Do You Hear The People Sing?

One of my favorite Broadway musicals is Les Miserables.  I never paid much attention to the story, but love the music, and love to play it on the piano.  As I was attempting to destress today, I started to play some of the songs, and one of them stuck out to me.  It is a battlecry - a song that was song to rally the troops (sad, sick, weak, tired, and ill-equipped as they were) just before heading into battle. 

This musical is written about the The French Revolution, a revolution against a monarchy and for equality, citizenship and inalienable rights.  It seems appropriate to revisit such times in our world's history, doesn't it?  People were tired of working long hours and having little to nothing to show for it - all of their money going toward an overgrown government that promised to take care of the citizens, but only took care of itself.  The working class lived in relative squalor, barely scraping by, while the ruling class enjoyed lavish living conditions. 

Much like the modern day TEA Party, the grassroots citizens in France longed for freedom and prosperity and worked together to accomplish those goals.  When it became clear that the French government would not hear their requests for individual rights and religious freedoms, they rose up.  I see the same thing happening in America today.  The calls for secession grow louder every day the government ignores the will of the people.  I know many of us will continue to try and work through and with our current government to make sure our Constitutional freedoms are upheld.  However, if the time comes when it becomes clear the government is no longer willing to listen, we must be prepared.

I thought I'd share the words from the song that inspired this post:

Do You Hear The People Sing?

Do you hear the people sing,
singing the song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
echoes the beating of the drums,
there is a life about to start
when tomorrow comes.

Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Beyond the barricade
is there a world you long to see?
Then join in the fight
that will give you the right
to be free!

Will you give all you can give
so that our banner may advance?
Some will fall and some will live,
will you stand up and take your chance?
The blood of the martyrs
will water the meadows of France!

Do you hear the people sing,
singing the songs of angry men?
It is the music of a people
who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
echoes the beating of the drums,
there is a life about to start
when tomorrow comes!