The song is a lament, sung by the anguished, dying, and impoverished Fantine, who thinks back to happier days and wonders at all that has gone wrong in her life.
The song is a lament, sung by the anguished, dying Fantine, who has just been fired from her job at the factory and thrown onto the streets. She thinks back to happier days and wonders at all that has gone wrong in her life.