Act II
"In the barricades the revolutionary students pledge themselves to their fight"
"Marius sends a letter to Cosette with Eponine"
"Eponine walks the streets of Paris"
And now I'm all alone again Nowhere to turn, no one to go to
Without a home, without a friend Without a face to say hello to
And now the night is near Now I can make believe he's here
Sometimes I walk alone at night When everybody else is sleeping
I think of him and then I'm happy With 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 eyes And he has found me
In the rain the pavement shines like silver
All the lights are 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 know it's only in my mind
That I'm talking to myself and 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
A world that's full of happiness That I have never known!
I love him I love him
But only on my own
"Eponine joins Marius at the barricades"
"At the barricades"
"The revolutionary students are ready for the battle"
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!
Now we pledge ourselves to hold this barricade
Let them come in their legions And they will be met
Have faith in yourselves And don't be afraid
Let's give 'em a screwing That they'll never forget!
- This is where it begins! - And if I should die in the fight to be free
Where the fighting is hardest There will I be
Let them come if they dare We'll be there!
You at the barricade listen to this!
No one is coming to help you to fight You're on your own
You have no friends Give up your guns - or die!
Damn their warnings, damn their lies
They will see the people rise!
Damn their warnings, damn their lies They will see the people rise!
Listen my friends I have done as I said
I have been to their lines I have counted each man
I will tell what I can
Better be warned They have armies to spare And the danger is real
We will need all our cunning To bring them to heel
Have faith If you know what their movements are
We'll spoil their game There are ways that a people can fight We shall overcome their power
I have overheard their plans There will be no attack tonight
They intend to starve us out Before they start a proper fight
Concentrate their force Hit us from the right
Liar!
Good evening, dear inspector Lovely evening, my dear
I know this man, my friends His name is Inspector Javert
So don't believe a word he says 'Cause none of it's true
This only goes to show What little people can do!
And little people know When little people fight
We may look easy pickings But we've got some bite
So never kick a dog Because he's just a pup
We'll fight like twenty armies And we won't give up
So you'd better run for cover When the pup grows up!
Bravo, little Gavroche, you're the top of the class!
So what are we going to do With this snake in the grass?
Tie this man and take him To the tavern in there
The people will decide your fate Inspector Javert!
- Take the bastard now and shoot him! - Let us watch the devil dance!
You'd have done the same, Inspector If we'd let you have your chance!
Take this man, bring him through There is work we have to do!
"Eponine is deadly wounded"
Don't you fret, M'sieur Marius I don't feel any pain
A little fall of rain Can hardly hurt me now
You're here, that's all I need to know
And you will keep me safe And you will keep me close
And rain will make the flowers grow
But you will live, 'Ponine - dear God above
If I could heal your wounds with words of love
Just hold me now, and let it be
Shelter me, comfort me
You would live a hundred years If I could show you how
- I won't desert you now... - The rain can't hurt me now
This rain will wash away what's past
And you will keep me safe And you will keep me close
I'll sleep in your embrace at last
The rain that brings you here Is Heaven-blessed!
The skies begin to clear And I'm at rest
A breath away from where you are I've come home from so far
- So don't you fret, M'sieur Marius - Hush-a-bye, dear Eponine
- I don't feel any pain - You won't feel any pain
A little fall of rain
- Can hardly hurt me now - Can hardly hurt you now
- I'm here - That's all I need to know
- I will stay with you till you are sleeping - And you will keep me safe and you will keep me close
And rain...
Will make the flowers...
Grow...
"Eponine dies"
She is the first to fall The first of us to fall upon this barricade
Her name was Eponine Her life was cold and dark
Yet she was unafraid
- We fight here in her name - She will not die in vain
She will not be betrayed
Here comes a man in uniform What brings you to this place?
- I come here as a volunteer - Approach and show your face
- You wear an army uniform - That's why they let me through
- You've got some years behind you sir - There's much that I can do
- You see that prisoner over there? - A volunteer like you!
- A spy who calls himself Javert! - He's going to get it too...
They're getting ready to attack!
Take this and use it well! But if you shoot us in the back You'll never live to tell
- Platoon of sappers advancing toward the barricade! - Troops behind them, fifty men or more!
Fire!
- See how they run away! - By God we've won the day!
They will be back again Make an attack again
For your presence of mind For the deed you have done
I will thank you M'sieur When our battle is won
Give me no thanks M'sieur There is something you can do
If it is in my power
Give me the spy Javert Let me take care of him!
The law is inside out The world is upside down
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
- We meet again - You've hungered for this all your life
Take your revenge! How right you should kill with a knife!
You talk too much Your life is safe in my hands
"Valjean cuts the ropes which bind Javert"
- Don't understand - Get out of here
Valjean, take care! I'm warning you...
Clear out of here
Once 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!
You 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 Plumet
No doubt our paths will cross again
Go!
"Valjean fires his gun into the air, Javert leaves quickly"
"The night fall at he barricades"
Drink with me to days gone by
Sing with me the songs we knew
Here's to pretty girls who went to our heads
Here's to witty girls who went to our beds
Here's to them and here's to you!
Drink 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 death Means nothing at all?
Is your life just one more lie?
Drink with me to days gone by
To the life that used to be
At the shrine of friendship, never say die
Let the wine of friendship never run dry
Here's to you and here's to me
Do I care if I should die Now she goes across the sea?
Life without Cosette Means nothing at all
Would you weep, Cosette Should Marius fall?
Will you weep, Cosette For me?
"Valjean prays for Marius"
God on high Hear my prayer
In my need You have always been there
He is young He's afraid
Let him rest Heaven blessed
Bring him home Bring him home Bring him home
He's like the son I might have known
If God had granted me a son
The summers die One by one
How soon they fly On and on
And I am old And will be gone
Bring him peace Bring him joy
He is young He is only a boy
You can take You can give
Let him be Let him live
If I die, let me die
Let him live Bring him home
"Dawn at the barricades"
You at the barricade listen to this The people of Paris sleep in their beds
You have no chance No chance at all
Why throw your lives away?
Let us die facing our foes Make them bleed while we can
- Make 'em pay through the nose - Make 'em pay for every man!
Let others rise to take our place Until the earth is free!
"All at the barricade are killed, except Marius, who is wounded and unconscious, and Valjean"
"Valjean discovers that Marius is still alive and carries him down into the sewers to escape"
"Javert climbs over the barricade looking for Valjean's body
"Not finding it, he realizes that Valjean must be in the sewers"
"So he goes off to where Valjean must emerge"
"Thenardier is picking through the corpses in the sewers"
Here's a hint of gold Stuck into a tooth
Pardon me M'sieur You won't be needing it no more
Shouldn't be too hard to sell Add it to the pile Add it to the stock
Here among the sewer rats, a breath away from Hell, you get accustomed to the smell
Well someone's got to clean 'em up, my friends Bodies on the highway
Law and order upside down
Someone's got to collect their odds and ends
As a service to the town!
Here's a tasty ring Pretty little thing
Wouldn't want to waste it That would really be a crime
Thank you sir, I'm in your debt
Here's another toy Take it off the boy
His heart's no longer going And he's lived his little time
But his watch is ticking yet!
Well, someone's got to clean them up, my friends Before the little harvest disappears into the mud
Someone's got to collect their odds and ends When the gutters run with blood
It's a world where the dog eats the dog
Where they kill for bones in the street
And God in His Heaven He don't interfere
'Cause he's dead as the stiffs at my feet
I raise my eyes to see the heavens
And only the moon looks down
The 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."
It's you, Javert! I knew you wouldn't wait too long
The faithful servant at his post once more!
This man's done no wrong And he needs a doctor's care
I warned you I would not give in I won't be swayed
Another hour yet and then I'm yours And all our debts are paid
The man of mercy comes again And talks of justice
Come, time is running short Look down, Javert. He's standing in his grave
Give way, Javert There is a life to save
Take him Valjean, before I change my mind. I will be waiting
24601
"Valjean carries Marius off"
Who 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 chase
I am the Law and the Law is not mocked I'll spit his pity right back in his face
There is nothing on earth that we share It is either Valjean or Javert!
How can I now allow this man To hold dominion over me?
This desperate man whom I have hunted He gave me my life He gave me freedom
I should have perished by his hand It was his right
It 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 these 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 know That granting me my life today
This man has killed me even so?
I am reaching, but I fall
And the stars are black and cold
As I stare into the void
Of a world that cannot hold
I'll escape now from the world From the world of Jean Valjean
There is nowhere I can turn There is no way to go on...
"Javert throws himself into the swollen river Sena"
"The women of Paris mourn their lost loved ones"
Did you see them Going off to fight?
Children of the barricade Who didn't last the night?
Nothing changes, nothing ever will
Every year another brat, another mouth to fill
Same old story, what's the use of tears?
What's the use of praying if there's nobody who hears?
Turning, turning, turning, turning, turning Through the years
Turning, turning, turning through the years
Minutes into hours and the hours into years
Nothing changes, nothing ever can
Round and round the roundabout and back where you began
Round and round and back where you began!
"Marius, recovering from his wounds, imagines he's back at the ABC cafe"
There'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 corner They could see a world reborn
And they rose with voices ringing I can hear them now!
The very words that they had sung Became their last communion
On the lonely barricade at dawn
Oh my friends, my friends forgive me
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
Oh my friends, my friends, don't ask me What your sacrifice was for
Empty chairs at empty tables Where my friends will sing no more
"Cosette arrives to help Marius in his recovery"
Every day, you walk with stronger step You walk with longer step-`The worst is over.'
Every day, I wonder every day Who was it brought me here from the barricade?
Don't think about it, Marius! With all the years ahead of us!
I will never go away And we will be together, every day
Every day, we'll remember that night And the vow that we made
A heart full of love A night full of you
The words are old But always true
Oh, God, for shame You did not even know my name!
Dear Mad'moiselle I was lost in your spell
- A heart full of love - She was never mine to keep
- No fear no regret - She is youthful, she is free
- `My name is Marius Pontmercy' - Cosette, Cosette!
- I saw you waiting and I knew - Love is the garden of the young
- Waiting for you - Let it be
- At your feet - At your call - Let it be
- And it wasn't a dream - A heart full of love
- Not a dream after all - This I give you on this day
"Valjean tells Marius of his past and explains that he has to leave"
"Marius and Cosette lead a wedding procession"
Ring 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 Baron and Baroness de Thenard wish to pay their respects to the groom"
Ain't it a laugh? Ain't it a treat?
Hob-nobbin' here Among the elite?
Here comes a prince There goes a Jew
This one's a queer But what can you do?
Paris at my feet Paris in the dust
And here's me breaking bread With 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 folk
Doing what is decent But they're mostly broke!
Singing to the Lord on Sundays Praying for the gifts He'll send
But we're the ones who take it We're the ones who make it in the end!
Watch the buggers dance Watch 'em till they drop
Keep your wits about you
And you stand on top!
Masters of the land Always get our share
Clear away the barricades And we're still there!
We know where the wind is blowing Money is the stuff we smell
And when we're rich as Croesus Jesus! Won't we see you all in hell!
"Valjean is alone in the shadows, with a bare wooden cross for company"
Alone I wait in the shadows I count the hours till I can sleep
I 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 pray
Take these children, my Lord, to thy embrace and show them grace
God on high
Hear my prayer
Take me now
To thy care
Where You are
Let me be
Take me now
Take me there
Bring me home
"Fantine's spirit appears to Valjean"
- M'sieur, I bless your name - I am ready, Fantine
- M'sieur, lay down your burden - At the end of my days
- You raised my child in love - She's the best of my life
And you will be with God
"Marius and Cosette rush into the room"
Papa, papa, I do not understand! Are you alright? They said you'd gone away
Cosette, my child, am I forgiven now? Thank God, thank God, I've lived to see this day
It's you who must forgive a thoughtless fool It's you who must forgive a thankless man
It's thanks to you that I am living And again I lay down my life at your feet
Cosette, your father is a saint. When they wounded me, he took me from the barricade
Carried like a babe And brought me home
To you!
Now you are here Again beside me
Now I can die in peace For now my life is blessed...
You will live, Papa, you're going to live It's too soon, too soon to say goodbye!
Yes, Cosette, forbid me now to die
I'll obeyŁ¬I will try
On this page I write my last confession
Read it well When I at last am sleeping
It's the story Of those who always loved you
Your mother gave her life for you Then gave you to my keeping
Come with me Where chains will never bind you
All your grief At last, at last behind you
Lord in Heaven, Look down on him in mercy
Forgive me all my trespasses And take me to your glory
Take my hand And lead me to salvation
Take my love For love is everlasting
And remember The truth that once was spoken
To love another person Is to see the face of God!
Do 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 earth There is a flame that never dies
Even the darkest night will end And the sun will rise
They will live again in freedom In the garden of the Lord
They will walk behind the plough-share They will put away the sword
The chain will be broken And all men will have their reward
Will you join in our crusade? Who will be strong and stand with me?
Somewhere beyond the barricade Is 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 bring When tomorrow comes!
Will you join in our crusade? Who will be strong and stand with me?
Somewhere beyond the barricade Is 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 bring When tomorrow comes...
Tomorrow comes!
END OF THE SECOND ACT
END.