不贅述我有多麼喜愛《悲慘世界》這個故事和各版本的演出，從前最喜歡《Little fall of rain》還有《on my own》淒淒惶惶的孤單，前幾年看了Hugh Jackman的最新電影版，突然被《Empty Chairs at Empty Tables》這首歌驚到，雖然對電影裡演Marius的男孩沒有特別喜惡，但當下依然可以感受他的傷痛。在電影院自然是哭到不行了。

看完電影後再去聽歌劇曲目，被擊中靈魂催人心腸的是Michael Ball的《Empty Chairs at Empty Tables》，而且是在1995年10週年的那段演出（Les Miserables-10th Anniversary Concert），Michael ball的歌聲，無可形容，句句擊中你的靈魂，驚醒你的感覺，真的可以感受到There's a grief that can't be spoken，歌聲渾厚深情溫潤悲傷，層層堆疊，把一顆心都蹂得碎了。每回聽到oh my friends my friends don't ask me......眼淚都會飆出來。完美的程度當然是遠勝電影裡的那位男孩，就連Michael ball自己，好像也沒能再超越1995這個版本，對這首歌而言。

後來我又聽到一首《When you tell me that you love me》，縱然也有其他歌手的演唱版本，但相較之下，還是最愛Michael ball的詮釋，聽起來是那麼溫柔，而感情豐滿，不浮誇不虛華，讓人覺得溫馨感動，緊緊貼著你的心房走過。縱有悲傷也只是低低飲泣，不是嚎啕大哭。。

youtube竟有悲慘世界10週年完整版，值得細細欣賞。Michael Ball的《Empty Chairs at Empty Tables》在2:00:00的地方。

（同場推薦Michael Ball and Lesley Garrett / Phantom of the Opera，聽過Michael Ball的版本，再也聽不下其他人．．．）

Empty Chairs at Empty Tables

There's a grief that can't be spoken
There's a pain goes on and on
Empty chairs at empty tables
Now my friends are dead and gone

Here they talked of revolution
Here it was they lit the flame
Here they sang about tomorrow
And tomorrow never came

From the table in the corner
They could see a world reborn
And they rose with voices ringing
I can hear them now
The very words that they had sung
Became their last communion
On the lonely barricade at dawn

Oh my friends, my friends forgive me

(The ghosts of those who died on the barricade appear)

That I live and you are gone
There's a grief that can't be spoken
There's a pain goes on and on

Phantom faces at the window
Phantom shadows on the floor
Empty chairs at empty tables
now my friends will meet no more

(The ghosts fade away)

Oh my friends, my friends, don't ask me
What your sacrifice was for
Empty chairs at empty tables
now my friends will sing no more

2016.4.29