LYRICS
[Fantine is left alone, unemployed and destitute]
[FANTINE]
There was a time when men were kind
When their voices were soft
And their words inviting
There was a time when love was blind
And the world was a song
And the song was exciting
There was a time
Then it all went wrong
I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving
Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung, no wine untasted
But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
As they turn your dream to shame
He slept a summer by my side
He filled my days with endless wonder
He took my childhood in his stride
But he was gone when autumn came
And still I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather
I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.
And we're counting our blessings!
[WOMAN TWO]
Have you seen how the foreman is fuming today?
With his terrible breath and his wandering hands?
[WOMAN THREE]
It's because little Fantine won't give him his way
[WOMAN ONE]
Take a look at his trousers, you'll see where he stands!
[WOMAN FOUR]
And the boss, he never knows
That the foreman is always in heat
[WOMAN THREE]
If Fantine doesn't look out
Watch how she goes
She'll be out on the street!
[WORKERS]
At the end of the day it's another day over
With enough in your pocket to last for a week
Pay the landlord, pay the shop
Keep on grafting as long as you're able
Keep on grafting till you drop
Or it's back to the crumbs off the table
You've got to pay your way
At the end of the day!
[GIRL (Grabbing a letter from Fantine)]
And what have we here, little innocent sister?
Come on Fantine, let's have all the news!
[Reading the letter]
Ooh..."Dear Fantine you must send us more money...
Your child needs a doctor...
There's no time to lose..."
[FANTINE]
Give that letter to me
It is none of your business
With a husband at home
And a bit on the side!
Is there anyone here
Who can swear before God
She has nothing to fear?
She has nothing to hide?
[They fight over the letter. Valjean (M. Madeleine) rushes on to break up the squabble.]
[VALJEAN]
Will someone tear these two apart
What is this fighting all about?
This is a factory, not a circus!
Now, come on ladies, settle down
I run a business of repute
I am the Mayor of this town
[To the foreman]
I look to you to sort this out
And be as patient as you can-
[He goes back into the factory]
[FOREMAN]
Now someone say how this began!
[GIRL]
At the end of the day
She's the one who began it!
There's a kid that she's hiding
In some little town
There's a man she has to pay
You can guess how she picks up the extra
You can bet she's earning her keep
Sleeping around
And the boss wouldn't like it!
[FANTINE]
Yes it's true there's a child
And the child is my daughter
And her father abandoned us
Leaving us flat
Now she lives with an innkeeper man
And his wife
And I pay for the child
What's the matter with that?
[WOMEN]
At the end of the day
She'll be nothing but trouble
And there's trouble for all
When there's trouble for one!
While we're earning our daily bread
She's the one with her hands in the butter
You must send the slut away
Or we're all gonna end in the gutter
And it's us who'll have to pay
At the end of the day!
[FOREMAN]
I might have known the bitch could bite
I might have known the cat had claws
I might have guessed your little secret
Ah yes, the virtuous Fantine
Who keeps herself so pure and clean
You'd be the cause I had no doubt
Of any trouble hereabout
You play a virgin in the light
But need no urgin' in the night.
[GIRL]
She's been laughing at you
While she's having her men
[WOMEN]
She'll be nothing but trouble again and again
[WOMAN]
You must sack her today
[WORKERS]
Sack the girl today!
[FOREMAN]
Right my girl. On your way!
[FANTINE]
There was a time when men were kind
When their voices were soft
And their words inviting
There was a time when love was blind
And the world was a song
And the song was exciting
There was a time
Then it all went wrong
I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving
Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung, no wine untasted
But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
As they turn your dream to shame
He slept a summer by my side
He filled my days with endless wonder
He took my childhood in his stride
But he was gone when autumn came
And still I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather
I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.
And we're counting our blessings!
[WOMAN TWO]
Have you seen how the foreman is fuming today?
With his terrible breath and his wandering hands?
[WOMAN THREE]
It's because little Fantine won't give him his way
[WOMAN ONE]
Take a look at his trousers, you'll see where he stands!
[WOMAN FOUR]
And the boss, he never knows
That the foreman is always in heat
[WOMAN THREE]
If Fantine doesn't look out
Watch how she goes
She'll be out on the street!
[WORKERS]
At the end of the day it's another day over
With enough in your pocket to last for a week
Pay the landlord, pay the shop
Keep on grafting as long as you're able
Keep on grafting till you drop
Or it's back to the crumbs off the table
You've got to pay your way
At the end of the day!
[GIRL (Grabbing a letter from Fantine)]
And what have we here, little innocent sister?
Come on Fantine, let's have all the news!
[Reading the letter]
Ooh..."Dear Fantine you must send us more money...
Your child needs a doctor...
There's no time to lose..."
[FANTINE]
Give that letter to me
It is none of your business
With a husband at home
And a bit on the side!
Is there anyone here
Who can swear before God
She has nothing to fear?
She has nothing to hide?
[They fight over the letter. Valjean (M. Madeleine) rushes on to break up the squabble.]
[VALJEAN]
Will someone tear these two apart
What is this fighting all about?
This is a factory, not a circus!
Now, come on ladies, settle down
I run a business of repute
I am the Mayor of this town
[To the foreman]
I look to you to sort this out
And be as patient as you can-
[He goes back into the factory]
[FOREMAN]
Now someone say how this began!
[GIRL]
At the end of the day
She's the one who began it!
There's a kid that she's hiding
In some little town
There's a man she has to pay
You can guess how she picks up the extra
You can bet she's earning her keep
Sleeping around
And the boss wouldn't like it!
[FANTINE]
Yes it's true there's a child
And the child is my daughter
And her father abandoned us
Leaving us flat
Now she lives with an innkeeper man
And his wife
And I pay for the child
What's the matter with that?
[WOMEN]
At the end of the day
She'll be nothing but trouble
And there's trouble for all
When there's trouble for one!
While we're earning our daily bread
She's the one with her hands in the butter
You must send the slut away
Or we're all gonna end in the gutter
And it's us who'll have to pay
At the end of the day!
[FOREMAN]
I might have known the bitch could bite
I might have known the cat had claws
I might have guessed your little secret
Ah yes, the virtuous Fantine
Who keeps herself so pure and clean
You'd be the cause I had no doubt
Of any trouble hereabout
You play a virgin in the light
But need no urgin' in the night.
[GIRL]
She's been laughing at you
While she's having her men
[WOMEN]
She'll be nothing but trouble again and again
[WOMAN]
You must sack her today
[WORKERS]
Sack the girl today!
[FOREMAN]
Right my girl. On your way!
