1823, MONTREUIL-SUR-MER. OUTSIDE THE
FACTORY OWNED BY THE MAYOR, MONSIEUR
MADELAINE (Jean VAljean in disguise).
THE POOR
At the end of the day you'r another day
older
And that's all you can say for the life of the
poor
It's a struggle, it's a war
And there's nothing that anyone's giving
One more day standing about
What is it for?
One day less to be living!
At the end of the day you're another day
colder
And the shirt on your back doesn't keep out
the chill
And the righteous hurry past
They don't hear the little ones crying
And the winter is coming on fast
Ready to kill
One da nearer to dying!
At the end of the day there's another day
dawning
And the sun in the morning is waiting to
rise
Like the waves crash on the sand
Like a storm that'll break any second
There's a hunger in the land
There's a reckoning still to be reckoned
and
There's gonna be hell to pay
At the end of the day!
THE FOREMAN AND WORKERS, INCLUDING
FANTINE HAVE EMERGED FROM THE FACTORY.
FOREMAN
At the end of the day you get nothing for
nothing
itting flat on your butt dosen't buy any
bread.
WORKER 1
There are children back at home
WORKER 1 & 2
And the children have got to be fed
WORKER 2
And you're lucky to be in a job
WOMAN
And in a bed
WORKERS
And we're counting our blessings!
GIRL 2
Have you seen how the foreman is fuming
today
With his terrible breath and his wandering
hands?
GIRL 3
It's because little Fantine won't give him his
way
GIRL 1
Take a look at his trousers, you'll see where
he sands!
GIRL 4
And the boss, he never knows
That the foreman is always in heat
GIRL 3
If Fantine dosen'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.
GRABBING A LETTER FROM FANTINE.
GIRL
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
mor money... your child needs a
doctor... There's no time to lose...."'
FANTINE
Give that letter to me
It is none of your buisness
With a husband at home
And abit on the side!
Is there anyone here
Who can swear befor God
She has nothing to fear?
She has nothing to hide?
THEY FIGHT OVER THE LETTER. VALJEAN RUSHES
ON TO BREAK UP THE SQUABBLE.
VALJEAN
What is this fighting all about?
Will someone tear these two apart
This is a factory, not a circus.
Come on ladies, settle down
I run a buisness of repute
I am the Mayor ot this town
TO FOREMAN
I look to you to sort this out
And be as patient as you can.
HE GOES BACK TO THE FACTORY.
FOREMAN
Now someone say how this begun!
GIRL
At the end of the day
She's the one who begun it!
There's a kid that she's hiding
In some little town.
There's aman 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 WORKERS
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 nor ugrin' in the night!
GIRL
She's been laughing at you
While she's having her men.
WOMEN
She'll be nothing but trouble agian and
again.
WOMAN
You must sack her today.
ALL WORKERS
Sack the girl today.
FOREMAN
Right, my girl. On your way!