The ABC Café / Red and Black

Enjorlas! At Notre Dame, the sections are prepared At rue de bac they're straining at the leash Students, workers, everyone There's a river on the run Like the flowing of the tide Paris coming to our side The time is near So near, it's stirring the blood in their veins And yet, beware Don't let the wine go to your brains For the army we fight is a dangerous foe With the men and the arms, we never could match It is easy to sit here and swat them like flies But the National Guard will be harder to catch We need a sign To rally the people, to call them to arms, to bring them in line Marius you're late, what's wrong today? You look as if you've seen a ghost Some wine and say what's going on A ghost, you say? A ghost maybe She was just like a ghost to me One minute there then she was gone I am agog, I am aghast Is Marius in love at last? I've never heard him "Ooh" and "Ahh" You talk of battles to be won, and here he comes like Don Juan It is better than an opera It is time for us all to decide who we are Do we fight for the right to a night at the opera now? Have you asked of yourselves what's the price you might pay? Is this simply a game for rich young boys to play? The colour of the world is changing day by day Red, the blood of angry men Black, the dark of ages passed Red, a world about to dawn Black, the night that ends at last Had you been there tonight, you might know how it feels To be struck to the bone in a moment of breathless delight Had you been there tonight, you might also have known How your world may be changed in just one burst of light And what was right seems wrong, and what was wrong seems right Red, I feel my soul on fire Black, my world if she's not there Red, the colour of desire Black, the colour of despair Marius, you're no longer a child I do not doubt you mean it well But now there is a higher call Who cares about your lonely soul? We strive towards a larger goal Our little lives don't count at all Red, the blood of angry men Black, the dark of ages passed Red, a world about to dawn Black, the night that ends at last Well, Courfeyrac, do we have all the guns? Feuilly, Combeferre, our time is running short Grantaire, put the bottle down! Do we have the guns we need? Give me brandy on my breath and I'll breathe them all to death In Saint Antoine, they're with us to a man In Notre Dame, they're tearing up the stones 20 rifles good as new (listen) 20 rounds for every man (listen to me) Double that in Port St Cloud Seven guns at St Martin (listen everybody) General Lamarque is dead Lamarque is dead Lamarque, his death is the hour of fate The people's man His death is the sign we await On his funeral day, they will honour his name It's a rallying cry that will reach every ear In the death of Lamarque, they will kindle their flame They will see that the day of salvation is near The time is here Let us welcome it gladly with courage and cheer Let us take to the streets with no doubt in our hearts But a jubilant shout, they will come one and all They will come when we call