Les Miserables Songs: Complete Song List and the Story Behind Them

The opening song in Les Miserables introduces us to Jean Valjean, AKA Prisoner 24601, and Inspector Javert, who is at this point a prison guard. Valjean is performing hard labour, and his time – 19 years, after stealing a load of bread – has almost been served. He’s due to receive his parole papers, but Javert makes it clear that Valjean will always be seen as a convict.

This song is in two parts. “Valjean Arrested” follows Valjean after he’s taken in by a Bishop, who he subsequently steals silver from. After being apprehended, we enter part two, “Valjean Forgiven”. The Bishop tells the police that he gave the silver to Valjean as a gift. In return for his forgiveness, the Bishop asks Valjean to use the silver to become a better man.

The final song in the prologue is sung by Valjean, as he reflects on what the Bishop said and chastises himself for stealing. He decides to assume a new identity and live according to God.

Eight years later, we meet a crowd of unhappy factory workers in Montreuil-sur-Mer. Among them is Fantine, a young woman who is harassed by the foreman and bullied by other women. When a scuffle breaks out over Fantine’s letter being stolen by another worker, Valjean – who is now Mayor and owner of the factory – misreads the situation and sacks her.

This beautiful and heartbreaking ballad moves away from the frenetic energy of the opening, as we learn more about Fantine. After being left by a lover who promised her the world, she works to provide for her young daughter Cosette, who is being cared for by the Thenardiers. She is distraught at the turn her life has taken when she’d been promised so much.

Fantine is desperate to provide for Cosette, so she sells her teeth and hair. She is eventually persuaded by other sex workers to join them.

When an encounter with a rich client turns violent, Javert arrives and tries to arrest Fantine. She protests her innocence and tells him about her daughter. Valjean – still disguised as the Mayor – arrives and intervenes on her behalf.

While Javert, Valjean and Fantine are talking, a runaway cart comes careening towards them and crushes a man. Valjean uses his immense strength to lift the cart off the man. Unluckily for him, his actions remind Javert of Prisoner 24601… and he tells the “Mayor” that Valjean has recently been recaptured!

Struck by guilt at another man being imprisoned in his name, Valjean sings this powerful number as he grapples with whether to tell the truth. On the one hand, he has built a life and has people who depend on him, but on the other, he is sworn to God and must be honest. In the end, he declares that he is 24601.

Fantine is now on her deathbed, and all she can think of is her daughter. As she dies, Valjean swears to her that he will take care of Cosette. This song, and “I Dreamed a Dream”, are melodically linked to Eponine’s songs later in the musical, and the two characters are often compared.

Finally, the enemies meet again! Javert has tracked Valjean down, and in this tense duet each makes their case. Valjean begs for time to make sure Cosette is cared for, but stubborn Javert – who sings in a much more rigid manner than passionate Jean – is determined that people can’t change their ways… and whatever happens, he’ll make sure 24601 pays.

After hearing about Cosette from her mother, we finally meet the youngster in this sweet but sad song. The Thenardiers have been mistreating her, taking the money Fantine sent and using it for their own gain. Cosette dreams of being with her mother instead.

The Thenardiers aren’t just child abusers, they’re all-round crooks – and this song, although comedic in tone, shows just how low they’ll go. Thenardier boasts about stealing from guests at his inn, while his wife moans about marrying such an unpleasant man… even though she’s not much better.

Enter Valjean, who’s come to collect Cosette. The Thenardiers immediately sense an opportunity to make money, and pretend to be heartbroken at losing their ward. They suggest Valjean pays them more and more money to cover expenses, including made-up ailments Cosette has allegedly suffered from. He’s savvy enough to see through them, and him and Cosette say farewell to the gruesome twosome – for now.

This song is sometimes called “Thenardier Waltz”.

The story jumps forward again, and we meet the downtrodden residents of Paris. This song echoes the refrain of “look down” previously heard in the Prologue’s “Work Song”, as the Parisians sing about how bad life is. Their words are mixed with those of street urchin Gavroche and wannabe student rebels Enjolras and Marius.

As the title suggests, this song is about an attempted robbery – and who is the thief? Thenardier, of course! He’s now running a low-level gang, which includes his daughter Eponine (who is secretly in love with Marius). Marius, on the other hand, has seen Cosette – now transformed into a well-off young woman – and is struck down by love at first sight.

Thenardier’s plans to rob Valjean and Cosette fail when Javert arrives. Valjean manages to escape, but unluckily for him, the dogged inspector now knows where he is… and is determined to track him down.

Javert has so far been an unyielding figure, whose dogged determination to recapture Valjean makes him the primary villain of Les Mis. But in this pensive solo number, we learn that his sense of justice comes from his strong faith. He ironically believes that Valjean is “fallen from God” and is resolute in his aim to restore holy order and swears by the stars that he won’t rest until he achieves his aim.

The song has a final verse sung by street urchin Gavroche, who jokingly sends up Javert, but it’s mainly sung by Javert – one of only two solo numbers for him in the show (the other is “Javert’s Suicide”).

The show’s main love triangle comes into full effect in this short song, as Marius asks Eponine to find out where Cosette lives and take him there. Eponine is understandably reluctant to set him up with another woman, but she agrees to do what he’s asked.

Revolution is in the air, and Enjolras wants everyone to sign up to his cause. In this rousing number, we meet the student revolutionaries at a cafe as they plan the June Rebellion. Their plans are interrupted by Marius, who bursts in and sings about his love for Cosette. This doesn’t put Enjolras off, however, who leads the chants of victory as they hear about General Lamarque’s death – it’s time to fly the flag and start rebelling!

One of Les Mis’s most famous songs, this repetitive, rousing number is Enjolras & co.’s call to action, as they encourage everyone to join their “crusade” and fight for a brighter future “beyond the barricade”.

From politics to the Marius, Cosette and Eponine love triangle at Rue Plumet. Most of this section is made up of “In My Life” and “A Heart Full of Love”. The first is a duet between Valjean and Cosette, as she ponders over her feelings for Marius and confusion over the secrets in her relationship with Valjean – who in turn is lamenting her growing up and wanting to know about his past.

Towards the end of the song, we also hear from Marius, who matches Cosette’s soprano musings with his own lilting verse about love; and Eponine, for whom Marius’ words are a “dagger in me”.

In “A Heart Full of Love”, the majority of this sweet and simple song is a duet between Cosette and Marius, as they endearingly express their feelings for one another through the gates at Rue Plumet. We also hear from Eponine, who watches as the man she loves chooses someone else.

While the lovebirds are singing sweet nothings at the gate, Thenardier and his gang are also near Valjean’s house – and they’re planning to break in. Eponine spots them and screams, which foils their schemes, but Valjean is paranoid that Javert has found him and decides to leave with Cosette.

It’s almost time for the interval, but this is Les Miserables, so the cast are going to wave you off with one of the greatest Act I closing numbers of all time! “One Day More” brings together every plot line and character from the first half of the show as they all face an important crossroads on the eve of the June Rebellion. 

It’s packed with familiar melodies which intertwine and become more layered as each character “joins”, and builds up to a truly breathtaking finale as the entire cast wonder what will happen tomorrow.

Act II opens with the student rebels building the barricade, ready for the upcoming confrontation. Marius, meanwhile, is distracted by thoughts of Cosette, and Javert is preparing to go undercover and infiltrate the operation.

Poor Eponine doesn’t have many – if any – happy moments in the show, but at least her main song sounds beautiful. Here, she expresses how heartbroken she is that no matter how loyal she is to Marius, he’ll never love her back. 

Javert’s attempts at infiltration fail when Gavroche recognises him. The rebels take him captive. Gavroche is proud of himself for being the one to spot the enemy in their midst – and reminds everyone to not underestimate him just because he’s small.

Eponine gets one last duet with Marius, but it’s for the saddest of reasons: she’s the barricade’s first casualty. As she dies in her love’s arms, she tells him that she delivered his letter to Cosette. Spoiler alert: this one will make you cry.

The first round of the fight ends with a win for the rebels, but they know it’s just the beginning. Valjean has since joined them, and he comes face to face with Javert again. To his enemy’s surprise, Valjean decides to release him. But will he regret it?

Time for a round of drinks – these are students, after all! The rebels gather to raise a toast to happier times in this gentle lull before the fighting resumes. As they face the fact that they might end up dying for their cause, Marius is thinking about Cosette (again).

In this powerful number, Valjean sits in solitude and prays for Marius to make it out of the battle alive. His thoughts are with Cosette’s happiness, and he tells God that he’d happily lay down his own life – after all, he’s old and has committed many sins. The vocal range demanded of actors here is very impressive, and hearing it performed with seeming effortlessness is one of the highlights of seeing Les Mis live.

The second attack doesn’t go as well for the rebels as the first, and another casualty is about to be revealed. The people haven’t answered the students’ calls to take up arms, and their ammunition is running low. Enter Les Mis’s very own Artful Dodger, Gavroche, who decides to climb over the barricade and gather some from his fallen comrades. As he cheekily sings a reprise of “Little People”, he’s shot dead.

This is often left out of cast recordings – or tacked onto the end of the previous number – because it’s largely instrumental. It’s an important moment though, as the rebels make their last stand – and all of the major players, except for Marius and Valjean, are killed.

They’ve been quiet for a while, but the Thenardiers will never miss an opportunity to make money! While the brave students battle above, Master Thenardier is lurking in the sewers and stealing from the dead rebels. One of the corpses is Marius, who – as we know – isn’t actually dead.

Valjean scares Thenardier off and begins to drag Marius to safety, but another foe appears – Javert. In a strange act of mercy, the inspector stands aside and lets Valjean and an unconscious Marius leave. 

Javert’s act of mercy is ultimately his undoing, and in this rousing but tragic number he finds himself questioning his entire belief system. Was he wrong to hunt down Valjean? And should he keep chasing a man who spared his life at the barricade? He can’t answer these questions, and decides to jump into the River Seine, to his death.

Canny listeners will recognise this melody, because it’s almost identical to Valjean’s soliloquy (“What Have I Done?”) in the Prologue.

The cheery-sounding but lyrically grim “Lovely Ladies” is revisited here, as the female company sings the same melody to lament the dead “children of the barricade”. They conclude that nothing will change, and perhaps the sacrifice was in vain.

Marius is the sole survivor, and as he sits in deserted ABC Cafe, the guilt weighs heavily. This gut-wrenching solo number explores his sorrow as he wonders – much like the women outside – whether his friends’ sacrifice was worth it at all.

In this short song, Marius and Cosette declare their love and commitment to each other, and Valjean accepts that he has to let Cosette go – a bit of happiness amongst the unrelenting misery. Marius also wonders who rescued him from the barricade…

Valjean finally reveals his past to Marius, confessing that he’s an escaped convict – and now has to leave for Cosette’s sake. Marius is reluctant to let him go, but finally concedes defeat and promises to look after Cosette as husband and wife.

After all the doom and gloom at the barricade, we finally reach an uplifting ending as Marius and Cosette get married. But soon the familiar Thenardier melody creeps in… what do they say about bad pennies? They keep turning up! The Thenardiers are now disguised as a nobleman and woman, but Marius sees through them straight away. As he tries to make them leave, he discovers that Valjean was the man who pulled him from the sewers and saved his life.

Our favourite comedy villains get one final knees up, as they celebrate their cockroach-like ability to bounce back from anything to the tune of “Master of the House”. They might be terrible people, but we can’t deny that their songs are catchy!

Sometimes split into “Valjean’s Death” and “Do You Hear the People Sing? (Reprise)”, the final section of Les Miserables is dedicated to Valjean’s last moments, and his salvation. As he watches his adopted daughter and her new husband at the wedding reception, he quietly leaves – and to the tune of “Bring Him Home”, asks God to take him home to heaven. 

As Valjean lies on his deathbed, he is visited by the spirit of Fantine, who thanks him for caring for Cosette. Marius and Cosette then arrive, and Marius reveals that he knows Valjean saved his life. To the tune of “On My Own”, Valjean confesses all to Cosette, and finally, surrounded by his loved ones, dies. The spirits of Fantine and Eponine arrive to take him on his final journey. 

After this poignant moment, the full company joins for a final reprise of “Do You Hear the People Sing?”. We get to hear the fallen rebels take up the chant for one last time, and even in death they’re still hopeful, telling us that beyond the barricade there’s a new world… but will we join their crusade? It gets a standing ovation (and plenty of tears) every time. 

The Les Miserables composer is Claude-Michel Schönberg, and he wrote the songs in collaboration with lyricist Alain Boublil. The duo are pretty legendary in the musical theatre world, having also written Miss Saigon and Martin Guerre.

Their original French songs were translated into English by Herbert Kretzmer. He was more than “just” a translator – he rewrote and added parts to ensure the story flowed just as well in English as it did in its original language, and many of the turns of phrase we love in the songs come from his interpretation.

The answer to this isn’t as simple as you might think! When looking at how many songs are in Les Miserables, it could range from somewhere in the 30s to over 50. Reasons for this include:

• Songs being grouped together. For example, “Lovely Ladies”, “Fantine’s Arrest” and “The Runaway Cart” can be considered one large number, or three individual ones.
• Segues and reprises not included in the final count. Some songs aren’t the “main event” and might be classed as filler or connecting tissue instead.

If you listen to cast recordings, you might also notice a difference – for example, between the 1985 Original London Cast Recording and the 2019 Staged Concert Cast Recording. 

Even stranger? We looked at the song list in the 2015 West End programme and it listed just 28 songs (AKA the highlights):

Our list of Les Mis songs in order includes all of the songs in the original cast recording, plus ones that weren’t included but that you’d hear live if you saw the show in London.

There is just one new song in the 2012 movie, called “Suddenly”. It was written to show the profound effect adopting Cosette had on Valjean, and is reprised towards the end of the film, this time sung by Cosette and Marius. “Suddenly” was written by Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil and Herbert Kretzmer, and they received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. 

The rest of the film’s music remains mostly faithful to the stage version, although some songs have been cut or moved around.

The best Les Miserables songs have transcended musical theatre and become hits in their own right. Some of the most iconic numbers include:

“I Dreamed a Dream”

Fantine’s heartbreaking lament about how her life has ended up has been covered by some huge names, including Neil Diamond, Aretha Franklin, Elaine Paige and Katherine Jenkins. It enjoyed renewed popularity in 2009, when Britain’s Got Talent contestant Susan Boyle performed “I Dreamed a Dream” in her first audition. She went on to name her debut album after the song, and sold 701,000 copies in the US on release week. 

Anne Hathaway memorably performed “I Dreamed a Dream” in the 2012 film adaptation of Les Mis, and won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

“On My Own”

This is another yearning solo from one of the show’s main female characters, as Eponine expresses her unrequited love for Marius. While not as famous as “I Dreamed a Dream”, it is often used on television, including in the pilot episode of Glee. The song’s emotional journey makes it a fan favourite, with Eponine expressing both vulnerability and resilience.

“One Day More”

This is a real company number and definitely one of the top 10 songs from Les Miserables! At the end of Act I, every character reflects on the coming rebellion, with different recurring melodies and viewpoints flitting in and out of focus – all the way to an incredible crescendo. 

It’s often the main song performed when Les Mis is on shows like the Royal Variety Performance, and can also be parodied to great effect too. Amateur theatre performers – try singing every part on your own and see how difficult it is!

“Master of the House“

In a very bleak musical, this song by the Thenardiers is a bit of light relief – even if the characters themselves are absolute scoundrels! A real crowd-pleaser, it gets people clapping and cheering as the devilish duo try to fleece their guests and put up with each other. 

“Do You Hear the People Sing?”

Much like “One Day More”, this is a rousing musical number, and it’s often been appropriated for political movements. Protestors have chanted it all over the world, including in Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Wisconsin, South Korea and Turkey.

Les Mis is packed with tear jerkers (it’s not called Les Joyeux, after all) so it’s hard to pick just one as the saddest.

“I Dreamed a Dream” is often chosen because of the sheer desolate hopelessness Fantine experiences in her short time on stage, but the raw portrayal of grief in “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables”, the sad death of Eponine in “A Little Fall of Rain”, and Eponine’s heartbreak in “On My Own” also rank highly.

The Epilogue songs are very emotional as well, but they have a hopeful, rather than sad, message.