Master Of The House
The Original London Cast of Les Misérables Lyrics
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Welcome, m'sieur
Sit yourself down
And meet the best
Innkeeper in town
As for the rest,
All of 'em crooks
Rooking their guests
Seldom do you see
Honest men like me
A gent of good intent
Who's content to be
Master of the house
Doling out the charm
Ready with a handshake
And an open palm
Tells a saucy tale
Makes a little stir
Customers appreciate a bon-viveur
Glad to do a friend a favor
Doesn't cost me to be nice
But nothing gets you nothing
Everything has got a little price!
Master of the house
Keeper of the zoo
Ready to relieve 'em
Of a sou or two
Watering the wine
Making up the weight
Pickin' up their knick-knacks
When they can't see straight
Everybody loves a landlord
Everybody's bosom friend
I do whatever pleases
Jesus! won't i bleed 'em in the end!
Thenardier & Master of the house
Quick to catch yer eye
Never wants a passerby
To pass him by
Servant to the poor
Butler to the great
Comforter, philosopher,
And lifelong mate!
Everybody's boon companion
Everybody's chaperone
Thenardier
But lock up your valises
Jesus! won't i skin you to the bone!
(To another new customer)
Thenardier
Enter m'sieur
Lay down your load
Unlace your boots
And rest from the road
(Taking his bag)
This weighs a ton
Travel's a curse
But here we strive
To lighten your purse
Here the goose is cooked
Here the fat is fried
And nothing's overlooked
Till i'm satisfied...
Food beyond compare
Food beyond belief
Mix it in a mincer
And pretend it's beef
Kidney of a horse
Liver of a cat
Filling up the sausages
With this and that
Residents are more than welcome
Bridal suite is occupied
Reasonable charges
Plus some little extras on the side!
Charge 'em for the lice
Extra for the mice
Two percent for looking in the mirror twice
Here a little slice
There a little cut
Three percent for sleeping with the window shut
When it comes to fixing prices
There are a lot of tricks he knows
How it all increases
All those bits and pieces
Jesus! it's amazing how it grows!
Thenardier and Master of the house
Quick to catch yer eye
Never wants a passerby
To pass him by
Servant to the poor
Butler to the great
Comforter, philosopher,
And lifelong mate!
Everybody's boon companion
Gives 'em everything he's got
Thenardier
Dirty bunch of geezers
Jesus! what a sorry little lot!
Mme. thenardier
I used to dream
That i would meet a prince
But god almighty,
Have you seen what's happened since?
'Master of the house?'
Isn't worth me spit!
'Comforter, philosopher'
- And lifelong shit!
Cunning little brain
Regular voltaire
Thinks he's quite a lover
But there's not much there
What a cruel trick of nature
Landed me with such a louse
God knows how i've lasted
Living with this bastard in the house!
Thenardier & Master of the house.
Mme. thenardier
Master and a half!
Thenardier & Comforter, philosopher
Mme. thenardier
Ah, don't make me laugh!
Thenardier & Servant to the poor. butler to the great.
Mme. thenardier
Hypocrite and toady and inebriate!
Thenardier & Everybody bless the landlord!
Everybody bless his spouse!
Thenardier
Everybody raise a glass
Mme. thenardier
Raise it up the master's arse.
All
Everybody raise a glass to the master of the house!
The song "Master of the House" is sung by the character of Thenardier. He is a con artist who owns an inn and exploits his customers to make money. He boasts about his ability to charm and manipulate his guests while robbing them of their possessions. He considers himself a gentleman who is honest and has good intentions despite his actions. He takes pride in being the master of his house and carrying out his activities with finesse. The lyrics reflect Thenardier's character and his corrupt ways of making a living.
The song is a satirical take on the greedy nature of human beings and their ability to deceive for their selfish gain. The lyrics highlight the fraudulent dealings of Thenardier and those like him who run their establishments by fleecing unsuspected customers. The chorus, which repeats throughout the song, describes Thenardier as a master of the house, who is charming to his guests, but on the other hand, he is a cunning individual who is always on the lookout to exploit people.
In conclusion, "Master of the House" portrays the dark side of human nature and exposes the depravity that lies within. It highlights how easy it is for people to be taken advantage of when they least expect it. The lyrics make a powerful commentary on the corrupt and exploitative practices of some individuals and institutions.
Line by Line Meaning
Thenardier
I welcome you, sir
Welcome, m'sieur
Please make yourself comfortable in my establishment
Sit yourself down
Have a seat
And meet the best
Meet me, the best innkeeper
Innkeeper in town
Innkeeper of this town
As for the rest,
Regarding other innkeepers,
All of 'em crooks
They are all dishonest
Rooking their guests
Stealing money from their guests
And cooking the books.
Falsifying their accounting records
Seldom do you see
It is rare to come across
Honest men like me
Someone who is honest like me
A gent of good intent
A gentle and well-intentioned man
Who's content to be
Who is happy to be
Master of the house
Owner of this establishment
Doling out the charm
Displaying a charismatic and welcoming persona
Ready with a handshake
Always ready to greet with a handshake
And an open palm
Or an open hand for accepting payment
Tells a saucy tale
Shares comical or interesting stories
Makes a little stir
Stirs up some entertainment
Customers appreciate a bon-viveur
Customers enjoy the company of a convivial host
Glad to do a friend a favor
Happy to do any favor for a friend
Doesn't cost me to be nice
Being nice does not require any cost from me
But nothing gets you nothing
However, expecting something in return is only fair
Everything has got a little price!
Everything has a cost
Keeper of the zoo
In charge of maintaining order
Ready to relieve 'em
Ready to take money
Of a sou or two
A small amount of money
Watering the wine
Diluting the wine with water to serve more customers
Making up the weight
Using less expensive ingredients to save money
Pickin' up their knick-knacks
Stealing from their guests
When they can't see straight
When they are too drunk to notice
Everybody loves a landlord
Everybody appreciates a good host
Everybody's bosom friend
Everyone is his friend
I do whatever pleases
I do whatever makes me happy
Jesus! won't I bleed 'em in the end!
In the end, I will make sure they pay more than they expected
Quick to catch yer eye
Easily noticeable
Never wants a passerby
Does not want anyone to ignore him
To pass him by
To ignore him
Servant to the poor
Serves the poor
Butler to the great
Serves the wealthy
Comforter, philosopher,
Gives comfort and advice
And lifelong mate!
A life-long friend
Everybody's boon companion
Everyone's good or intimate friend
Don't make me laugh!
It's ridiculous!
Hypocrite and toady and inebriate!
Phony, a kiss-up, and a drunkard
Dirty bunch of geezers
A contemptuous term for unkempt and unpleasant people
Master and a half!
The ultimate master
Ah, don't make me laugh!
Ridiculous!
Everybody raise a glass
Let's all drink
Raise it up the master's arse.
A crude insult to the master
Everybody raise a glass to the master of the house!
A toast to the owner of the establishment
Writer(s): ALAIN ALBERT BOUBLIL, JEAN MARC NATEL, HERBERT KRETZMER, CLAUDE MICHEL SCHONBERG
Contributed by Liam G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@fallwitch
It’s hard to watch this and not get emotional. This is the absolute epitome of perfect musical theatre. It’s simply does not get any better.
@nurmaybooba
agree 100%
@gortex69
This!!!
@alessa.
Yes oh my god YES
@MrVaern
Honestly, I'm disappointed that they didn't really have a proper set for this scene. I can't find any videos of this actor performing the song with the extras and choreography that goes along with it.
@michael_johnston
When I saw Les Mis live for the first time, I cried 3 times. Fantine’s death, Eponine’s death, and Valjean’s death. After watching the movie a dozen or so times, Eponine’s death always gets me.
@leedraconis5793
You can just tell how much fun the chorus is having in this song
@tunafour-shoes4618
You're right! It IS a lot of fun!
@davidw.smiecinski5260
Once you defeat all the other innkeepers, this song plays as the boss of all innkeepers appears
@j.mariethompson981
Sorry but no......
this is the SECRET BOSS LEVEL you reach when you FINALLY believe sleep is on the cards.