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Empty Chairs at Empty Tables

Marius:
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.

Every Day

Cosette:
Every day
You walk with stronger step
You walk with longer step-
`The worst is over.'

Marius:
Every day
I wonder every day
Who was it brought me here
From the barricade?

Cosette:
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!
Marius:
Dear Mad'moiselle
I was lost in your spell.

Cosette:
A heart full of love
No fear no regret
`My name is Marius Pontmercy'
Marius: Cosette, Cosette!
Cosette: I saw you waiting and I knew.
Marius: Waiting for you
At your feet
Cosette: At your call
Both:
And it wasn't a dream
Not 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 young
Let it be... let it be...
A heart full of love
This I give you on this day.

Marius:
M'sieur, this is a day
I can never forget.
Is gratitude enough
For giving me Cosette?
Your home shall be with us
And not a day shall pass
But we will prove our love
To you, whom we shall call
A father to us both
A father to us all.

Valjean's Confession

Valjean:
Not another word my son,
There's something now that must be done.
You've spoken from the heart
And I must do the same
There is a story, sir,
Of slavery and shame
That you alone must know.

I never told Cosette
She had enough of tears
She's never known the truth-
The story you must hear
Of years ago.

There lived a man whose hame was Jean Valjean
He stole some bread to save his sister's son.
For nineteen winters served his time
In sweat he washed away his crime.
Years ago
He broke parole and lived a life apart
How could he tell Cosette and break her heart?
It's for Cosette this must be faced
If he is caught she is disgraced
The time has come to journey on
And from this day he must be gone
Who am I?
Who am I?

Marius:
You're Jean Valjean!
What can I do
That will turn you from this?
Monsieur, you cannot leave.
Whatever I tell my beloved Cosette
She will never believe!

Valjean:
Make her believe
I have gone on a journey
A long way away.
Tell her my heart was too full for farewells
It is better this way.
Promise me, M'sieur, Cosette will never know...
Marius: I give my word.
Valjean: ...what I have spoken, why I must go.
Marius: For the sake of Cosette, it must be so.

Wedding Chorale

Chorus:
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.

Major Domo: The Baron and Baroness de Thénard wish to pay their respects to the groom!

Thénardier:
I forget where we met
Was it not at the Chateau Lafarge
Where the Duke did that puke
Down the Duchess's de-coll-etage?

Marius:
No, `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. Thénardier:
He's not fooled. Told you so.
Show M'sieur what you've come here to show.
Tell the boy what you know!

Marius:
When I look at you, I remember Eponine.
She was more than you deserved, who gave her birth
But now she is with God and happier, I hope,
Than here on earth!

Thénardier:
So it goes, heaven knows
Life has dealt me some terrible blows.
Mme. Thénardier:
You've got cash and a heart
You could give us a bit of a start!
We can prove, plain as ink
Your bride's father is not what you think.

Thénardier: There's a tale I could tell
Mme. Thénardier: Information we're willing to sell...
Thénardier:
There's a man that he slew
I saw the corpse clear as I'm seeing you!
What I tell you is true!
Mme. Thénardier:
Pity to disturb you at a feast like this
But five hundred francs surely wouldn't come amiss.

Marius: In God's name say what you have to say.
Thénardier: But first you pay!
What I saw, clear as light,
Jean Valjean in the sewers that night.
Had this corpse on his back
Hanging there like a bloody great sack.
I was there, never fear.
Even found me this fine souvenir!

Marius:
I know this! This was mine!
Surely this is some heavenly sign!
Thénardier:
One thing more, mark this well
It was the night the barricades fell.
Marius:
Then it's true, then I'm right
Jean Valjean was my savior that night!

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!

Beggars at the Feast

Thénardier:
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.

M. and Mme. Thénardier:
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!

Epilogue

Valjean:
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
Bring me home.

Marius:
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!

Valjean: (to Cosette)
Now you are here
Again beside me
Now I can die in peace
For now my life is blessed...

Cosette:
You will live, Papa, you're going to live
It's too soon, too soon to say goodbye!

Valjean:
Yes, Cosette, forbid me now to die
I'll obey,
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.

Fantine:
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.
Valjean:
Forgive me all my trespasses
And take me to your glory.

Fantine and Eponine:
Take my hand
And lead me to salvation.
Take my love,
For love is everlasting.
Valjean, Fantine, and Eponine:
And remember
The truth that once was spoken
To love another person
Is to see the face of God!

Finale

Chorus:
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!