Sung by Eddie Redmayne in the stage play and feature film, Les Misérables. It’s a mournful, simple melody with a medium range, making it perfect for beginners. You may find the letter notes easier to play if you shift them up a bit, especially if you’re on flute or recorder, as this song is quite low. Happy practice!
A A B A G F F-E
There’s a grief that can’t be spoken,
A A B A G F E-G
There’s a pain goes on and on.
G – G A G F-E E-D
Empty chairs at empty tables,
E F E E .B C E
Now my friends are dead and gone…
A A B A G-F-F-E
Here they talked of revolution,
A A B A G F E-G
Here it was they lit the flame,
G G A G-F E-E-D
Here they sang about tomorrow
E F-E-E .B-C .A
And tomorrow never came…
C C C-C D C C-.A
From the table in the corner,
C D D# F G F-D
They could see a world reborn,
D E F A A-G G-E
And they rose with voices ringing…
C ^D ^D ^D ^C#
I can hear them now
^C ^D-^E ^F ^E ^D A F
The very words that they have sung
^F-^G ^F ^E ^D-A-F
Became their last communion
^C ^C ^D-^C Bb-A-A G A
On this lonely barricade, at dawn…
A A B A G F-F E
Oh my friends, my friends forgive me
A A B A G F E-G
That I live and you are gone
G G A G F E E-D
There’s a grief that can’t be spoken,
E F E E .A .B E
There’s a pain goes on and on…
^C#-^C# ^D#-^C# B A A-G#
Phantom faces at the window,
^C#-^C# ^D#-^C# B A G#-B
Phantom shadows on the floor,
B – B ^C# B A-G# G#-F#
Empty chairs at empty tables
G# A G# G# D# E G#
Where my friends will meet no more…
^C# ^C# ^D# ^C# ^E ^D# ^D# G#
Oh my friends, my friends don’t ask me
^C# ^C# ^D#-^C#-B A G#-B
What your sacrifice was for
B-B ^C# B A-G# G#-E
Empty chairs at empty tables
G# A G# G# D# E C#
Where my friend will sing no more…