Before Susan Boyle sang this on Britain’s Got Talent, Elaine Paige gave life to one of the most memorable characters on West End – the down-trodden Fantine of “Les Miserables”.
Caissie Levy as Fantine in the 2014 revival of “Les Miserables”
Several theater actresses have played this role. Regardless, most “Les Miz” fans still sing along to this ballad. After seeing Anne Hathaway sing this onscreen, some girls have started humming along to this song after a bad haircut. So just in case you’re having second thoughts after finding out that you’re favorite hairdresser is not around, learn these lyrics
[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
Madalena Alberto playing Fantine in the UK Tour version
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.
Screenshot from Theater Mania’s YouTube channel
Singing along brings to mind several versions that you may compare yourself with (well, I wish). But not all versions sing this after the haircut so there’s your cue. I would still prefer though the versions that sang this prior to Fantine selling her hair.
Who would have thought singing along to some hit musical tunes would help you in making decisions? Some tips get included once in awhile in our articles. So go click “like” on our official Facebook page, MusicalsOnline.com, and follow us on Twitter @musicalsnews. Thanks for reading.
