At the End of the Day The music of "At the End of the Day" is intended to be fast and intricate. Different
melodies come together, sung by various groups of poor women and men, female workers, and solos by individual workers, all accompanied by a repetition of the title.
French versions • 1980 Original French Version: This song is known as
La journée est finie (The Day is Finished), in which it appears as the first song. • 1991 Parisian Revival Version: This song is known as
Quand un jour est passé (When a Day is Past).
I Dreamed a Dream "I Dreamed a Dream" is a
solo sung by
Fantine during the first act. Most of the song is soft and melancholic but, toward the end, it becomes louder and taut with frustration and anguish. She cries aloud about the wretched state of her life since being abandoned by Cosette's father.
Other uses Several artists and characters have covered "I Dreamed a Dream" in other contexts. •
Neil Diamond recorded "I Dreamed a Dream" for his 1987 live album
Hot August Night II • The song appears on
Aretha Franklin's 1991 album
What You See Is What You Sweat. Franklin also performed this song for U.S. President
Bill Clinton on the evening of the day that he was
inaugurated. • In the film
The Commitments (1991), one of the auditionees for the titular band sings "I Dreamed a Dream" as her audition song. •
Susan Boyle performed the song in 2009 for her audition on the third season of the
ITV programme ''
Britain's Got Talent''. The song's renewed popularity caused
Patti LuPone's 1985 recording to enter the
UK Singles Chart, peaking at forty-five with 4,987
digital download sales. "I Dreamed a Dream" is the musical's only charted hit. • In season one, episode 19 of
Glee, characters
Rachel Berry (
Lea Michele) and
Shelby Corcoran (
Idina Menzel) sing "I Dreamed a Dream" as a duet in a dream sequence.
French versions • 1980 Original French Version: This song is known as ''J'avais rêvé d'une autre vie'' (I Had Dreamed of Another Life). • 1991 Parisian Revival Version: This song is known as ''J'avais rêvé d'une autre vie (I Had Dreamed of Another Life)'' but had somewhat different lyrics to the original version.
Lovely Ladies "Lovely Ladies" is a song from the first act. It is followed by "Fantine's Arrest". Sometimes, the two are counted as one song. Fantine, now unemployed, wanders to the docks where she eventually turns to
prostitution to survive.
French versions • 1980 Original French Version: This song did not appear on the recording but was a part of the stage show as a song known as
La nuit (The Night), which depicts similar events as the scene where Fantine sells her hair in
Les beaux cheveux que voilà (The Beautiful Hair That is There). A shortened version of this song was added at the end of ''J'avais rêvé d'une autre vie
(I Had Dreamed of Another Life), which contains the same melody as the final and slower section of Lovely Ladies''. • 1991 Parisian Revival Version: This song is known as
Tu viens, chéri! (You Come, Darling!).
Fantine's Arrest "Fantine's Arrest" is a song from the first act. It follows "
Lovely Ladies", though the two are sometimes counted as one song. Fantine expresses her anger toward Valjean when she believes he is against her. She is overwhelmed by emotion when she thinks of her dying daughter and asks God to let her die instead. Valjean's appearance in the song is sometimes referred to as "Valjean's Intervention". This song is followed by "
The Runaway Cart".
French versions • 1980 Original French Version: This song was separated into two songs, which were called
Dites-moi ce qui se passe (Tell Me What Happened) and
Fantine et Monsieur Madeleine (Fantine and Monsieur Madeleine). • 1991 Parisian Revival Version: This song was cut from the recording.
The Runaway Cart "The Runaway Cart" is a song from the first act, divided into two parts. The chorus, Fauchelevent, and Valjean sing the first, which also has instrumental parts. Valjean and Javert sing the second part on a medium-paced tune. Eventually, the song is sped up by Javert and other policemen (first sung in "
Valjean Arrested, Valjean Forgiven"). The song is cut heavily or left completely out in most recordings. It is known in the School Edition as "The Cart Crash". In the 2012 film, the first part of the song follows "At The End of The Day" with the second part following "Fantine's Arrest".
French versions • 1980 Original French Version: This song did not appear on the recording, but was a part of the stage show in a slightly longer form. • 1991 Parisian Revival Version: This song was cut from the recording.
Who Am I? – The Trial "Who Am I?" is a solo sung by the main character
Jean Valjean in the first act. It is slow-paced and shares a melody with Valjean's solo in "One Day More", as well as the ten-years-later sequence after the Prologue. In this song, Jean Valjean must decide whether to sacrifice his new life – in which he's in a powerful position to help others – in order to save the innocent man who is about to serve his sentence.
French versions • 1980 Original French Version: This song did not appear on the recording, but was a part of the stage show as
Comment faire? (What to Do?). It includes an additional stanza, in which Valjean reveals his past, since the concept version did not contain the Prologue. • 1991 Parisian Revival Version: This song is known as
Le procès: comment faire? (The Trial – What to Do?).
Fantine's Death "Fantine's Death", also known as "Come to Me", is a song from the first act. It is followed by "
The Confrontation". It is slow-paced and the tune is very soft. It has the same melody as "
On My Own".
French versions • 1980 Original French Version: This song appears earlier during the second part of the arrest scene as
Fantine et Monsieur Madeleine (Fantine and Monsieur Madeleine) and is slightly shorter. Fantine notably does not die on stage, nor does she see Cosette, but Valjean still asks for forgiveness and pledges to find her daughter. • 1991 Parisian Revival Version: This song is known as
La mort de Fantine (Fantine's Death).
The Confrontation The main opposing characters, Jean Valjean and Javert, sing "The Confrontation". It follows "
Come to Me" and is followed by "Castle on a Cloud". The song is low and slow-paced. The instrumentation behind the vocals is the same as in "
Work Song", the melody partly also picks up that song. The song's highlight is Javert and Valjean singing in
counterpoint, with the lead alternating.
French versions • 1980 Original French Version: this song did not appear. In the stage show, a doctor shortly informed Valjean of Fantine's death and Valjean asked three days to fetch Cosette, which Javert refuses. The music was entirely different, but finished in the same instrumental climax that is still used. • 1991 Parisian Revival Version: This song is known as
La confrontation (The Confrontation).
Castle on a Cloud "Castle on a Cloud" is a solo performed by a young
Cosette, in which she imagines a place of comfort and care, contrasting with her harsh reality. It is followed by a
tag that breaks away from the main melody, involving the first entrance of
Madame Thénardier, which is cut from many recordings.
Madame Thénardier verbally abuses
Cosette, orders her to fetch some water from a well, praises her daughter young
Éponine (a silent role), and again refers to Cosette (after Éponine points to Cosette to show she has not left), warning that she never asks twice.
French versions • 1980 Original French Version: The main song is called
Mon prince est en chemin (My Prince is On the Way) where it is preceded by a long instrumental section. The part where Cosette is caught by Madame Thénardier is called ''Mam'zelle
Crapaud'' (Miss Toad) that is added onto the end of "Castle on a Cloud" in the English version. • 1991 Parisian Revival Version: This song is known as
Une poupée dans la vitrine (A Doll in the Window), being a reference to the book.
Master of the House "Master of the House" is one of few songs in the musical containing comedic tones. It introduces the Thénardiers and the way that they corruptly operate their inn. The song is preceded by a lengthy introduction sung largely by regulars at the inn and Thénardier himself, which is cut from almost all recordings.
French versions • 1980 Original French Version: This song is known as
La devise du cabaretier (The Innkeeper's Motto). • 1991 Parisian Revival Version: This song is known as
Maître Thénardier (Master Thénardier).
The Well Scene "The Well Scene" is sung by Valjean and Young Cosette. Cosette is walking alone in the woods with a bucket of water. Valjean arrives and Cosette sees him. Valjean tells her to not be afraid. He asks for her name and Cosette tells him. He takes the bucket for her and walks her back to the inn. This scene appears only in the new video production in 2013 and in the Czech version.
The Bargain / The Waltz of Treachery "The Bargain" and "The Waltz of Treachery" are two intertwined songs. Much of the number is often cut from recordings. The latter part of "The Waltz of Treachery" is largely instrumental. It flows directly into "Look Down".
French versions • 1980 Original French Version: This song is known as
Valjean chez les Thénardier (Valjean at the Thénardiers') and
La valse de la fourberie (The Waltz of Treachery). • 1991 Parisian Revival Version: This song is known as
La transaction (The Dealing). It is only the second part.
Suddenly "Suddenly" is a song created for the
2012 film. The song "explains what happens when Valjean takes Cosette from the inn and looks after her". The song appears only on the film and related soundtracks.
Look Down "Look Down", sometimes referred to as "Paris: 1832", or, in the School Edition, as "The Beggars", has become a notable theme outside the musical, imitating that which is first heard in the "Work Song". It introduces Gavroche, Enjolras, Marius, the adolescent Éponine, the adolescent Cosette, and the plight of the working poor; it flows directly into "The Robbery". The song comes after "Stars" in the Original London Recording and the 2012 film.
French versions • 1980 Original French Version: This song is known as
Donnez, donnez (Give, Give). The song is about twice as long. It has a second solo sung by Gavroche, where he makes fun of king
Louis-Philippe and the politicians. A part of what would later become
The Robbery can be found at the end. This stanza asks for some historical knowledge; otherwise, the joke cannot be understood. • 1991 Parisian Revival Version: This song is known as
Bonjour, Paris (Hello, Paris).
The Robbery / Javert's Intervention "The Robbery" features Eponine as a young adult and introduces Marius and Cosette are introduced, though Cosette's part in the scene is silent. Marius and Cosette bump into each other and fall in love at first sight. Thénardier attempts to rob Jean Valjean, realizing he is the one who borrowed Cosette, a brawl breaks out. Éponine cries out as Javert arrives on the scene (a segment of the song commonly known as "Javert's Intervention") but, because Javert does not immediately recognise Valjean, the latter escapes. Thénardier then convinces Javert to let him go and pursue Valjean instead.
French versions • 1980 Original French Version: This song appeared at the end of
Donnez, donnez (Give, Give) on the recording, but also existed in the stage show. • 1991 Parisian Revival Version: This song was cut from the recording.
Stars "Stars" is one of the two songs performed as a solo by Javert alongside "Javert's Suicide". In this song, Javert is swearing to God that he will capture Jean Valjean. Javert uses the stars as a metaphor for the order and stability that he had committed his life to. It comes before "Look Down" in the Original London Version and the
2012 film.
French versions • 1980 Original French Version: This song did not appear. • 1991 Parisian Revival Version: This song is known as
Sous les étoiles (Under the Stars).
Éponine's Errand "Éponine's Errand" involves Marius asking Éponine to discover where Cosette lives and then take him to her. Éponine is reluctant to encourage the developing romance between Marius and Cosette, but because of her love for Marius, she cooperates. The first part follows the same melody as ''L'un vers l'autre
(Towards One Another''), a solo for Éponine that appeared on the original concept album but did not make it to the current version. This tune appears throughout the musical.
French versions • 1980 Original French Version: This song did not appear. • 1991 Parisian Revival Version: This song was cut from the recording.
The ABC Café – Red and Black "The ABC Café –
Red and Black", on most recordings referred to as simply "Red and Black", introduces the group of young student revolutionaries, who have formed an organization called "The Friends of the ABC". The song name is a mixture from the Café Musain, which was their favourite meeting place in the book and their name, "La Société des Amis de l'ABC" (literally in English, the Society of Friends of the ABC). The name is a pun, as in French "ABC" when pronounced one letter at a time is "abaissé", which is also the word for "lower" (therefore, "Friends of the Lower Class" or "the Poor"). The song consists of many different changing parts. The song involves a
tag, in which Gavroche enters and announces to the students that
General Lamarque is dead; Enjolras then sings a solo about how this is a sign for the beginning of the revolution, transitioning directly into "Do You Hear the People Sing?"
French versions • 1980 Original French Version – These songs are known as
Rouge et noir (Red and Black), sung by Marius about his meeting with Cosette, followed by ''Les amis de l'ABC'' (The Friends of the ABC). • 1991 Parisian Revival Version – These songs are known as ''Le café des amis de l'ABC
(The Café of the Friends of the ABC) and Rouge la flamme de la colère'' (Red, the Flame of Anger). The song order is reversed to match the English versions.
Do You Hear the People Sing? "Do You Hear the People Sing?" sometimes referred to as "The People's Song" is one of the most frequently performed songs in the musical. It is sung twice: once towards the end of the first act, and again at the end of the musical's Finale. Instrumentally, the theme is also prominent in the battle scenes. In the 2012 movie, it is performed after "One Day More". At the special
Les Misérables 10th Anniversary Concert in 1995, "Do You Hear the People Sing?" was sung as an
encore by seventeen different actors who had played
Jean Valjean around the world. Each actor sang a line of the song in his own language (except for
Jerzy Jeszke, who, although
Polish, sang a line in
German, having performed the role of
Valjean in
Germany). The languages sung included
French,
German,
Japanese,
Hungarian,
Swedish,
Polish,
Dutch,
Norwegian,
Czech,
Danish,
Icelandic and
English.
French versions • 1980 Original French Version – This song is known as
À la volonté du peuple (To the Will of the People). • 1991 Parisian Revival Version – This song is also known as
À la volonté du peuple (To the Will of the People), but has slightly different lyrics to the original.
Rue Plumet – In My Life "Rue Plumet – In My Life", referred to on most recordings as simply "In My Life", largely involves a duet between Cosette and Valjean, though Marius and Éponine also sing near the end. In the Original London recording alone, it plays alongside a Cosette solo, "I Saw Him Once" (
Te souviens-tu du premier jour ? in the original 1980 French production).
French versions • 1980 Original French Version – This song is known as
Cosette: Dans la vie (Cosette: In Life) and
Marius: Dans la vie (Marius: In Life). • 1991 Parisian Revival Version – This song is known as
Rue Plumet – Dans ma vie (Rue Plumet – In My Life).
A Heart Full of Love "A Heart Full of Love" is sung by Cosette, Marius, and Éponine, immediately following "In My Life".
French versions • 1980 Original French Version – This song is known as
Le cœur au bonheur (The Heart in Happiness). Eponine's part in the song is omitted, making the song slightly shorter. She instead sings the short solo
Voilà le Soir Qui Tombe (Here is the Falling Night) immediately prior to this song. • 1991 Parisian Revival Version – This song is known as
Le cœur au bonheur (The Heart in Happiness).
The Attack on Rue Plumet "The Attack on Rue Plumet" is a three-part song, the first part of which plays in only two recordings: a long version in the 1980 Original French recording and a much-shortened version only on the Complete Symphonic Recording and added into the beginning of "The Attack on Rue Plumet". The second part is the most frequently performed and appears in all major recordings. The third section serves primarily to advance the plot rather than for musical development. On the London Original Cast recording, it is called the "Plumet Attack". Éponine, bringing Marius to Valjean's house to see Cosette, stumbles upon her father Thénardier and his gang
Patron-Minette, made up of Brujon, Babet, Claquesous, and Montparnasse, preparing to rob the house; Éponine screams, dispersing the robbers, while Valjean is led to believe that Javert has discovered his whereabouts, and so prepares to leave at once with Cosette. The large majority of this song's music is not heard anywhere else in the musical.
French versions • 1980 Original French Version – The first part of the song figures as
Voilà le soir qui tombe (Behold, The Night Falls), which lasts over a minute and a half and actually occurs between "In My Life" and "A Heart Full of Love". It is sung solo by Éponine and warns Marius about the planned break-in. The second part did not feature on the recording, but was used as a purely instrumental piece in the stage show. • 1991 Parisian Revival Version – This song is known as
Le casse de la rue (The Break-In of Rue Plumet).
One Day More "One Day More" is a choral piece with many solos: all of the main characters (except for Fantine and The Bishop, both of whom have died by this point) sing in it in a
counterpoint style known as dramatic
quodlibet, as well as parts by the ensemble. It is the finale to Act 1. The song borrows themes from several songs from the first act. Each character sings his/her part to a different melody at the same time (counterpoint), before joining for the final chorus: • Valjean picks up the melody of "Who Am I?" without any changes (A major) • Marius, Cosette and Éponine sing to the melody of "I Dreamed a Dream" with Éponine taking the bridge ("But the tigers come at night", sung by Éponine as "One more day all on my own") and the other two taking a countermelody that is only instrumental in Fantine's solo. (A major, modulating to F♯ minor) • Enjolras repeats the bridge melody of "I Dreamed a Dream" with Marius singing the countermelody. (E♭ major) • Javert sings to the already often-used theme from "Valjean Arrested, Valjean Forgiven", "Fantine's Arrest" and "The Robbery/Javert's Intervention", only slower and in a major key. (A major) • The Thénardiers sing to a slightly changed melody from "Master of the House" (A major) • The revolutionaries repeat the bridge melody of "I Dreamed a Dream" with the countermelody. (A major) • At the end of the song, everyone sings the melody of "Who Am I?" (C major)
Other uses The song was used by
Bill Clinton in his successful
1992 campaign for the presidency of the United States. Another version was used by Barack Obama supporters during his successful
2008 election campaign. It was also used as a finale to the
25th Anniversary concert of Les Misérables at
The O2, sung by the OLC with
Ramin Karimloo singing the part of
Enjolras,
Hadley Fraser as
Grantaire and
Nick Jonas as
Marius. Other notable performers from this production include
Jamie Muscato as Joly, and
Samantha Barks as
Éponine.
French versions • 1980 Original French Version – This song is known as
Demain (Tomorrow). It is slightly longer, finishing with a short solo from Valjean. • 1991 Parisian Revival Version – This song is known as
Le grand jour (The Big Day). == Act II ==