Do You Hear the People Sing? Do You Hear the People Sing? "Do You Hear the People Sing?" ("À la volonté du peuple", "The people's will", in the original French version) is one of the principal and most recognisable songs from the musical "Les Misérables". It is sung twice in the stage musical. The song is first sung in Act I by Enjolras and the other students at the ABC Cafe as they prepare themselves to launch a rebellion in the streets of Paris during the funeral procession of General Jean Maximilien Lamarque. The song is sung again in the finale as the final song of
Do You Hear What I Hear? music in October 1962. This was an unusual arrangement for the two writers. Usually it was Shayne who wrote the lyrics for their songs while Regney composed the music, as they did when they wrote a song based on the classic children's song "Rain Rain Go Away". Regney was inspired to write the lyrics "Said the night wind to the little lamb, 'Do you see what I see?'" and "Pray for peace, people everywhere" after watching babies being pushed in strollers on the sidewalks of New York City. Shayne stated in an interview years later that neither could personally perform