Bring Him Home Lyrics – Les Miserables

Song Overview

Song Credits

• Featured: None
• Producer: Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schönberg
• Composer: Claude-Michel Schönberg
• Lyricist: Herbert Kretzmer (English version)
• Release Date: 1985
• Genre: Musical Theatre, Classical Crossover
• Instruments: Piano, Strings, French Horn, Voice (Tenor)
• Label: First Night Records
• Mood: Reverent, Tender, Sacrificial
• Length: ~3 minutes 30 seconds
• Language: English
• Album: Les Misérables (Original 1985 London Cast Recording)
• Music Style: Orchestral ballad, Operatic prayer

All copyrights © 1985 First Night Records / Alain Boublil Music Ltd / CAMI Music / Schönberg Publishing.

Song Meaning and Annotations

After Valjean is forgiven by the priest for stealing, something shifts within him — a deep awakening. He vows from that point forward to rebuild himself into a man of honor. To him, redemption came not only through that act of mercy but also in the form of Cosette, the daughter he chose and cherished as his own. In moments of hardship, he always turned to prayer, and, time and again, he was delivered. Now, facing the end of his journey, he offers the same prayer for Marius. This could be a subtle echo of A Little Fall of Rain, or perhaps it’s purely incidental. Valjean, after all, never had a son of his own. He was around forty-six when released from prison, and romance never truly entered his life. As he reflects, he knows he won’t be there as Marius grows older — won’t be able to offer the same guidance he gave Cosette. Still, he prays with all his heart that Marius lives the long, full life he deserves.

The Unholy Prayer That Became a Holy One

"Bring Him Home" by Colm Wilkinson, as the voice of Jean Valjean, is a theatre ballad born not from spectacle, but from quiet — a whisper to God cloaked in a nearly celestial melody. Written in haste, 17 days before the London premiere of *Les Misérables*, this was not a showstopper in the traditional sense. It was a soul stopper. Verse 1:

God on high, hear my prayer / In my need You have always been there

From the first line, Valjean isn’t addressing the audience. He’s in confessional mode — vulnerable, low, pleading. These are not staged theatrics. This is a man trading all pretense for pure, desperate invocation.

A Father in All But Biology

Valjean’s paternal metamorphosis, first towards Cosette and now toward Marius, blooms in:

He's like the son I might have known / If God had granted me a son

The conditional phrasing — “might have” — hits like a brick through stained glass. It’s regret and recognition rolled into one. He sees in Marius a future he never had, a child not of his past sins but perhaps of his redemption.

Mortality in Counterpoint

As Valjean accepts his age and mortality:

The summers die one by one / How soon they fly on and on

The seasons become metaphors for the dwindling days of a life once wasted and now almost saintly. There's the suggestion that he’s preparing to die not in tragedy, but in peace — if only Marius lives.

Trading One Life for Another

If I die, let me die / Let him live

This is more than a lyric. It's a barter. Valjean is offering himself on a cosmic table — not to pay for sin this time, but to gift life to someone else. It’s an act that out-prayers most prayers.

The Music That Ascends Like Hope

Claude-Michel Schönberg’s musical arc — three ascending notes repeated — simulates an actual prayer climbing toward heaven. Nothing fancy, no jazz hands. Just rising hope in every phrase, requiring a tenor with both lungs and soul wide open. Wilkinson delivers it as though born to — or perhaps broken into — the role.

Similar Songs

1. “Anthem” – Chess (by Josh Groban or original cast)
   Another musical theatre prayer dressed in evening wear. Like Valjean, the singer pleads not for glory, but for homeland and honor. Both songs traffic in swelling melodies and introspective solitude. The vibe? Reverent grandiosity.
2. “You’ll Never Walk Alone” – Rodgers & Hammerstein
   The parallel here lies in the communal grief and hope. While Valjean's prayer is personal, "You’ll Never Walk Alone" spreads its arms wide for all. But both wear faith like a second skin, and both have become anthems at funerals and farewells.
3. “Hallelujah” – Leonard Cohen (Jeff Buckley version)
   Though not theatrical, Buckley’s “Hallelujah” echoes the same fragile holiness. The soft vocal peaks and emotional valleys channel a raw vulnerability akin to Valjean’s plea. Both sing not just to be heard — but to be understood.

Questions and Answers

What is the message of “Bring Him Home”?

The song conveys sacrificial love and a father’s desperate prayer to save someone dear, even at the cost of his own life.

Why is “Bring Him Home” considered difficult to perform?

It requires soft, sustained high notes and emotional control. Only a few tenors can sing it without overacting or overreaching vocally.

Who originally performed “Bring Him Home”?

Colm Wilkinson premiered the song as Jean Valjean in the original 1985 London cast of *Les Misérables*.

How was the song written so quickly?

English lyricist Herbert Kretzmer rewrote it overnight after a director described the melody as a “prayer.” That spark aligned the lyrics with the spiritual tone of the music.

Has “Bring Him Home” been covered by other artists?

Yes, dozens, including Hugh Jackman, Josh Groban, and The Piano Guys. Each rendition adds a new emotional hue to this prayerful ballad.