Fantine's Death: Come To Me Lyrics – Les Miserables

Song Overview

Song Credits

• Featuring: Patti LuPone; Colm Wilkinson
• Producer: Alain Boublil; Claude-Michel Schönberg
• Composer & Lyricist: Claude-Michel Schönberg; Alain Boublil; Herbert Kretzmer
• Release Date: 1985
• Genre: Pop; Musical Theatre; West End
• Language: English
• Track #: 8
• Album: Les Misérables (Original 1985 London Cast Recording)
• Label: First Night Records

Song Meaning and Annotations

On her deathbed Fantine drifts between fevered visions and reality – she sees Cosette at play under a fading star and begs her daughter to “come to me and rest against my shoulder.” In this final lullaby the music recalls the lonely solo “On My Own,” uniting Fantine’s and Éponine’s longing under a shared melody that speaks of yearning and resignation. Delirium mingles with maternal love as the winter wind becomes a mournful companion, echoing the darkness that seizes her breath and heralds the end of her story.

Valjean enters bearing a promise to protect Cosette – a vow that fulfills the mercy first shown by the bishop. When Fantine urges him to “take my hand” she unwittingly echoes the plea he will later offer at his own death, linking their fates across the musical. The gentle rise and fall of the verses, like a rocking cradle, frames this exchange as both a benediction and a passage into sleep without warnings – a doorway from mortal grief to spiritual rest.

“Come to me, Cosette, the light is fading / Don’t you see the evening star appearing?”

The evening star becomes a guide for Fantine’s soul, a tender beacon in the chill of her final hours.

“Hurry near, another day is dying / Don’t you hear the winter wind is crying?”

This line turns nature into a witness, the wind’s cry reflecting Fantine’s own weakening heartbeat.

“Take my child / I give her to your keeping”

With these words she bequeaths her ultimate gift – Cosette’s safety – even as her own life ebbs away.

Verse by Verse Breakdown

Fantine’s Lullaby

Her opening lines blend the familiar comforts of bedtime ritual with foreboding images of nightfall and cold, illustrating how love can both soothe and reveal fear.

Valjean’s Promise

When Valjean swears on his life to care for Cosette, his solemn tone transforms the cradle song into a pact of protection and hope.

Shared Lines

The repeated invitation to “take my hand” binds mother and savior in a moment of mutual compassion – Fantine entrusts her child as Valjean becomes her guardian angel.

Final Exhale

Fantine’s last smile signals acceptance; the gentle musical fade-out carries her into peace, her final breaths woven into the score’s quiet aftermath.

Similar Songs

1. “On My Own” from Les Misérables
   Éponine’s solitary lament and Fantine’s final lullaby share a haunting melody and nocturnal setting. Both solos reveal women singing to shadows – Éponine imagines Marius, Fantine conjures Cosette – and each closes on a note of unfulfilled devotion. The sparse accompaniment allows their voices to float over the orchestration like a solitary lamp in the dark, illuminating personal grief while underscoring the loneliness that defines their fates.
2. “A Little Fall of Rain” from Les Misérables
   In this later duet, Éponine offers comfort to the dying Marius as rain falls softly around them. Similarly, Fantine’s lullaby extends solace through song, the “winter wind” echoing the gentle rain. Both tracks use elemental motifs to frame care in the face of death, and both feature voices blending soprano and tenor to transform tragedy into an intimate moment of human connection.
3. “Bring Him Home” by Colm Wilkinson
   Valjean’s prayer for Marius’s safety mirrors the compassionate vow he makes to Fantine. In both numbers, Wilkinson’s tenor soars over a bed of organ and strings, invoking a sacred space where love becomes a shield. Lyrically, each plea—“come to me” or “bring him home”—casts Valjean as guardian, bridging earthly peril and spiritual grace in a hymn of self-sacrifice.

Questions and Answers

Why does Fantine imagine Cosette at play?

Delirium and love blend in her fevered mind, offering one last glimpse of innocence before death.

What does the winter wind symbolize?

It stands in for mortality’s approach, its cry echoing Fantine’s fading strength.

How does Valjean’s role shift in this song?

He transforms from rescuer to guardian, pledging lifelong protection for Cosette as Fantine’s final act.

Which other song shares this lullaby’s melody?

The tune reappears in the Finale, as Fantine guides Valjean toward his own peaceful end.

What significance does Fantine’s last smile hold?

It marks her acceptance of death and faith in Valjean’s promise, a moment of spiritual release.