#also. michel delpech's voice is heavenly. i would like to eat it.

[wheresurboytonighthelookslikeenj]

i can't believe i'm in a french concept album les mis mood after barricade day but here we are anyways.

one of my favourites on the album is the predecessor to drink with me, la nuit de l'angoisse.

it starts with feuilly questioning: why is it that they have to fight for the ideas and rights they deserve? and what is there left to hope for when "les cartes de jeu sont truquées" or, "the cards are rigged"?

combeferre cuts him off. declares that the next shot could take them. they should cherish the night and the wine before death comes.

we then interrupt the sombre mood with discojolras who reminds everyone to keep on perservering

feuilly ends the song, now in the familiar drink with me melody. what 's interesting is that these last few verses are inspired directly by hugo's poetry in the brick, more specifically the love verses recited by jehan in this very scene

two verses of the poetry in question:

Vous rappelez-vous notre douce vie, Lorsque nous etions si jeunes tous deux, Et que nous n'avions au coeur d'autre envie Que d'etre bien mis et d'etre amoureux, Lorsqu'en ajoutant votre age a mon age, Nous ne comptions pas a deux quarante ans, Et que, dans notre humble et petit ménage, Tout, meme l'hiver, nous etait printemps?

verses of the song in question:

Souviens-toi des jours heureux Souviens-toi de nos aveux Lorsqu'en ajoutant ton age à mon age Nous ne comptions pas quarante ans à deux

Souviens-toi de nos aveux Souviens-toi des jours heureux De dentelle, fleur au corsage et rubans Où l'amour begaie un argot charman Souviens-toi de nos aveux Souviens-toi des jours heureux

it's reminiscence. jehan/feuilly are reminiscing about happier, softer lives, or "the life that used to be", as sung in the english version. i find it so sweet and gentle and sad, like a lullaby, as someone on here remarked some years ago.

the final notes of the song is the melody from castle on a cloud.

and i love drink with me, everyone loves drink with me for angsty enjoltaire alone (the french concept album severely misses grantaire), and you can see where in la nuit de l'angoisse it took inspiration from: feuilly still starts the song, combeferre's quick "empty your glass and fill mine" turned into the what the entire song is about, the question of the purpose of it all possibly became the beloved grantaire solo, and feuilly's last verses gave their melody as well the memory of more peaceful days (the aforementioned "life that used to be", as well as the "pretty girls" lines)

drink with me is more complete and consistent, i suppose. its melody and tone are consistent (coughdiscojolrascough) and it makes more sense, everyone uniting in a sense of companionship, but i think i still like la nuit de l'angoisse more; it's more intimate, and, as with most of the french concept album, the lyrics, especially feuilly's part, hit harder. do you recall our hopes? do you recall those happier days?