Master Of The House Lyrics – Les Miserables

Song Overview

Some show-tunes wink; this one guffaws. “Master of the House”—Track 12 on Les Misérables: The Complete Symphonic Recording—parades the Thénardiers’ tavern tricks with bawdy relish. Barry James’s nasal growl meets Gay Soper’s vinegar quips while an oompah rhythm section clinks along like dented tankards. Composer Claude-Michel Schönberg mixes musette accordion with brassy kicks; lyricists Boublil & Kretzmer pour out punch-line after punch-line. By the final toast you’ve laughed, winced, and checked your wallet—twice.

Song Credits

• Featured Performers: Barry James (Thénardier), Gay Soper (Mme Thénardier) & Ensemble
• Composer: Claude-Michel Schönberg
• Lyricists: Alain Boublil, Jean-Marc Natel (French); Herbert Kretzmer (English adaptation)
• Producer: David Caddick
• Conductor / Musical Supervisor: Martin Koch
• Orchestrations: John Cameron
• Album: Les Misérables: The Complete Symphonic Recording (1988) – Disc 1, Track 12
• Genre: Broadway Show-Tune / Vaudeville Waltz
• Length: 4 minutes 52 seconds
• Label: First Night Records / Relativity
• Mood: Raucous, satirical, tavern-smoky
• Instruments: Barrel-house piano, tuba, accordion, snare drum with brushes, brass trio, male-voice chorus, clinking glass FX
• Copyright © 1980, 1985 Cameron Mackintosh Ltd. & Editions Musicals

Song Meaning and Annotations

Within the epic narrative, “Master of the House” functions as comic palate-cleanser. After Fantine’s tragedy, the story needs gallows humor; enter the inn-keepers, equal parts stand-up duo and pick-pocket syndicate. The song text parades their price-gouging with rhyming invoices—“Charge ’em for the lice, extra for the mice”—while jaunty triplets in the left-hand piano echo a Parisian dance-hall.

Musically, Schönberg flips from minor key verses (sounding like alleyway whispers) to major key refrains, signalling the public smile Thénardier plasters over private schemes. Listen for the sudden vocal scoops on “Jesus!”—Kretzmer’s English expletive lands like spilled ale. The wife’s bridge section shifts rhythmically into a mock-romantic waltz before crashing back into beer-hall stomp, mirroring her dashed matrimonial dreams.

Verse Snapshot

“Welcome, monsieur, sit yourself down / And meet the best inn-keeper in town”

Thénardier’s oily greeting runs over a walking bass; the comic stress falls on “best,” a lie everyone but the customer can hear.

Madame’s Counter-Punch

“I used to dream that I would meet a prince / But God almighty, have you seen what’s happened since?”

Gay Soper belts the rhyme with an eye-roll, underscored by sarcastic violins that sound like catcalls. The domestic row becomes duet-comedy gold.

Final Toast

The entire tavern roars the title hook while brass glissandos simulate sliding tankards. The ensemble shout “raise a glass” an octave higher than earlier refrains—one last fleecing before intermission lights come up.

Similar Songs

1. “A Little Priest” – Sweeney Todd (1979 Original Cast)
   Both numbers enlist dark comedy to expose greed: pies in Fleet Street, stew in Montfermeil. Sondheim’s patter is denser, yet the waltz-time irony matches Thénardier’s cheek.
2. “When You’re Good to Mama” – Chicago (1975)
   Matron Mama Morton and Thénardier share quid-pro-quo mantras. Jazzy slides replace French musette, but each owner sells “hospitality” at interest-rate prices.
3. “You’ll Be Back” – Hamilton (2015)
   King George’s bubble-gum minuet hides tyranny behind charm, just as Thénardier hides theft behind faux chivalry. Both villains weaponize sing-along hooks to get the last laugh.

Questions and Answers

Why place a comic number after heavy drama?

The score follows Shakespearean pacing: tragedy, laugh, deeper tragedy. Laughter lets an audience breathe before Act II’s uprising.

Is the tune historically accurate to 19th-century France?

Not strictly. Schönberg borrows German beer-hall swagger and Paris-cabaret accordion—an anachronistic mix that signals universality rather than documentary realism.

How do different productions stage the wallet-swipes?

London often uses sight-gag pick-pockets; Broadway leans into physical comedy with chairs pulled from under tourists. Each revival updates props (selfie-sticks replaced walking-sticks in a 2019 London gag).

What vocal range does Thénardier require?

A character baritone from A2 to F4, plus flexible speech-song for rapid comic patter.

Has “Master of the House” achieved chart life outside theatre?

Yes: Andy Williams recorded a crooner cover in 1990, and Sacha Baron Cohen/Helena Bonham Carter’s 2012 film version hit digital-download Top 40 in the UK.

Awards and Chart Positions

• Les Misérables: The Complete Symphonic Recording – Grammy Award, Best Musical Cast Show Album (1990)
• The recording peaked at No. 1 on Billboard Classical Albums and entered the UK Compilations Top 20 in 1989

Fan and Media Reactions

“If Dickens wrote pub songs, they’d sound like this—and you’d still leave broke.” —Theatre Mirror review, 1989

“My eight-year-old can’t spell ‘philosopher’ but belts ‘Comforter, philosopher!’ on the school run.” —Parent tweet, 2023

“Those accordion flourishes deserve hazard pay; they dodge more flying tankards than the cast.” —Orchestra-pit blogger

“Best budgeting lesson ever: everything has a hidden service fee.” —YouTube commenter @PocketPicker

“Soper’s eye-roll on ‘regular Voltaire’ should be inducted into the Sarcasm Hall of Fame.” —Podcast Stage & Snark