

The students prepare to build the barricade. Marius, noticing that Eponine has joined the insurrection, sends her with a letter to Cosette, which is intercepted at the Rue Plumet by Valjean. Eponine decides, despite what he has said to here, to rejoin Marius at the barricade.

The barricade is built and the revolutionaries defy an army warning that they must give up or die. Gavroche exposes Javert as a policy spy. In trying to return to the barricade Eponine is shot and killed. Valjean arrives at the barricades in search of Marius. He is given the chance to kill Javert, but instead lets him go.

The students settle down for a night on the barricade and, in the quiet of the night, Valjean prays to God to save Marius from the onslaught which is to come. The next day, with ammunition running low, Gavroche runs out to collect more and is shot. The rebels are all killed, including their leader, Enjolras.

Valjean escapes into the sewers with the unconscious Marius. After meeting Thenardier, who is rubbing the corpses of the rebels, he emerges into the light only to meet Javert once more. he pleads for time to deliver the young man to a hospital. Javert decides to let him go and, his unbending principles of justice having been shattered by Valjean's own mercy, he kill himself by throwing himself into the swollen River Seine. A number of Parisian women come to terms with the failed insurrection and its victims. unaware of the identity of his rescuer, Marius recovers in Cosette's care. Valjean confesses the truth of his past to Marius and insists that after the young couple are married, he must go away rather than taint the sanctity and safety of their union. At Marius and Cosette's wedding the Thenardiers try to black mail Marius. Thenardier says Cosette's "father" is a murderer and, as proof, produces a ring which he stole from the corpse in the sewers the night the barricades fell. It is Marius' own ring., and he realizes it was Valjean who rescued him that night. He and Cosette go to Valjean, where Cosette learns for the first time of her own history before the old man dies, joining the spirits of Fantine, Eponine, and all those who died on the barricades.

5

Song: Prologue: Work Song

[PRISONERS]Look down, look down

Don't look 'em in the eyeLook down, look down,

You're here until you die

[CONVICT ONE]The sun is strong

It's hot as hell below

[PRISONER]Look down, look down,

There's twenty years to go

[CONVICT TWO]I've done no wrong!

Sweet Jesus, hear my prayer!

[PRISONERS]Look down look down,

Sweet Jesus doesn't care

[CONVICT THREE]I know she'll wait,

I know that she'll be true!

[PRISONERS]Look down, look down,

They've all forgotten you

[CONVICT FOUR]When I get free ya won't see me

Here for dust!


Don't look 'em in the eye

[CONVICT FIVE]How long, oh Lord

Before you let me die?

[PRISONERS]Look down, look down,You'll always be a slaveLook down, look down,

You're standing in your grave

[JAVERT]Now bring me prisoner 24601

Your time is upAnd your parole's begun

You know what that means.

6

[VALJEAN]Yes, it means I'm free.

[JAVERT]No!

It means you getYour yellow ticket-of-leave

You are a thief

[VALJEAN]I stole a loaf of bread.

[JAVERT]You robbed a house.

[VALJEAN]I broke a window pane.

My sister's child was close to deathAnd we were starving.

[JAVERT]You will starve again

Unless you learn the meaning of the law.

[VALJEAN]I know the meaning of those 19 years

A slave of the law

[JAVERT]Five years for what you did

The rest because you tried to runYes, 24601.

[VALJEAN]My name is Jean Valjean

[JAVERT]And I am Javert

Do not forget my name!Do not forget me,

24601.


You'll always be a slaveLook down, look down

You're standing in your grave.

[VALJEAN]Freedom is mine. The earth is still.

I feel the wind. I breathe again.And the sky clears

The world is waking.Drink from the pool. How clean the taste.

Never forget the years, the waste.Nor forgive them

For what they've done.

7

They are the guilty - everyone.The day begins...And now lets see

What this new worldWill do for me!

[He finds work on a farm]

[FARMER]You'll have to go

I'll pay you off for the dayCollect your bits and pieces there

And be on your way.

[VALJEAN]You have given me halfWhat the other men get!

This handful of tinWouldn't buy my sweat!

[LABORER]You broke the law

It's there for people to seeWhy should you get the same

As honest men like me?

[VALJEAN]Now every door is closed to me

Another jail. Another key. Another chainFor when I come to any town

They check my papersAnd they find the mark of Cain

In their eyes I see their fear`We do not want you here.'

[He comes to an inn]

[INKEEPER'S WIFE]My rooms are full

And I've no supper to spareI'd like to help a strangerAll we want is to be fair

[VALJEAN]I will pay in advanceI can sleep in a barn

You see how dark it isI'm not some kind of dog!

[INNKEEPER]You leave my house

Or feel the weight of my rodWe're law-abiding people here

Thanks be to God.

[They throw him out of the inn]

8

[VALJEAN]And now I know how freedom feels

The jailer always at your heelsIt is the law!

This piece of paper in my handThat makes me cursed throughout the land

It is the law!Like a cur

I walk the street,The dirt beneath their feet.

[He sits down despairingly outside a house from which emerges the Bishop of Digne.]

[BISHOP]Come in, Sir, for you are weary,And the night is cold out there.

Though our lives are very humbleWhat we have, we have to share.There is wine here to revive you.

There is bread to make you strong,There's a bed to rest till morning,

Rest from pain, and rest from wrong.

[VALJEAN]He let me eat my fillI had the lion's shareThe silver in my hand

Cost twice what I had earnedIn all those nineteen years -

That lifetime of despairAnd yet he trusted me.

The old fool trusted me -He'd done his bit of goodI played the grateful serf

And thanked him like I shouldBut when the house was still,

I got up in the night.Took the silverTook my flight!

[Taking the silver cup, he runs off, but is brought back by two constables]

9

Song: Prologue: Valijean Arrested/Valijean Forgiven

[CONSTABLE ONE]Tell his reverence your story

[CONSTABLE TWO]Let us see if he's impressed

[CONSTABLE ONE]You were lodging here last night

[CONSTABLE TWO]You were the honest Bishop's guest.

[CONSTABLE ONE]And then, out of Christian goodness

[CONSTABLE TWO]When he learned about your plight

[CONSTABLE ONE]You maintain he made a present of this silver.

[BISHOP]That is right.

But my friend you left so earlySurely something slipped your mind

[The bishop gives Valjean two silver candlesticks]

You forgot I gave these alsoWould you leave the best behind?

So, Messieurs, you may release himFor this man has spoken trueI commend you for your duty

And God's blessing go with you.

10

Song: Prologue: What Have I Done?

[VALJEAN]What have I done?

Sweet Jesus, what have I done?Become a thief in the night,Become a dog on the runAnd have I fallen so far,And is the hour so late

That nothing remains but the cry of my hate,The cries in the dark that nobody hears,

Here where I stand at the turning of the years?

If there's another way to goI missed it twenty long years ago

My life was a war that could never be wonThey gave me a number and murdered Valjean

When they chained me and left me for deadJust for stealing a mouthful of bread

Yet why did I allow that manTo touch my soul and teach me love?

He treated me like any otherHe gave me his trustHe called me brother

My life he claims for God aboveCan such things be?

For I had come to hate the worldThis world that always hated me

Take an eye for an eye!Turn your heart into stone!This is all I have lived for!This is all I have known!

One word from him and I'd be backBeneath the lash, upon the rack

Instead he offers me my freedomI feel my shame inside me like a knife

He told me that I have a soul,How does he know?

What spirit comes to move my life?Is there another way to go?

I am reaching, but I fallAnd the night is closing inAnd I stare into the void

To the whirlpool of my sinI'll escape now from the world

From the world of Jean ValjeanJean Valjean is nothing nowAnother story must begin!

[He tears up his yellow ticket-of-leave][Constables leave. The bishop addresses Valjean]

11

But remember this, my brotherSee in this some higher plan

You must use this precious silverTo become an honest man

By the witness of the martyrsBy the Passion and the Blood

God has raised you out of darknessI have bought your soul for God!

12

Song: At The End Of The Day

[1823, Montreuil-sur-Mer.][Outside the factory owned by the Mayor,]

[Monsieur Madeleine (Jean Valjean in disguise).]

[THE POOR]At the end of the day you're another day older

And that's all you can say for the life of the poorIt's a struggle, it's a war

And there's nothing that anyone's givingOne more day standing about, what is it for?

One day less to be living.

At the end of the day you're another day colderAnd the shirt on your back doesn't keep out the chill

And the righteous hurry pastThey don't hear the little ones crying

And the winter is coming on fast, ready to killOne day nearer to dying!

At the end of the day there's another day dawningAnd the sun in the morning is waiting to rise

Like the waves crash on the sandLike a storm that'll break any second

There's a hunger in the landThere's a reckoning still to be reckoned and

There's gonna be hell to payAt the end of the day!

[The foreman and workers, including Fantine, emerge from the factory]

[FOREMAN]At the end of the day you get nothing for nothing

Sitting flat on your butt doesn't buy any bread

[WORKER ONE]There are children back at home

[WORKERS ONE AND TWO]And the children have got to be fed

[WORKER TWO]And you're lucky to be in a job

[WOMAN]And in a bed!

[WORKERS]And we're counting our blessings!

[WOMAN TWO]Have you seen how the foreman is fuming today?With his terrible breath and his wandering hands?

[WOMAN THREE]

13

It's because little Fantine won't give him his way

[WOMAN ONE]Take a look at his trousers, you'll see where he stands!

[WOMAN FOUR]And the boss, he never knows

That the foreman is always in heat

[WOMAN THREE]If Fantine doesn't look out

Watch how she goesShe'll be out on the street!

[WORKERS]At the end of the day it's another day over

With enough in your pocket to last for a weekPay the landlord, pay the shop

Keep on grafting as long as you're ableKeep on grafting till you drop

Or it's back to the crumbs off the tableYou've got to pay your way

At the end of the day!

[GIRL (Grabbing a letter from Fantine)]And what have we here, little innocent sister?

Come on Fantine, let's have all the news!

[Reading the letter]

Ooh..."Dear Fantine you must send us more money...Your child needs a doctor...There's no time to lose..."

[FANTINE]Give that letter to me

It is none of your businessWith a husband at home

And a bit on the side!Is there anyone here

Who can swear before GodShe has nothing to fear?She has nothing to hide?

[They fight over the letter. Valjean (M. Madeleine) rushes on to break up the squabble.]

[VALJEAN]Will someone tear these two apart

What is this fighting all about?This is a factory, not a circus!

Now, come on ladies, settle downI run a business of repute

I am the Mayor of this town

[To the foreman]I look to you to sort this out

And be as patient as you can-

14

[He goes back into the factory]

[FOREMAN]Now someone say how this began!

[GIRL]At the end of the day

She's the one who began it!There's a kid that she's hiding

In some little townThere's a man she has to pay

You can guess how she picks up the extraYou can bet she's earning her keep

Sleeping aroundAnd the boss wouldn't like it!

[FANTINE]Yes it's true there's a child

And the child is my daughterAnd her father abandoned us

Leaving us flatNow she lives with an innkeeper man

And his wifeAnd I pay for the child

What's the matter with that?

[WOMEN]At the end of the day

She'll be nothing but troubleAnd there's trouble for all

When there's trouble for one!While we're earning our daily bread

She's the one with her hands in the butterYou must send the slut away

Or we're all gonna end in the gutterAnd it's us who'll have to pay

At the end of the day!

[FOREMAN]I might have known the bitch could biteI might have known the cat had clawsI might have guessed your little secret

Ah yes, the virtuous FantineWho keeps herself so pure and clean

You'd be the cause I had no doubtOf any trouble hereabout

You play a virgin in the lightBut need no urgin' in the night.

[GIRL]She's been laughing at you While she's having her men

[WOMEN]She'll be nothing but trouble again and again

15

[WOMAN]You must sack her today

[WORKERS]Sack the girl today!

[FOREMAN]Right my girl. On your way!

16

Song: I Dreamed A Dream

There was a time when men were kind,And their voices were soft,And their words inviting.

There was a time when love was blind,And the world was a song,And the song was exciting.

There was a time when it all went wrong...

I dreamed a dream in time gone by,When hope was high and life, worth living.

I dreamed that love would never die,I dreamed that God would be forgiving.

Then I was young and unafraid,And dreams were made and used and wasted.

There was no ransom to be paid,No song unsung, no wine, untasted.

But the tigers come at night,With their voices soft as thunder,

As they tear your hope apart,And they turn your dream to shame.

He slept a summer by my side,He filled my days with endless wonder...

He took my childhood in his stride,But he was gone when autumn came!

And still I dream he'll come to me,That we will live the years together,

But there are dreams that cannot be,And there are storms we cannot weather!

I had a dream my life would beSo different from this hell I'm living,

So different now from what it seemed...Now life has killed the dream I dreamed...

17

Song: Lovely Ladies

[The docks. Sailors, whores and their customers, pimps, etc. Fantine wanders in]

[SAILOR ONE]I smell women

Smell 'em in the airThink I'll drop my anchorIn that harbor over there

[SAILOR TWO]Lovely ladies

Smell 'em through the smokeSeven days at sea

Can make you hungry for a poke

[SAILOR THREE]Even stokers need a little stoke!

[WOMEN]Lovely ladies

Waiting for a biteWaiting for the customersWho only come at night

Lovely ladiesReady for the call

Standing up or lying downOr any way at all

Bargain prices up against the wall

[OLD WOMAN]Come here, my dear

Let's see this trinket you wearThis bagatelle...

[FANTINE]Madame, I'll sell it to you...

[OLD WOMAN]I'll give you four

[FANTINE]That wouldn't pay for the chain!

[OLD WOMAN]I'll give you five. You're far to eager to sell.

It's up to you.

[FANTINE]It's all I have

[OLD WOMAN]That's not my fault

[FANTINE]

18

[OLD WOMAN]No more than five

My dear, we all must stay alive!

[WOMEN]Lovely ladies

Waiting in the darkReady for a thick one

Or a quick one in the parkWhore 1

Long time short timeAny time, my dear

Cost a little extra if you want to take all year!

[ALL]Quick and cheap is underneath the pier!

[CRONE]What pretty hair!

What pretty locks you got thereWhat luck you got. It's worth a centime, my dear

I'll take the lot

[FANTINE]Don't touch me! Leave me alone!

[CRONE]Let's make a price.

I'll give you all of ten francs,Just think of that!

[FANTINE]It pays a debt

[CRONE]Just think of that

[FANTINE]What can I do? It pays a debt.

Ten francs may save my poor Cosette!

[SAILOR THREE]Lovely lady!

Fastest on the streetWasn't there three minutes

She was back up on her feet

[SAILOR ONE]Lovely lady!

What yer waiting for?Doesn't take a lot of savvy

Just to be a whoreCome on, lady

What's a lady for?

[Fantine re-emerges, her long hair cut short]

19

[PIMP]Give me the dirt, who's that bit over there?

[WHORE ONE]A bit of skirt. She's the one sold her hair.

[WHORE TWO]She's got a kid. Sends her all that she can

[PIMP]I might have known

There is always some manLovely lady, come along and join us!

Lovely lady!

[WHORE ONE]Come on dearie, why all the fuss?

You're no grander than the rest of usLife has dropped you at the bottom of the heap

Join your sisters

[WHORE TWO]Make money in your sleep!

[Fantine goes off with one of the sailors]

[WHORE ONE]That's right dearie, let him have the lot

[WHORE THREE]That's right dearie, show him what you've got!

[WOMEN]Old men, young men, take 'em as they come

Harbor rats and alley cats and every kind of scumPoor men, rich men, leaders of the land

See them with their trousers off they're never quite as grandAll it takes is money in your hand!

Lovely ladiesGoing for a song

Got a lot of callersBut they never stay for long

[FANTINE]Come on, Captain,

you can wear your shoesDon't it make a change

To have a girl who can't refuseEasy money

Lying on a bedJust as well they never seeThe hate that's in your head

Don't they know they're making loveTo one already dead!

20

Song: Who Am I?

[VALJEAN]He thinks that man is meHe knew him at a glance!

That stranger he has foundThis man could be my chance!

Why should I save his hide?Why should I right this wrong

When I have come so farAnd struggled for so long?

If I speak, I am condemned.If I stay silent, I am damned!

I am the master of hundreds of workers.They all look to me.

How can I abandon them?How would they live

If I am not free?

If I speak, I am condemned.If I stay silent, I am damned!

Who am I?Can I condemn this man to slavery

Pretend I do not feel his agonyThis innocent who bears my face

Who goes to judgement in my placeWho am I?

Can I conceal myself for evermore?Pretend I'm not the man I was before?

And must my name until I dieBe no more than an alibi?

Must I lie?How can I ever face my fellow men?How can I ever face myself again?

My soul belongs to God, I knowI made that bargain long ago

He gave me hope when hope was goneHe gave me strength to journey on

[He appears in front of the court]

Who am I? Who am I?I am Jean Valjean!

[He unbuttons his shirt to reveal the number tattooed to his chest]

And so Javert, you see it's trueThat man bears no more guilt than you!

Who am I?24601!

21

Song: Fantine's Death: Come To Me

[Fantine is lying in a hospital bed, deliriously dreaming of her daughter Cosette]

[FANTINE]Cosette, it's turned so cold

Cosette, it's past your bedtimeYou've played the day away

And soon it will be night.

Come to me, Cosette, the light is fadingDon't you see the evening star appearing?Come to me, and rest against my shoulder

How fast the minutes fly away and every minute colder.

Hurry near, another day is dyingDon't you hear, the winter wind is crying?

There's a darkness which comes without a warningBut I will sing you lullabies and wake you in the morning.

[Valjean enters]

[VALJEAN]Oh, Fantine, our time is running outBut Fantine, I swear this on my life

[FANTINE]Look, M'sieur, where all the children play

[VALJEAN]Be at peace, be at peace evermore.

[FANTINE]My Cosette...

[VALJEAN]Shall live in my protection

[FANTINE]Take her now

[VALJEAN]Your child will want for nothing

[FANTINE]Good M'sieur, you come from God in Heaven.

[VALJEAN]And none shall ever harm Cosette

As long as I am living.

[FANTINE]Take my hand. The night grows ever colder.

[VALJEAN]Then I will keep you warm.

23

[FANTINE]Take my child. I give her to your keeping.

[VALJEAN]Take shelter from the storm

[FANTINE]For God's sake, please stay till I am sleeping

And tell Cosette I love herAnd I'll see her when I wake...

[She dies with a smile. Javert arrives]

=============

[BAMATABOIS]Here's something new. I think I'll give it a try.Come closer you! I like to see what I buy...The usual price, for just a slice of your pie

[FANTINE]I don't want you. No, no, m'sieur, let me go.

[BAMATABOIS]Is this a trick? I won't pay more!

[FANTINE]No, not at all.

[BAMATABOIS]You've got some nerve, you little whore

You've got some gall.It's the same with a tart as it is with a grocerThe customer sees what he gets in advanceIt's not for the whore to say `yes sir' or `no sir'

It's not for the harlot to pick and to chooseOr lead me to a dance!

[He hits her with his stick, she claws at his face, drawing blood]

[FANTINE]I'll kill you, you bastard,

try any of that!Even a whore who has gone to the bad

Won't be had by a rat!

[BAMATABOIS]By Christ you'll pay for what you've doneThis rat will make you bleed, you'll see!

I guarantee, I'll make you sufferFor this disturbance of the peaceFor this insult to life and property!

[FANTINE]I beg you, don't report me sirI'll do whatever you may want

24

[BAMATABOIS]Make your excuse to the police!

[Javert enters, accompanied by constables]

[JAVERT]Tell me quickly what's the story

Who saw what and why and whereLet him give a full description

Let him answer to Javert!In this nest of whores and vipers

Let one speak who saw it allWho laid hands on this good man here?

What's the substance of this brawl?

[BAMATABOIS]Javert, would you believe itI was crossing from the park

When this prostitute attacked meYou can see she left her mark

[JAVERT]She will answer for her actionsWhen you make a full report

You may rest assured, M'sieur,That she will answer to the court.

[FANTINE]There's a child who sorely needs mePlease M'sieur, she's but that high

Holy God, is there no mercy?If I go to jail she'll die!

[JAVERT]I have heard such protestations

Every day for twenty yearsLet's have no more explanations

Save your breath and save your tears`Honest work, just reward,

That's the way to please the Lord.'

[Fantine gives a last despairing cry as she is arrested by the constables. Valjean emerges from the crowd]

[VALJEAN]A moment of your time, JavertI do believe this woman's tale

[JAVERT]

[VALJEAN]You've done your duty, let her be

She needs a doctor, not a jail.

[JAVERT]But M'sieur Mayor!

25

[FANTINE]Can this be?

[VALJEAN]Where will she end -

This child without a friend?

I've seen your face beforeShow me some way to help you

How have you come to griefIn a place such as this?

[FANTINE]M'sieur, don't mock me now, I prayIt's hard enough I've lost my pride

You let your foreman send me awayYes, you were there, and turned aside

I never did no wrong

[VALJEAN]Is it true, what I have done?

[FANTINE]My daughter's close to dying...

[VALJEAN]To an innocent soul?

[FANTINE]If there's a God above

[VALJEAN]Had I only known then...

[FANTINE]He'd let me die instead

[VALJEAN]In His name my task has just begun

I will see it done!


[VALJEAN]I will see it done!


[VALJEAN]I will see it done!

[VOICES]Look out! It's a runaway cart!

26

Song: Fantine's Death: Confrontation

[JAVERT]Valjean, at last,

We see each other plain`M'sieur le Mayor,'

You'll wear a different chain!

[VALJEAN]Before you say another word, Javert

Before you chain me up like a slave againListen to me! There is something I must do.This woman leaves behind a suffering child.

There is none but me who can intercede,In Mercy's name, three days are all I need.

Then I'll return, I pledge my word.Then I'll return...

[JAVERT]You must think me mad!

I've hunted you across the yearsA man like you can never change

A man such as you.

[VALJEAN (in counterpoint)]Believe of me what you will

There is a duty that I'm sworn to doYou know nothing of my life

All I did was steal some breadYou know nothing of the world

You would sooner see me deadBut not before I see this justice

doneI am warning you JavertI'm a stronger man by farThere is power in me yet

My race is not yet runI am warning you Javert

There is nothing I won't dareIf I have to kill you here

I'll do what must be done!

[JAVERT (in counterpoint)]Men like me can never changeMen like you can never change

No,24601

My duty's to the law - you have noRights

Come with me 24601Now the wheel has turned around

Jean Valjean is nothing nowDare you talk to me of crimeAnd the price you had to pay

Every man is born in sinEvery man must choose his way

28

You know nothing of JavertI was born inside a jail

I was born with scum like youI am from the gutter too!

[Valjean breaks a chair and threatens Javert with the broken piece.Turns to Fantine]

[VALJEAN][to Fantine] And this I swear to you tonight

[JAVERT][to Valjean] There is no place for you to hide

[VALJEAN]Your child will live within my care

[JAVERT]Wherever you may hide away

[VALJEAN]And I will raise her to the light.

[VALJEAN AND JAVERT]I swear to you, I will be there!

[They fight, Javert is knocked out. Valjean escapes]

29

Song: Castle On A Cloud

[Young Cosette is working as a drudge in the Thénardier's inn at Montfermeil]

[YOUNG COSETTE]There is a castle on a cloud,I like to go there in my sleep,

Aren't any floors for me to sweep,Not in my castle on a cloud.

There is a room that's full of toys,There are a hundred boys and girls,

Nobody shouts or talks too loud,Not in my castle on a cloud.

There is a lady all in white,Holds me and sings a lullaby,

She's nice to see and she's soft to touch,She says "Cosette, I love you very much."

I know a place where no one's lost,I know a place where no one cries,

Crying at all is not allowed,Not in my castle on a cloud.

Oh help! I think I hear them now,and I'm nowhere near finished sweeping and

scrubbing and polishing the floor.Oh, it's her! It's Madame!

[MME. THENARDIER]Now look who's here

The little madam herself!Pretending once again she's been `so awfully good,'

Better not let me catch you slackingBetter not catch my eye!

Ten rotten francs your mother sends meWhat is that going to buy?

Now take that pailMy little `Mademoiselle'

And go and draw some water from the well!

We should never have taken you in in the first placeHow stupid the things that we do!

Like mother like daughter, the scum of the street.Eponine, come my dear, Eponine, let me see you

You look very well in that new little blue hatThere's some little girls who know how to behave

And they know what to wearAnd I'm saying thank heaven for that.

Still there Cosette?Your tears will do you no good!

I told you fetch some water from the well in the wood!

[YOUNG COSETTE]

30

Please do not send me out aloneNot in the darkness on my own!

[MME. THENARDIER]Enough of that, or I'll forget to be nice!

You heard me ask for something,And I never ask twice!

[Young Eponine pushes Cosette out. Thenardier says good night to his daughter as the inn fills up for the evening]

31

Song: Master Of The House

DRINKER THREECome on you old pest

DRINKER TWOFetch a bottle of your best

DRINKER ONEWhat's the nectar of the day?

(Thenardier enters with a flask of wine)

THENARDIERHere, try this lot

Guaranteed to hit the spotOr I'm not Thenardier

DRINKERSGissa glass a rum

Landlord, over here!

THENARDIERRight away, you scum (to himself)Right away, m'sieur (to customer)

DINER ONEGod this place has gone to hell

DINER TWOSo you tell me every year

DRINKER SIXMine host Thenardier

He was there so they say,At the field of Waterloo

DRINKER SEVENGot there, it's true

When the fight was all through

DRINKER ONEBut he knew just what to doCrawling through the mud

So I've heard it saidPicking through the pockets

Of the English dead

DRINKER EIGHTHe made a tidy scoreFrom the spoils of war

THENARDIERMy band of soaks

My den of dissolutesMy dirty jokes, my always pissed as newts.

32

My sons of whoresSpent their lives in my innHoming pigeons homing inThey fly through my doors

And their money's as good as yours

DINER ONEAin't got a clue

What he put in this stewMust have scraped it off the street

DINER TWOGod what a wine!

Chateau Neuf de TurpentineMust have pressed it with his feet

DRINKERSLandlord over here!

Where's the bloody man?One more for the road!

Thenardier, one more slug o' gin.

GIRLJust one more, or my old man is gonna do me in.

(Thenardier greets a new customer)

THENARDIERWelcome, M'sieurSit yourself downAnd meet the bestInnkeeper in town

As for the rest,All of 'em crooks

Rooking their guestsAnd cooking the books.

Seldom do you seeHonest men like meA gent of good intentWho's content to be

Master of the houseDoling out the charm

Ready with a handshakeAnd an open palmTells a saucy taleMakes a little stir

Customers appreciate a bon-viveurGlad to do a friend a favorDoesn't cost me to be nice

But nothing gets you nothingEverything has got a little price!

Master of the houseKeeper of the zoo

Ready to relieve 'emOf a sou or two

33

Watering the wineMaking up the weight

Pickin' up their knick-knacksWhen they can't see straightEverybody loves a landlordEverybody's bosom friend

I do whatever pleasesJesus! Won't I bleed 'em in the end!

THENARDIER & CHORUSMaster of the house

Quick to catch yer eyeNever wants a passerby

To pass him byServant to the poorButler to the great

Comforter, philosopher,And lifelong mate!

Everybody's boon companionEverybody's chaperone

THENARDIERBut lock up your valises

Jesus! Won't I skin you to the bone!

(To another new customer)

THENARDIEREnter M'sieur

Lay down your loadUnlace your boots

And rest from the road

(Taking his bag)

This weighs a tonTravel's a curse

But here we striveTo lighten your purse

Here the goose is cookedHere the fat is fried

And nothing's overlookedTill I'm satisfied...

Food beyond compareFood beyond beliefMix it in a mincer

And pretend it's beefKidney of a horse

Liver of a catFilling up the sausages

With this and that

Residents are more than welcomeBridal suite is occupiedReasonable charges

Plus some little extras on the side!

34

Charge 'em for the liceExtra for the mice

Two percent for looking in the mirror twiceHere a little sliceThere a little cut

Three percent for sleeping with the window shutWhen it comes to fixing prices

There are a lot of tricks he knowsHow it all increases

All those bits and piecesJesus! It's amazing how it grows!

THENARDIER AND CHORUSMaster of the house

Quick to catch yer eyeNever wants a passerby

To pass him byServant to the poorButler to the great

Comforter, philosopher,And lifelong mate!

Everybody's boon companionGives 'em everything he's got

THENARDIERDirty bunch of geezers

Jesus! What a sorry little lot!

MME. THENARDIERI used to dream

That I would meet a princeBut God Almighty,

Have you seen what's happened since?`Master of the house?'

Isn't worth me spit!`Comforter, philosopher'

- and lifelong shit!Cunning little brainRegular Voltaire

Thinks he's quite a loverBut there's not much thereWhat a cruel trick of nature

Landed me with such a louseGod knows how I've lasted

Living with this bastard in the house!

THENARDIER & CHORUSMaster of the house.

MME. THENARDIERMaster and a half!

THENARDIER & CHORUSComforter, philosopher

35

MME. THENARDIERAh, don't make me laugh!

THENARDIER & CHORUSServant to the poor. Butler to the great.

MME. THENARDIERHypocrite and toady and inebriate!

THENARDIER & CHORUSEverybody bless the landlord!Everybody bless his spouse!

THENARDIEREverybody raise a glass

MME. THENARDIERRaise it up the master's arse.

ALLEverybody raise a glass to the master of the house!

36

Song: Thenardier Waltz

THENARDIERWhat to do? What to say?

Shall you carry our treasure away?What a gem! What a pearl!

Beyond rubies is our little girl!How can we speak of debt?

Let's not haggle for darling Cosette!

Dear Fantine, gone to rest...Have we done for her child what is best?

Shared our bread. Shared each bone.Treated her like she's one of our own!

Like our own, Monsieur!

VALJEANYour feelings do you credit, sirAnd I will ease the parting blow

He pays them.Let us not talk of bargains or bones or greed

Now, may I say, we are agreed?

MME. THENARDIERThat would quite fit the bill

If she hadn't so often been illLittle dear, cost us dear

Medicines are expensive, M'sieurNot that we begrudged a sou

It's no more than we Christians must do!

M. & MME. THENARDIEROne thing more, one small doubt

There are treacherous people aboutNo offense. Please reflect.

Your intentions may not be correct?

VALJEANNo more words. Here's your price.Fifteen hundred for your sacrifice.

Come, Cosette, say goodbyeLet us seek out some friendlier sky.

Thank you both for CosetteIt won't take you too long to forget.

(Valjean and Cosette leave the inn)

Come, Cosette, come, my dearFrom now on I will always be here

Where I go, you will be.

YOUNG COSETTEWill there be children and castles to see?

VALJEANYes, Cosette, yes, it's true.

37

There's a castle just waiting for you.

VALJEAN & YOUNG COSETTELa la la la la...

38

Song: Stars

JAVERTThere, out in the darkness

A fugitive runningFallen from graceFallen from grace

God be my witnessI never shall yield

Till we come face to faceTill we come face to face

He knows his way in the darkMine is the way of the Lord

And those who follow the path of the righteousShall have their reward

And if they fallAs Lucifer fell

The flameThe sword!

StarsIn your multitudes

Scarce to be countedFilling the darknessWith order and light

You are the sentinelsSilent and sure

Keeping watch in the nightKeeping watch in the night

You know your place in the skyYou hold your course and your aim

And each in your seasonReturns and returns

And is always the sameAnd if you fall as Lucifer fell

You fall in flame!

And so it has been and so it is writtenOn the doorway to paradise

That those who falter and those who fallMust pay the price!

Lord let me find himThat I may see himSafe behind barsI will never rest

Till thenThis I swear

This I swear by the stars!

GAVROCHEThat inspector thinks he's something

But it's me who runs this town!And my theater never closes

39

And the curtain's never downTrust Gavroche, have no fearDon't you worry, auntie dear,You can always find me here!

40

Song: Look Down

1832. The teeming, squalid streets of Paris. Beggars, urchins, prostitutes, students, etc.

BEGGARSLook down and see the beggars at your feetLook down and show some mercy if you can

Look down and see the sweepings of the streetLook down, look down,Upon your fellow man!

GAVROCHE'Ow do you do? My name's Gavroche.These are my people. Here's my patch.

Not much to look at, nothing poshNothing that you'd call up to scratch.This is my school, my high societyHere in the slums of Saint MicheleWe live on crumbs of humble piety

Tough on the teeth, but what the hell!Think you're poor?Think you're free?

Follow me! Follow me!

BEGGARSLook down and show some mercy if you canLook down, look down, upon your fellow man!

(An old beggar woman finds a young prostitute occupying her pitch)

OLD BEGGAR WOMANWhat you think yer at?

Hanging round me pitch?If you're new around here, girl

You've got a lot to learn!

YOUNG PROSTITUTEListen you old bat...Crazy bloody witch...

'Least I give me customersSome pleasure in return!

OLD BEGGAR WOMANI know what you give!Give 'em all the pox!

Spread around your poisonTill they end up in a box.

PIMPLeave the poor old cow,

Move it, Madeleine.She used to be no better

Till the clap got to her brain.

BEGGARS

41

When's it gonna end?When we gonna live?

Something's gotta happen now orSomething's gonna give

It'll come, it'll come, it'll comeIt'll come, it'll come, it'll come

ENJOLRASWhere the leaders of the land?

Where are the swells who run this show?

MARIUSOnly one man - and that's LamarqueSpeaks for these people here below.

BEGGARSSee our children fedHelp us in our shame

Something for a crust of breadIn Holy Jesus' name

URCHINIn the Lord's Holy name.

BEGGARSIn his name, in his name, in his name...

MARIUSLamarque is ill and fading fast!

Won't last the week out, so they say.

ENJOLRASWith all the anger in the land

How long before the judgement day?Before we cut the fat ones down to size?

Before the barricades arise?

GAVROCHEWatch out for old ThenardierAll of his family's on the make

Once ran a hash-house down the wayBit of a swine and no mistake

He's got a gangThe bleeding layabout

Even his daughter does her shareThat's Eponine, she knows her way about

Only a kid, but hard to scareDo we care?Not a cuss

Long live us.Long live us!

BEGGARSLook down and show some mercy if you canLook down, look down upon your fellow man!

42

Song: Little People

GAVROCHEThey laugh at me, these fellas,

Just because I am smallThey laugh at me because I'm not hundred feet tall!

I tell 'em there's aot to learn down here on the groundThe world is big, but little people turn it around!

A worm can roll a stoneA bee can sting a bear

A fly can fly around Versailles'Cos flies don't care!A sparrow in a hut

Can make a happy homeA flea can bite the bottom

Of the Pope in Rome!

Gaoliath was a buiser who was tall as the sky.But David threw a right and gave him one in the eye.

I never read the Bible but I know that it's trueIt only goes to show what little people can do!

ALLA worm can roll a stoneA bee can sting a bear




GAVROCHESo listen here professor,

With your head in the cloud.It's often kind of useful

To get lost in the crowd.So keep your universities

I don't give a damnFor better or for worse it is

The way that I am!

Be careful where you go'Cos little people grow...

And little people knowWhen little people fight

We may look easy pickings but we got some bite!So never kick a dog because he's just a pup

You better run for cover when the pup grows up!

And we'll fight like twenty armiesAnd we won't give up

ALL

43

A worm can roll a stoneA bee can sting a bear




[Thanks to Tom Britton for lyrics]

44

Song: Red & Black

(The ABC Cafe, where the students, led by Enjolras, meet to discuss their revolutionary plans)

COMBEFERREAt Notre Dame the sections are prepared!

FEUILLYAt rue de Bac they're straining at the leash!

COURFEYRACStudents, workers, everyone

There's a river on the runLike the flowing of the tideParis coming to our side!

ENJORASThe time is near

So near it's stirring the blood in their veins!And yet beware

Don't let the wine go to your brains!For the army we fight is a dangerous foe

With the men and the arms that we never can matchIt is easy to sit here and swat 'em like flies

But the national guard will be harder to catch.We need a sign

To rally the peopleTo call them to armsTo bring them in line!

(Marius enters)

Marius, you're late.

JOLYWhat's wrong today?

You look as if you've seen a ghost.

GRANTAIRESome wine and say what's going on!

MARIUSA ghost you say... a ghost maybeShe was just like a ghost to me

One minute there, and she was gone!

GRANTAIREI am agog!

I am aghast!Is Marius in love at last?

I've never heard him `ooh' and `aah'You talk of battles to be won

And here he comes like Don Ju-anIt's better than an o-per-a!

45

ENJOLRASIt is time for us all

To decide who we areDo we fight for the right

To a night at the opera now?Have you asked of yourselves

What's the price you might pay?Is it simply a game

For rich young boys to play?The color of the world

Is changing day by day...

Red - the blood of angry men!Black - the dark of ages past!Red - a world about to dawn!

Black - the night that ends at last!

MARIUSHad you been there tonightYou might know how it feels

To be struck to the boneIn a moment of breathless delight!

Had you been there tonightYou might also have known

How the world may be changedIn just one burst of light!

And what was right seems wrongAnd what was wrong seems right!

GRANTAIRERed...

MARIUSI feel my soul on fire!

GRANTAIREBlack...

MARIUSMy world if she's not there!

ALLRed...

MARIUSThe color of desire!

ALLBlack...

MARIUSThe color of despair!

ENJOLRASMarius, you're no longer a childI do not doubt you mean it wellBut now there is a higher call.

46

Who cares about your lonely soul?We strive toward a larger goalOur little lives don't count at all!

ALLRed - the blood of angry men!Black - the dark of ages past!Red - a world about to dawn!

Black - the night that ends at last!

ENJOLRASWell, Courfeyrac, do we have all the guns?

Feuilly, Combeferre, our time is running short.Grantaire, put the bottle down!

Do we have the guns we need?

GRANTAIREGive me brandy on my breath

And I'll breathe them all to death!

COURFEYRACIn St. Antoine they're with us to a man!

COMBEFERREIn Notre Dame they're tearing up the stones!

FEUILLYTwenty rifles good as new!

(Gavroche rushes in shouting)

GAVROCHEListen!

JOLYTwenty rounds for every man!

GAVROCHEListen to me!

JEAN PROUVAIREDouble that in Port St. Cloud!

GAVROCHEListen everybody!

LESGLESSeven guns in St. Martin!

GAVROCHEGeneral Lamarque is dead!

ENJOLRASLamarque is dead.

Lamarque! His death is the hour of fate.The people's man.

His death is the sign we await!

47

On his funeral day they will honor his name.It's a rallying cry that will reach every ear!

In the death of Lamarque we will kindle the flameThey will see that the day of salvation is near!

The time is near!Let us welcome it gladly with courage and cheer

Let us take to the streets with no doubt in our heartsBut a jubilant shout

They will come one and allThey will come when we call!

48

Song: Do You Hear The People Sing?

ENJOLRASDo you hear the people sing?Singing a song of angry men?

It is the music of a peopleWho will not be slaves again!

When the beating of your heartEchoes the beating of the drums

There is a life about to startWhen tomorrow comes!

COMBEFERREWill you join in our crusade?

Who will be strong and stand with me?Beyond the barricade

Is there a world you long to see?Courfeyrac:

Then join in the fightThat will give you the right to be free!

ALLDo you hear the people sing?Singing a song of angry men?




FEUILLYWill you give all you can give

So that our banner may advanceSome will fall and some will live

Will you stand up and take your chance?The blood of the martyrs

Will water the meadows of France!

ALLDo you hear the people sing?Singing a song of angry men?




49

Song: In My Life/A Heart Full Of Love

IN MY LIFE(Cosette stands in her garden on Rue Plumet)

COSETTEHow strange

This feeling that my life's begun at lastThis change,

Can people really fall in love so fast?What's the matter with you, Cosette?

Have you been too much on your own?So many things unclear

So many things unknown.

In my lifeThere are so many questions and answers

That somehow seem wrongIn my life

There are times when I catch in the silenceThe sigh of a faraway song

And it singsOf a world that I long to see

Out of reachJust a whisper away

Waiting for me.

Does he know I'm alive?Do I know if he's real?

Does he see what I saw?Does he feel what I feel?

In my lifeI'm no longer alone

Now the love in my life Is so near

Find me now, find me here!

VALJEANDear Cosette,

You're such a lonely childHow pensive, how sad you seem to me

Believe me, were it within my powerI'd fill each passing hour

How quiet it must be, I can seeWith only me for company.

COSETTEThere's so little I know

That I'm longing to knowOf the child that I wasIn a time long ago...

There's so little you sayOf the life you have knownWhy you keep to yourselfWhy we're always alone

50

So dark! So dark and deep...The secrets that you keep!

In my lifeI have all that I want

You are loving and gentle and goodBut Papa, dear Papa,

In your eyes I am just like a childWho is lost in a wood

VALJEANNo more words

No more words. It's a time that is deadThere are words

That are better unheard,Better unsaid.

COSETTEIn my life

I'm no longer a child and I yearnFor the truth that you knowOf the years... years ago!

VALJEANYou will learn

Truth is given by GodTo us all in our time

In our turn

(Valjean leaves the garden. Marius and Eponine arrive outside)

MARIUSIn my life

She has burst like the music of angelsThe light of the sun

And my life seems to stopAs if something is over

And something has scarcely begun.Eponine

You're the friend who has brought me hereThanks to you I am one with the gods

And Heaven is near!And I soar through a world that is new that is free

EPONINE(to herself)Every word that he says is a dagger in me!

In my lifeThere's been no one like him anywhere

Anywhere, where he is...If he asked... I'd be his

MARIUS & EPONINEIn my life

There is someone who touches my life

MARIUS Waiting near

51

EPONINEWaiting here

A Heart Full of Love

(Marius goes into the garden, leaving Eponine outside the gate)

MARIUSA heart full of loveA heart full of song

I'm doing everything all wrongOh God, for shame

I do not even know your nameDear Mad'moiselle

Won't you say?Will you tell?

COSETTEA heart full of loveNo fear, no regret

M,ARIUSMy name is Marius Pontmercy

COSETTEAnd mine's Cosette

MARIUSCosette, I don't know what to say

COSETTEThen make no sound

MARIUSI am lost

COSETTEI am found!

MARIUSA heart full of light

COSETTEA night bright as day

MARIUSAnd you must never go away

Cosette, Cosette

COSETTEThis is a chain we'll never break

MARIUSDo I dream?

52

COSETTEI'm awake!

MARIUSA heart full of love

COSETTEA heart full of you

MARIUSA single look and then I knew

COSETTEI knew it too

MARIUSFrom today

COSETTEEvery day

COSETTE & MARIUSFor it isn't a dream

Not a dream after all.

EPONINE(Interjecting)He was never mine to lose

Why regret what cannot be?These are words he'll never say

Not to me...Not to me...Not to me...

His heart full of loveHe will never feel this way...

(Marius and Cosette move away as Montparnasse enters furtively)

====A HEART FULL OF LOVE

(Time has passed. Suggest Marius convalescing, encouraged by Cosette who takes his arm as he walks with firmer step)

COSETTEEvery day

You walk with stronger stepYou walk with longer step-

`The worst is over.'

MARIUSEvery day

I wonder every dayWho was it brought me here

From the barricade?

53

COSETTEDon't think about it, Marius!

With all the years ahead of us!I will never go away

And we will be togetherEvery day.Every day,

We'll remember that nightAnd the vow that we made:

A heart full of loveA night full of youThe words are oldBut always true.

Oh, God, for shameYou did not even know my name!

MARIUSDear Mad'moiselle

I was lost in your spell.

(Valjean enters, unnoticed)

COSETTEA heart full of loveNo fear no regret

`My name is Marius Pontmercy'

MARIUSCosette, Cosette!

COSETTEI saw you waiting and I knew.

MARIUSWaiting for you

At your feet

COSETTEAt your call

BOTHAnd it wasn't a dreamNot a dream after all

VALJEAN(interjecting, to himself)She was never mine to keep.She is youthful, she is free.

Love is the garden of the youngLet it be... let it be...A heart full of love

This I give you on this day.

(They notice Valjean)

MARIUSM'sieur, this is a day

54

I can never forget.Is gratitude enough

For giving me Cosette?Your home shall be with usAnd not a day shall passBut we will prove our love

To you, whom we shall callA father to us bothA father to us all.

(Cosette leaves)

55

Song: Plumet Attack

EPONINE'Parnasse, what are you doing

So far out of our patch?

MONTPARNASSEThis house, we're going to do it

Rich man, plenty of scratchYou remember he's the oneWho got away the other dayGot a number on his chest

Perhaps a fortune put away!

EPONINEOh Lord, somebody help me!

Dear God, what'll I do?He'll think this is an ambush

He'll think I'm in it too!

What'll I do, what'll I say?I've got to warn them here

I've got to find a way.

(Thenardier arrives with the rest of his gang)

THENARDIERThis is his lair

I've seen the old fox aroundHe keeps himself to himself

He's staying close to the groundI smell profit here!

Ten years ago He came and paid for Cosette

I let her go for a songIt's time we settled the debt

This'll cost him dear

BRUJONWhat do I care

Who you should rob?Gimme me my share

Finish the job!

THENARDIERYou shut your mouthGive me your hand

BRUJON(catching sight of Eponine)

What have we here?

THENARDIER(not recognizing her)Who is this hussy?

56

BABETIt's your brat Eponine

Don't you know your own kidWhy's she hanging about you?

THENARDIEREponine, get on home

You're not needed in thisWe're enough here without you

EPONINEI know this house

I tell you there's nothing here for youJust the old man and the girl

They live ordinary lives

THENARDIERDon't interfere

You've got some gallTake care, young miss,You've got a lot to say!

BRUJONShe's going soft

CLAQUESOUSHappens to all

MONTPARNASSEGo home, 'Ponine,

Go home, you're in the way

EPONINEI'm gonna scream, I'm gonna warn them here.

THENARDIEROne little scream and you'll regret it for a year.

CLAQUESOUSWhat a palaver

What an absolute treatTo watch a cat and its father

Pick a bone in the street

BRUJONNot a sound out of you!

EPONINEWell I told you I'd do it, told you I'd do it...

(She screams)

THENARDIERYou wait my girl, you'll rue this night

I'll make you scream, you'll scream all rightLeave her to me, don't wait around

57

Make for the sewers, go underground!

(The gang scatters. Marius and Cosette run back into the garden and he hurriedly introduces Eponine before she takes off)

MARIUSIt was your cry sent them away

Once more 'Ponine saving the dayDearest Cosette - my friend 'Ponine

Brought me to you, showed me the way!Someone is nearLet's not be seenSomebody's here!

(Marius leaves quickly as Valjean enters)

VALJEANMy God, Cosette!

I heard a cry in the darkI heard the shout of angry voices in the street.

COSETTEThat was my cry you heard, Papa,

I was afraid of what they'd do.They ran away when they heard my cry.

VALJEANCosette, my child, what will become of you?

COSETTEThree men I saw beyond the wallThree men in shadow moving fast

JAVERTThis is a warning to us all

These are the shadows of the past

Must be Javert!He's found my cover at last!I've got to get Cosette away

Before they return!

We must get away from shadowsThey will never let us be

Tomorrow to Calais...And then a ship across the sea!

Hurry, Cosette, prepare to leave and say no more,Tomorrow we'll away!

Hurry, Cosette, it's time to close another doorAnd live another day!

58

Song: One Day More!

VALJEANOne day more!

Another day, another destiny.This never-ending road to Calvary;

These men who seem to know my crimeWill surely come a second time.

One day more!

MARIUSI did not live until today.

How can I live when we are parted?

VALJEANOne day more.

MARIUS & COSETTETomorrow you'll be worlds away

And yet with you, my world has started!

EPONINE One more day all on my own.

MARIUS & COSETTEWill we ever meet again?

EPONINE One more day with him not caring.

MARIUS & COSETTE I was born to be with you.

EPONINEWhat a life I might have known.

MARIUS & COSETTE And I swear I will be true!

EPONINEBut he never saw me there!

ENJOLRASOne more day before the storm!

MARIUSDo I follow where she goes?

ENJOLRASAt the barricades of freedom.

MARIUSShall I join my brothers there?

ENJOLRASWhen our ranks begin to form

59

MARIUS Do I stay; and do I dare?

ENJOLRAS Will you take your place with me?

ALLThe time is now, the day is here


JAVERTOne more day to revolution,

We will nip it in the bud!I will join these little schoolboys,

They will wet themselves with blood!


M. & MME. THENARDIERWatch 'em run amuck,Catch 'em as they fall,Never know your luck

When there's a free for all,Here a little `dip'

There a little `touch'Most of them are gonersSo they won't miss much!

Students (2 Groups)1: One day to a new beginning

2: Raise the flag of freedom high!

1: Every man will be a king

2: Every man will be a king

1: There's a new world for the winning

2: There's a new world to be won

ALLDo you hear the people sing?

MARIUSMy place is here, I fight with you!


MARIUS & COSETTEI did not live until today.

60

EPONINEOne more day all on my own!

MARIUS & COSETTEHow can I live when we are parted?

JAVERT(overlapping)I will join these people's heros

I will follow where they goI will learn their little ---- Secrets,

I will know the things they ------ know.

VALJEAN One day more!

MARIUS & COSETTETomorrow you'll be worlds away

EPONINEWhat a life I might have known!

MARIUS & COSETTEAnd yet with you my world has started

JAVERT(overlapping)One more day to revolution

We will nip it in the budWe'll be ready for these

Schoolboys

THENARDIERS(overlapping)Watch 'em run amokCatch 'em as they fallNever know your luck

When there's a free-for-all!

VALJEANTomorrow we'll be far away,

Tomorrow is the judgement day

ALLTomorrow we'll discover

What our God in Heaven has in store!One more dawnOne more dayOne day more!

61

Song: On My Own

And now I'm all alone again, Nowhere to go, no one to turn to.

Did not want your money sir, Came out here cuz I was told to.

And now the night is near, Now I can make believe he's here.

Sometimes I walk alone at nightWhen everybody else is sleeping.I think of him, and then I'm happyWith the company I'm keeping.

The city goes to bed,And I can live inside my head.

On my own,Pretending he's beside me.

All alone,I walk with him till morning.

Without him,I feel his arms around me,

And when I lose my way I close my eyesAnd he has found me.

In the rain,The pavement shines like silver.

All the lightsAre misty in the river.

In the darkness,The trees are full of starlight,

And all I see is him and me for ever and forever.

And I knowIt's only in my mind,

That I'm talking to myselfAnd not to him.

And although I know that he is blind,Still I say,

There's a way for us.

I love him,But when the night is over,

He is gone,The river's just a river.

Without him,The world around me changes.

The trees are bare and everywhere The streets are full of strangers.

I love him,But every day I'm learning,

All my life, I've only been pretending!

Without me,His world will go on turning,

62

The world is full of happiness that I have never known!

I love him...I love him...I love him...

But only on my own...

63

Song: The Attack

(Enjolras gives Valjean a gun)

ENJOLRASTake this and use it well!

But if you shoot us in the back,You'll never live to tell.

STUDENT ONE Platoon of sappers advancing toward the barricade!

STUDENT TWO Troops behind them, fifty men or more!

ENJOLRAS Fire!

(Gunfire is heard)

FEUILLYSniper!

(Valjean shoots a sniper who is aiming at Enjolras)

LESGLESSee how they run away!

GRANTAIRE By God we've won the day!

ENJOLRASThey will be back again,Make an attack again.

(To Valjean.)For your presence of mind

For the deed you have doneI will thank you M'sieur

When our battle is won.

VALJEANGive me no thanks M'sieur

There is something you can do.

ENJOLRASIf it is in my power.

VALJEANGive me the spy JavertLet me take care of him!

JAVERTThe law is inside out

The world is upside down

ENJOLRAS

64

Do what you have to do,The man belongs to you.

The enemy may be regrouping. Hold yourself in readiness.Come my friends, back to your positions.

The night is falling fast.

VALJEANWe meet again.

JAVERTYou've hungered for this all your life;

Take your revenge!How right you should kill with a knife!

(Valjean cuts the ropes which bind Javert.)

VALJEANYou talk too much,

Your life is safe in my hands.

JAVERTDon't understand

VALJEANGet out of here.

JAVERT Valjean, take care!I'm warning you...

VALJEAN Clear out of here.

JAVERTOnce a thief, forever a thief

What you want you always steal!You would trade your life for mine.

Yes, Valjean, you want a deal!Shoot me now for all I care!

If you let me go, beware,You'll still answer to Javert!

VALJEANYou are wrong, and always have been wrong.

I'm a man, no worse than any man.You are free, and there are no conditions,

No bargains or petitions.There's nothing that I blame you for

You've done your duty, nothing more.If I come out of this alive, you'll find me

At number fifty-five Rue PlumetNo doubt our paths will cross again.

(Valjean fires his gun into the air, Javert leaves quickly. Muted applause from the students who think Javert has been shot)

65

ENJOLRASCourfeyrac, you take the watchThey won't attack until it's light

Everybody stay awakeWe must be ready for the fight

For the final fightLet no one sleep tonight!

66

Song: A Little Fall Of Rain

EPONINEDon't you fret, M'sieur Marius

I don't feel any painA little fall of rain

Can hardly hurt me nowYou're here, that's all I need to know

And you will keep me safeAnd you will keep me close

And rain will make the flowers grow.

MARIUSBut you will live, 'Ponine - dear God above,

If I could heal your wounds with words of love.

EPONINEJust hold me now, and let it be.

Shelter me, comfort me

MARIUSYou would live a hundred years

If I could show you howI won't desert you now...

EPONINEThe rain can't hurt me now

This rain will wash away what's pastAnd you will keep me safeAnd you will keep me close

I'll sleep in your embrace at last.

The rain that brings you hereIs Heaven-blessed!

The skies begin to clearAnd I'm at rest

A breath away from where you areI've come home from so far

So don't you fret, M'sieur Marius

I don't feel any painA little fall of rain

Can hardly hurt me now

That's all I need to knowAnd you will keep me safeAnd you will keep me close

MARIUS(in counterpoint)Hush-a-bye, dear Eponine,

You won't feel any painA little fall of rain

Can hardly hurt you nowI'm here

I will stay with you

67

Till you are sleeping

EPONINE And rain...

MARIUS And rain...

EPONINEWill make the flowers...

MARIUS Will make the flowers... grow...

(She dies. Marius kisses her, then lays her on the ground)

ENJOLRASShe is the first to fall

The first of us to fall upon this barricade

MARIUSHer name was Eponine

Her life was cold and dark, yet she was unafraid.

COMBEFERREWe fight here in her name

PROUVAIREShe will not die in vain.

LESGLESShe will not be betrayed.

(They carry her body off)

68

Song: Drink With Me

(The defenders settle down for the night with wine and a song)

ENJOLRASMarius, rest.

FEUILLYDrink with me to days gone by

Sing with me the songs we knew

PROUVAIREHere's to pretty girls who went to our heads.

JOLYHere's to witty girls who went to out beds.

ALLHere's to them and here's to you!

GRANTAIREDrink with me to days gone by

Can it be you fear to die?Will the world remember you

When you fall?Could it be your deathMeans nothing at all?

Is your life just one more lie?

ALLDrink with me to days gone by

To the life that used to be

WOMENAt the shrine of friendship, never say die

MENLet the wine of friendship never run dry

ALLHere's to you and here's to me

MARIUSDo I care if I should die

Now she goes across the sea?Life without CosetteMeans nothing at all.

Would you weep, Cosette,Should Marius fall?

Will you weep, Cosette,For me?

(Marius settles down to sleep)

69

Song: Bring Him Home

(Valjean is standing over Marius at the barricade)

VALJEANGod on high

Hear my prayerIn my need

You have always been there

He is youngHe's afraidLet him rest

Heaven blessed.Bring him homeBring him homeBring him home.

He's like the son I might have knownIf God had granted me a son.

The summers dieOne by one

How soon they flyOn and on

And I am oldAnd will be gone.

Bring him peaceBring him joyHe is young

He is only a boy

You can takeYou can giveLet him beLet him live

If I die, let me dieLet him live

Bring him homeBring him homeBring him home.

71

Song: Dog Eat Dog

(Thénardier is picking through the corpses in the sewers)

THENARDIERHere's a hint of gold

Stuck into a toothPardon me M'sieur

You won't be needing it no more.Shouldn't be too hard to sell.

Add it to the pileAdd it to the stock

Here among the sewer ratsA breath away from Hell

You get accustomed to the smell.

Well someone's got to clean 'em up, my friendsBodies on the highway

Law and order upside downSomeone's got to collect their odds and ends

As a service to the town!

(Valjean arrives, carrying MARIUS. VALJEAN collapses)

(THENARDIER robs marius)

Here's a tasty ringPretty little thing

Wouldn't want to waste itThat would really be a crime

Thank you sir, I'm in your debtHere's another toyTake it off the boy

His heart's no longer goingAnd he's lived his little timeBut his watch is ticking yet!

Well, someone's got to clean them up, my friendsBefore the little harvest

Disappears into the mudSomeone's got to collect their odds and ends

When the gutters run with blood.

It's a world where the dog eats the dogWhere they kill for bones in the street

And God in His HeavenHe don't interfere

'Cause he's dead as the stiffs at my feetI raise my eyes to see the heavens

And only the moon looks downThe harvest moon shines down!

(He turns over Valjean's body, recognizes him, and leaves. Eventually, Valjean picks up Marius again and walks

through the sewers. As they emerge, they meet Javert)

72

VALJEANIt's you, Javert!

I knew you wouldn't wait too longThe faithful servant at his post once more!

This man's done no wrong,And he needs a doctor's care.

JAVERTI warned you I would not give in

I won't be swayed

VALJEANAnother hour yet

And then I'm yoursAnd all our debts are paid.

JAVERTThe man of mercy comes again

And talks of justice

JAVERTCome, time is running short

Look down, JavertHe's standing in his grave

Give way, JavertThere is a life to save.

JAVERT(overlapping)Take him Valjean,

Before I change my mindI will be waiting

24601.

(Valjean carries Marius off)

73

Song: Soliloquy

JAVERTWho is this man?

What sort of devil is he?To have me caught in a trap

And choose to let me go free?It was his hour at last

To put a seal on my fate,Wipe out the past,

And wash me clean off the slate.All it would take was a flick of his knife.

Vengeance was his and he gave me back my life!Damned if I'll live in the debt of a thief

Damned if I'll yield at the end of the chaseI am the Law and the Law is not mocked

I'll spit his pity right back in his faceThere is nothing on earth that we share

It is either Valjean or Javert!

How can I now allow this manTo hold dominion over me?

This desperate man that I have huntedHe gave me my life. He gave me freedom.

I should have perished by his handIt was his right.

I was my right to die as well.Instead I live -- but live in hell.

And my thoughts fly apart.Can this man be believed?Shall his sins be forgiven?

Shall his crimes be reprieved?

And must I now begin to doubt,Who never doubted all those years?My heart is stone and still it trembles.

The world I have known is lost in shadow.Is he from heaven or from hell?

And does he knowThat, granting me my life today,

This man has killed me even so?

I am reaching but I fallAnd the stars are black and cold

As I stare into the voidOf a world that cannot hold

I'll escape now from that worldFrom the world of Jean Valjean.

There is nowhere I can turnThere is now way to go on...

74

Song: Turning

WOMAN ONEDid you see themGoing off to fight?

WOMAN TWOChildren of the barricadeWho didn't last the night?

WOMAN THREEDid you see them

Lying where they died?Someone used to cradle themAnd kiss them when they cried.

WOMAN FOURDid you see them lying side by side?

WOMAN FIVEWho will wake them?

WOMAN SIXNo one ever will.

WOMAN TWONo one ever told them

That a summer day can kill.

WOMAN SEVENThey were schoolboys

Never held a gun...Fighting for a new world

That would rise up like the sun.

WOMAN THREEWhere's that new world now the fighting's done?

WOMAN FOUR Nothing changes.

WOMAN SEVENNothing ever will.

WOMAN EIGHTEvery year another brat, another mouth to fill.

WOMAN SEVENSame old story. What's the use of tears?

WOMAN FIVEWhat's the use of praying if there's nobody who hears?

ALL Turning, turning, turning, turning, turning

Through the years.

75

Turning, turning, turning through the yearsMinutes into hours and the hours into years.

Nothing changes. Nothing ever canRound about the roundabout and back where you began.

Round and round and back where you began!

76

Song: Empty Chairs At Empty Tables

(Marius, recovering from his wounds, imagines he is back at the ABC cafe)

MARIUSThere's a grief that can't be spoken.

There's a pain goes on and on.Empty chairs at empty tables

Now my friends are dead and gone.

Here they talked of revolution.Here it was they lit the flame.

Here they sang about `tomorrow'And tomorrow never came.

From the table in the cornerThey could see a world reborn

And they rose with voices ringingI can hear them now!

The very words that they had sungBecame their last communion

On the lonely barricade at dawn.

Oh my friends, my friends forgive me

(The ghosts of those who died on the barricade appear)

That I live and you are gone.There's a grief that can't be spoken.

There's a pain goes on and on.

Phantom faces at the window.Phantom shadows on the floor.Empty chairs at empty tables

Where my friends will meet no more.

(The ghosts fade away)

Oh my friends, my friends, don't ask meWhat your sacrifice was for

Empty chairs at empty tablesWhere my friends will sing no more.

77

Song: Wedding Chorale/Beggars at the FeastWEDDING CHORALE

(Marius and Cosette lead a wedding procession)

CHORUSRing out the bells

Upon this day of days!

May all the angels Of the Lord above

In jubilation Sing their songs of praise!

And crown this Blessed time with Peace and love.

(The procession becomes a dancing celebration. A waltz is played)

MAJOR DOMOThe Baron and Baroness de Thénard wish to pay their respects to the groom!

THENARDIERI forget where we met

Was it not at the Chateau LafargeWhere the Duke did that puke

Down the Duchess's de-coll-etage?

MARIUSNo, `Baron de Thénard'

The circles I move in are humbler by far.Go away, Thénardier!

Do you think I don't know who you are?

MME. THENARDIERHe's not fooled. Told you so.

Show M'sieur what you've come here to show.Tell the boy what you know!

(Applause from the dancers as the waltz finishes)

MARIUSWhen I look at you, I remember Eponine.

She was more than you deserved, who gave her birthBut now she is with God and happier, I hope,

Than here on earth!The waltz starts up again.

THENARDIERSo it goes, heaven knows

Life has dealt me some terrible blows.

MME. THENARDIER

78

You've got cash and a heartYou could give us a bit of a start!

We can prove, plain as inkYour bride's father is not what you think.

THENARDIERThere's a tale I could tell

MME. THENARDIERInformation we're willing to sell...

THENARDIERThere's a man that he slew

I saw the corpse clear as I'm seeing you!What I tell you is true!

MME. THENARDIERPity to disturb you at a feast like this

But five hundred francs surely wouldn't come amiss.

MARIUSIn God's name say what you have to say.

THENARDIERBut first you pay!

What I saw, clear as light,Jean Valjean in the sewers that night.

Had this corpse on his backHanging there like a bloody great sack.

I was there, never fear.Even found me this fine souvenir.

(Thénardier shows Marius a ring)

MARIUSI know this! This was mine!

This is surely some heavenly sign!

THENARDIEROne thing more, mark this well

It was the night the barricades fell.

MARIUSThen it's true. Then I'm right.

Jean Valjean was my savior that night!

(Marius punches Thénardier and then throws money at him)

As for you, take this too!God forgive the things that we do.

Come my love, come Cosette,This day's blessings are not over yet!

(Marius and Cosette leave)

====

79

BEGGARS AT THE FEAST

THENARDIERAin't it a laughAin't it a treat?

Hob-nobbin' hereAmong the elite?

Here comes a princeThere goes a Jew.This one's a queer

But what can you do?Paris at my feetParis in the dust

And here's me breaking breadWith the upper crust!

Beggar at the feast!Master of the dance!Life is easy pickings

If you grab your chance.Everywhere you go

Law-abiding folkDoing what is decent

But they're mostly broke!Singing to the Lord on SundaysPraying for the gifts He'll send.

M. & MME. THENARDIERBut we're the ones who take it

We're the ones who make it in the end!Watch the buggers danceWatch 'em till they drop

Keep your wits about youAnd you stand on top!

Masters of the landAlways get our share

Clear away the barricadesAnd we're still there!

We know where the wind is blowingMoney is the stuff we smell.

And when we're rich as CroesusJesus! Won't we see you all in hell!

(Valjean is alone in the shadows, with a bare wooden cross for company)

VALJEANAlone I wait in the shadows

I count the hours till I can sleepI dreamed a dream Cosette stood by

It made her weep to know I die.Alone at the end of the day

Upon this wedding night I prayTake these children, my Lord, to thy embrace

And show them grace.

80

God on highHear my prayerTake me nowTo thy care

Where You areLet me be

Take me nowTake me thereBring me homeBring me home.

(Fantine's spirit appears to Valjean)

FANTINEM'sieur, I bless your name

M'sieur, lay down your burdenYou raised my child in loveAnd you will be with god.

VALJEAN(interjecting)I am ready, Fantine

At the end of my daysShe's the best of my life.

(Marius and Cosette rush into the room; they do not see Fantine)

COSETTEPapa, Papa, I do not understand!

Are you alright? They said you'd gone away.

VALJEANCosette, my child, am I forgiven now?

Thank God, thank God, I've lived to see this day.

MARIUSIt's you who must forgive a thoughtless foolIt's you who must forgive a thankless man

It's thanks to you that I am livingAnd again I lay down my life at your feet.

Cosette, your father is a saint.When they wounded me

He took me from the barricadeCarried like a babe

And brought me home to you!

VALJEAN(to Cosette)Now you are hereAgain beside me

Now I can die in peaceFor now my life is blessed...

COSETTEYou will live, Papa, you're going to liveIt's too soon, too soon to say goodbye!

VALJEAN

81

Yes, Cosette, forbid me now to dieI'll obey,I will try.

On this pageI write my last confession.

Read it wellWhen I at last am sleeping.

It's the storyOf those who always loved you.Your mother gave her life for you

Then gave you to my keeping.

(The other spirits, including Eponine appear)

FANTINECome with me

Where chains will never bind youAll your grief

At last, at last behind you.Lord in Heaven,

Look down on him in mercy.

VALJEANForgive me all my trespasses

And take me to your glory.

FANTINE & EPONINETake my hand

And lead me to salvation.Take my love,

For love is everlasting.

VALJEAN, FANTINE & EPONINEAnd remember

The truth that once was spokenTo love another person

Is to see the face of God!

82

Song: Finale

CHORUSDo you hear the people sing

Lost in the valley of the night?It is the music of a people

Who are climbing to the light.

For the wretched of the earthThere is a flame that never dies.Even the darkest night will end

And the sun will rise.

They will live again in freedomIn the garden of the Lord.

They will walk behind the plough-share,They will put away the sword.

The chain will be brokenAnd all men will have their reward.

Will you join in our crusade?Who will be strong and stand with me?

Somewhere beyond the barricadeIs there a world you long to see?

Do you hear the people sing?Say, do you hear the distant drums?

It is the future that they bringWhen tomorrow comes!

Will you join in our crusade?Who will be strong and stand with me?

Somewhere beyond the barricadeIs there a world you long to see?

Do you hear the people sing?Say, do you hear the distant drums?

It is the future that they bringWhen tomorrow comes...

Tomorrow comes!

83

les miserables letras

Documents

hospital valjean

valjean escapes

daughter cosette

digne jean valjean

mysterious cosette

montfermeil cosette

thoughts of marius

barricade eponine