The Robbery / Javert’s Intervention Lyrics – Les Miserables

Song Overview

Song Credits

• Featuring: Gay Soper; Philip Quast; Kaho Shimada; Michael Ball; Gary Morris; Barry James
• Producer: David Caddick
• Composer & Lyricists: Claude-Michel Schönberg; Herbert Kretzmer; Alain Boublil
• Release Date: 1988
• Genre: Pop; Musical Theatre
• Language: English
• Track #: 15
• Album: Les Misérables: The Complete Symphonic Recording
• Label: Nonesuch Records

Song Meaning and Annotations

In this post–time skip scene the Thénardiers and their gang lie in wait to swindle passersby. Marius and Éponine exchange flirtatious banter before Monsieur Thénardier seizes on Valjean and Cosette, accusing Valjean of being the fugitive who “borrowed Cosette.” His ripping open of Valjean’s shirt to reveal the prisoner number plunges the square into chaos, unleashing a brawl among children of the slums.

Javert arrives to restore order, immediately branding the mysterious mayor as the convict he has hunted for a decade. His lines “I know this man over here, I know his name and his trade” and insistence that “he couldn’t run forever, no, not even Jean Valjean” shift triumph into threat. As Valjean and Cosette slip away, Javert’s suspicion ignites Valjean’s deepest moral crisis. The rescue of Fauchelevent and subsequent flight lead directly into “Who Am I?” where Valjean must choose between truth and safety.

Montparnasse’s crush on Éponine colors the students’ world in the novel, adding a bittersweet echo to her unspoken love. Though Montparnasse does not appear onstage, the reference to Montparnasse in the gang’s roster reminds listeners that even within the underworld of Paris the ties of affection and loyalty swirl beneath the surface of every scheme.

“Men like me don’t forget / You’re the bastard who borrowed Cosette!”

Thénardier’s accusation weaponizes Valjean’s past mercy as proof of guilt, twisting kindness into a mark of shame.

“Could it be he’s some old jailbird / That the tide now washes in?”

Javert’s rhetorical question turns the tide of the square, as law and order hunt mercy in the guise of a fugitive.

The Thénardiers’ Plot

Their coordinated instructions to Brujon, Babet, Claquesous and Montparnasse lay a trap for any unsuspecting patron of the slums, revealing their endless scheming and exploitation.

Marius and Éponine’s Exchange

Their playful teasing—“I could’ve been a student too”—offers a glimpse of humanity and unrequited love amid the harsh world outside.

Javert’s Intervention

He arrives with unwavering certainty in the law—his lines about the convict’s brand show how justice can blind one to compassion.

Valjean’s Escape

As the inspector debates whom to arrest, Valjean and Cosette vanish, underscoring the fragile victory of mercy over procedure.

Similar Songs

1. Valjean’s Arrest / Valjean Forgiven
   Both scenes hinge on a powerful act of mercy defying legal expectation. In “Valjean’s Arrest” the bishop’s gift spares Valjean from prison, while here Thénardier’s trap and Javert’s pursuit nearly undo that gift. Musically each shifts from tension—constables probing, Thénardiers plotting—into soaring relief when compassion triumphs. The contrast between law and mercy crystallizes in both moments, guiding Valjean’s transformation from hunted to hero.
2. Who Am I? / The Trial
   Directly following the cart rescue, “Who Am I?” finds Valjean wrestling with identity under Javert’s gaze. Here the inspector’s recognition plants the seed of doubt: should Valjean claim his name to save an innocent or protect himself? The solo’s hush and chorus’s rise mirror the square’s hush before the brawl and the ensuing uproar. Together they form a moral duet exploring truth, duty and selfhood.
3. Confrontation by Colm Wilkinson & Judy Kuhn
   Later Javert and Valjean face off one on one, echoing this square’s public clash in an intimate duel of ideals. Both numbers pit absolute law against unconditional grace, using call–and–response vocals to dramatize their opposing worldviews. The thrust of strings and tension in each score underlines that mercy and duty can sound alike yet collide with devastating force.

Questions and Answers

Why do the Thénardiers target Valjean?

They recognise him as the mysterious benefactor who rescued Cosette, hoping to extort money by exposing his secret.

How does Javert know it’s Valjean?

He recalls a convict capable of superhuman strength and the branded number on Valjean’s chest.

What role does Éponine play?

She warns Marius of danger, revealing her silent devotion amid the chaos of her family’s schemes.

What theme does this brawl underscore?

The conflict between legal duty and moral mercy, and how acts of grace can become crimes in the eyes of the law.

How do Valjean and Cosette escape?

They slip away in the confusion of Javert’s arrival, trusting mercy’s cause over legal pursuit.