Castle On A Cloud
Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schönberg Lyrics


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[Young Cosette is working as a drudge in the Thénardier's inn at Montfermeil]

[YOUNG COSETTE]
There is a castle on a cloud,
I like to go there in my sleep,
Aren't any floors for me to sweep,
Not in my castle on a cloud.
There is a room that's full of toys,
There are a hundred boys and girls,
Nobody shouts or talks too loud,
Not in my castle on a cloud.

There is a lady all in white,
Holds me and sings a lullaby,
She's nice to see and she's soft to touch,
She says "Cosette, I love you very much."

I know a place where no one's lost,
I know a place where no one cries,
Crying at all is not allowed,
Not in my castle on a cloud.

Oh help! I think I hear them now,
and I'm nowhere near finished sweeping and
scrubbing and polishing the floor.
Oh, it's her! It's Madame!

[MME. THENARDIER]
Now look who's here
The little madam herself!
Pretending once again she's been `so awfully good,'
Better not let me catch you slacking
Better not catch my eye!
Ten rotten francs your mother sends me
What is that going to buy?
Now take that pail
My little `Mademoiselle'
And go and draw some water from the well!

We should never have taken you in in the first place
How stupid the things that we do!
Like mother like daughter, the scum of the street.
Eponine, come my dear, Eponine, let me see you
You look very well in that new little blue hat
There's some little girls who know how to behave
And they know what to wear
And I'm saying thank heaven for that.

Still there Cosette?
Your tears will do you no good!
I told you fetch some water from the well in the wood!

[YOUNG COSETTE]
Please do not send me out alone
Not in the darkness on my own!

[MME. THENARDIER]
Enough of that, or I'll forget to be nice!
You heard me ask for something,
And I never ask twice!





[Young Eponine pushes Cosette out.
Thenardier says good night to his daughter as the inn fills up for the evening]

Overall Meaning

In the song "Castle on a Cloud," young Cosette describes her dream castle that she goes to in her sleeps. The castle is a place where she doesn't have to do any chores like sweeping floors and can play with a hundred other boys and girls who don't shout or talk too loud. There, in her castle on a cloud, she also meets a lady dressed in white who holds her and sings her to sleep and tells her that she loves her. Young Cosette also knows of a place where no one cries and where crying is not allowed, which is not at all like the inn where she works as a drudge.


Despite the promise of her dream castle, Cosette is rudely brought back to reality by Madame Thénardier, who scolds her for slacking off and orders her to draw water from a well in the wood. Cosette is afraid to go out alone in the darkness, but Thénardier threatens to be unkind to her if she doesn't obey her. The scene highlights the stark contrast between Cosette's fantasy world and her harsh reality at the inn.


Line by Line Meaning

There is a castle on a cloud,
Young Cosette dreams of a peaceful place in her imagination.


I like to go there in my sleep,
She escapes the harsh reality of her life by dreaming and imagining this castle.


Aren't any floors for me to sweep,
Unlike the inn where she works and is constantly cleaning, there is nothing for her to do in her imaginary castle.


Not in my castle on a cloud.
Young Cosette feels safe in her dream castle where she is free from physical and emotional hardships.


There is a room that's full of toys,
In her dream castle, there is a room filled with toys that she could only imagine having in reality.


There are a hundred boys and girls,
She dreams of a place where she is surrounded by company and not isolated with her duties.


Nobody shouts or talks too loud,
Young Cosette is comforted by the peace and quiet of her dream castle, unlike the constant noise she hears at her workplace.


Not in my castle on a cloud.
Young Cosette prefers the calm and serenity of her dreams over the reality of her life at the inn.


There is a lady all in white,
In her dream castle, there is a woman in white who takes care of her, offering comfort and protection.


Holds me and sings a lullaby,
This woman in white sings lullabies to young Cosette, consoling her and providing her with a sense of maternal love.


She's nice to see and she's soft to touch,
Young Cosette describes the woman in white as warm and nurturing, a stark contrast from the harsh treatment she receives in reality.


She says "Cosette, I love you very much."
The woman in white expresses her love and affection for young Cosette, offering her the emotional support she lacks in real life.


I know a place where no one's lost,
Young Cosette envisions a place where no one is lost or forgotten, and where she can belong.


I know a place where no one cries,
In her dream castle, there is no need for tears or sadness, a stark contrast from her life at the inn where she often cries alone.


Crying at all is not allowed,
Young Cosette imagines a world where she does not have to hold back her tears, instead of being reprimanded for showing emotion.


Not in my castle on a cloud.
Young Cosette idealizes her imaginary world where she feels safe and understood.


Please do not send me out alone
Young Cosette is afraid to leave alone and face the dangers of the outside world.


Not in the darkness on my own!
She fears the darkness and the unknown, and pleads for help and protection.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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