I dreamed a dream in time gone by When hope was high And life woth 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.
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.
***************************** I Dreamed a Dream
I Dreamed a Dream is a renowned solo sung by Fantine during the first act.
Most of the music is soft and melancholy, but towards the end becomes louder and taut with frustration and anguish; as she cries aloud about the wretched state of her life and her unfair mistreatment.
Overview
The lyrics are about lost innocence and broken dreams. Fantine is abandoned by her lover, gives birth to a daughter, Cosette, out of wedlock, is wrongly dismissed from a desperately-needed job, and forced into prostitution to survive and to support her daughter. It is sung directly after "At the End of the Day".
Relation to "On My Own"
Both the plot and music to "I Dreamed a Dream" bears a close resemblance to "On My Own", a solo sung by Éponine in Act II of the play. The two can in many ways be considered reprises of each other.
Some notable relations include:
* "I Dreamed a Dream" starts in Eb Major, then E Minor, then F Major - "On My Own" starts in D Major, moving to Bb Major, and ending in F Major. * "I Dreamed a Dream,” outlines unfairness and woe in Fantine's life, the second half dedicated to her former male partner, who deserted her after the conception of Cosette. In "On My Own," Éponine outlines her desire to be with the character Marius, and (similarly to Fantine), dreams and imagines him by her side. * Near the one-minute mark (slightly after in "I Dreamed a Dream"), the final key signature change is made and the music and singing grows louder and more intense, as is done in On My Own. * When Éponine sings her solo, it is the same tune as "Come to Me" also sang by Fantine. * Similarly, the duet between Cosette and Marius in "One Day More" is the same tune as Fantine's "I Dreamed a Dream", though higher/lower in pitch and accented differently: their words are of happiness, a great contrast to Éponine and Fantine.
French Versions
* 1980 Original French Version - This song is known as J'avais rêvé d'une autre vie (I Dreamed of Another Life). * 1991 Parisian Revival Version - This song is known as J'avais rêvé (I Dreamed).
