Beggars At The Feast
Sacha Baron Cohen Lyrics
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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
The Baron and Baroness de Thenard wish to pay their respects to the groom!
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?
No, Baron de Thenard'
The circles I move in are humbler by far
Go away!
Do you think I don't know who you are?
He's not fooled Told you so
Show M'sieur what you've come here to show
Tell the boy what you know!
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!
The waltz starts up again
So it goes, heaven knows
Life has dealt me some terrible blows
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
There's a tale I could tell
Information we're willing to sell
There's a man that he slew
I saw the corpse clear as I'm seeing you!
What I tell you is true!
Pity to disturb you at a feast like this
But five hundred francs surely wouldn't come amiss
In God's name say what you have to say
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
I know this! This was mine!
This is surely some heavenly sign!
One thing more, mark this well
It was the night the barricades fell
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!
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!
The lyrics to Sacha Baron Cohen's song "Beggars At The Feast" from the musical Les Misérables depict a scene at a wedding feast where the guests, including the Baron and Baroness de Thenard, are celebrating. The song starts with a festive and joyful tone, as the lyrics speak of ringing bells and angels singing songs of praise. However, the atmosphere quickly changes as the Baron and Baroness de Thenard interrupt the celebration.
The Baron de Thenard believes he has met someone before, possibly at Chateau Lafarge, where a Duke caused a scandalous incident. The other character, who seems to be Jean Valjean, denies this and asserts that he knows who the Baron is. The tension rises as the Baron threatens to reveal information about the bride's father, which he claims is not what they think. He mentions a man who was killed, with Jean Valjean being the culprit.
The conflict escalates, and the Baron demands payment to share his information. He describes seeing Jean Valjean carrying the corpse in the sewers, providing evidence in the form of a souvenir. However, to everyone's surprise, Jean Valjean recognizes the souvenir as his own, realizing that the man he supposedly killed was the same person who saved his life. This revelation leads to a moment of forgiveness and reconciliation, as Jean Valjean is grateful for the Baron's unintentional assistance. The song concludes with a satirical twist, as the characters sing about their hypocritical actions and ambitions, mocking the upper class while reveling in their own cunning and survival.
Overall, "Beggars At The Feast" explores themes of deception, forgiveness, and the complex dynamics between different social classes.
Line by Line Meaning
Ring out the bells
Let the bells chime
Upon this day of days!
On this significant day!
May all the angels
May the heavenly beings
Of the Lord above
Of the divine being
In jubilation
In great joy
Sing their songs of praise
Offer their commendations
And crown this
And dignify this
Blessed time with
Fortunate period by
Peace and love
Harmony and affection
The Baron and Baroness de Thenard wish to pay their respects to the groom!
The Baron and Baroness de Thenard express their regards to the groom
I forget where we met
I cannot recall our meeting
Was it not at the Chateau Lafarge
Perhaps it was at the Chateau Lafarge
Where the Duke did that puke
Where the Duke vomited
Down the Duchess's de-coll-etage?
Onto the low neckline of the Duchess's dress?
No, Baron de Thenard'
No, Baron de Thenard
The circles I move in are humbler by far
The social groups I am a part of are far less prestigious
Go away!
Leave!
Do you think I don't know who you are?
Do you believe I am unaware of your identity?
He's not fooled Told you so
He is not deceived, as I warned you
Show M'sieur what you've come here to show
Demonstrate to the gentleman what you have come to present
Tell the boy what you know!
Inform the young man about what you understand!
When I look at you, I remember Eponine
Observing you reminds me of Eponine
She was more than you deserved, who gave her birth
She exceeded the worthiness you possessed, being her parent
But now she is with God and happier, I hope,
But now she is with God and hopefully more content
Than here on earth!
Than in this earthly existence!
The waltz starts up again
The waltz begins once more
So it goes, heaven knows
Such is life, God knows
Life has dealt me some terrible blows
Life has inflicted severe hardships upon me
You've got cash and a heart
You possess wealth and compassion
You could give us a bit of a start!
You could provide us with a small amount of assistance
We can prove, plain as ink
We can demonstrate, as clear as ink
Your bride's father is not what you think
The father of your bride is different from your perception
There's a tale I could tell
There is a story I could narrate
Information we're willing to sell
We are prepared to sell the information
There's a man that he slew
There is a man whom he killed
I saw the corpse clear as I'm seeing you!
I witnessed the lifeless body as clearly as I see you!
What I tell you is true!
What I am informing you is factual!
Pity to disturb you at a feast like this
It is regrettable to interrupt you during such a feast
But five hundred francs surely wouldn't come amiss
But surely five hundred francs would not be unwelcome
In God's name say what you have to say
For the sake of God, communicate what you need to
But first you pay!
But first, provide payment!
What I saw, clear as light,
What I witnessed, as evident as daylight,
Jean Valjean in the sewers that night
Jean Valjean in the underground tunnels that evening
Had this corpse on his back
Was carrying this dead body on his shoulders
Hanging there like a bloody great sack
Suspended there like a large sack filled with blood
I was there, never fear
I was present, do not worry
Even found me this fine souvenir
Even discovered this fine memento for myself
I know this! This was mine!
I recognize this! This belonged to me!
This is surely some heavenly sign!
Undoubtedly, this is a sign from heaven!
One thing more, mark this well
One more thing, pay close attention to this
It was the night the barricades fell
It was the night when the barricades collapsed
Then it's true Then I'm right
Then it is true, then I am correct
Jean Valjean was my savior that night!
Jean Valjean saved me on that night!
As for you, take this too!
And as for you, accept this as well!
God forgive the things that we do
May God pardon the actions that we commit
Come my love, come Cosette,
Come, my beloved, come Cosette
This day's blessings are not over yet!
This day's benevolence is not yet concluded!
Ain't it a laugh
Isn't it amusing
Ain't it a treat?
Isn't it a delight?
Hob-nobbin' here
Socializing here
Among the elite?
Amidst the privileged?
Here comes a prince
Here comes a nobleman
There goes a Jew
There goes a Jewish individual
This one's a queer
This person is homosexual
But what can you do?
But what can be done?
Paris at my feet
Paris under my control
Paris in the dust
Paris left behind, forgotten
And here's me breaking bread
And here I am sharing a meal
With the upper crust!
With the highest social class!
Beggar at the feast!
A pauper at the celebration!
Master of the dance!
Master of the dance floor!
Life is easy pickings
Life is effortless gains
If you grab your chance
If you seize your opportunity
Everywhere you go
Wherever you travel
Law-abiding folk
People who follow the law
Doing what is decent
Engaging in what is morally correct
But they're mostly broke!
But they are mostly destitute!
Singing to the Lord on Sundays
Singing hymns to the Lord on Sundays
Praying for the gifts He'll send
Praying for the blessings He will bestow
But we're the ones who take it
But we are the ones who seize it
We're the ones who make it in the end!
We are the ones who succeed in the final outcome!
Watch the buggers dance
Observe those fools dancing
Watch 'em till they drop
Watch them until they collapse
Keep your wits about you
Remain alert
And you stand on top!
And you will be victorious!
Masters of the land
Controllers of the territory
Always get our share
Always acquire our portion
Clear away the barricades
Remove the obstacles
And we're still there!
And we remain present!
We know where the wind is blowing
We are aware of the direction things are heading
Money is the stuff we smell
We detect the scent of money
And when we're rich as Croesus
And when we are as wealthy as Croesus
Jesus! Won't we see you all in hell!
Jesus! Won't we encounter all of you in hell!
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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