Lovely Ladies

Won't you say? Will you tell?

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"Lovely Ladies"

Information
Composer	Claude-Michel Schönberg
Lyricist	Herbert Kretzmer
Performers	Fantine
Song Order
Previous	"The Runaway Cart" (2012 film) "I Dreamed a Dream" (musical)
Next	"I Dreamed a Dream" (2012 film) "Fantine's Arrest" (musical)

"Lovely Ladies" (also known in the 2012 film as "The Docks") takes place in 1823, Montreuil-sur-Mer, on the docks with sailors, whores, pimps, etc. Fantine wanders in after being fired from the factory for being revealed to be an illegitimate mother. In order to get money to feed Cosette, she sells her locket, hair, two of her front teeth and later becomes a prostitute.

The lyrics were written by Herbert Kretzmer.

Lyrics[]

Sailor 1:

I smell women
Smell 'em in the air.
Think I'll drop my anchor
In that harbour over there.

Sailor 2:

Lovely ladies
Smell 'em through the smoke
Seven days at sea
Can make you hungry for a poke.

Sailor 3:

Even stokers need a little stoke!

Women:

Lovely ladies
Waiting for a bite
Waiting for the customers
Who only come at night
Lovely ladies
Ready for the call
Standing up or lying down
Or any way at all.
Bargain prices up against the wall.

Old Woman:

Come here, my dear
Let's see this trinket you wear
This bagatelle...

Fantine:

Madame, I'll sell it to you!

Old Woman:

I'll give you four.

Fantine:

That wouldn't pay for the chain!

Old Woman:

I'll give you five. You're far too eager to sell.
It's up to you.

Fantine:

It's all I have.

Old Woman:

That's not my fault.

Fantine:

Please make it ten.

Old Woman:

No more than five.
My dear, we all must stay alive.

Women:

Lovely ladies
Waiting in the dark
Ready for a thick one
Or a quick one in the park.

Whore 1:

Long time, short time
Anytime, my dear.
Cost a little extra if you want to take all year.

All:

Quick and cheap is underneath the pier!

Crone:

What pretty hair!
What pretty locks you got there.
What luck you got.
It's worth a centime, my dear
I'll take the lot.

Fantine:

Don't touch me! Leave me alone!

Crone:

Let's make a price. I'll give you all of ten francs,
Just think of that!

Fantine:

It pays a debt.

Crone:

Just think of that.

Fantine:

What can I do? It pays a debt.
Ten francs may save my poor Cosette!

Sailor 3:

Lovely lady!
Fastest on the street.
Wasn't there three minutes
She was back up on her feet.

Sailor 1:

Lovely lady!
What yer waiting for?
Doesn't take a lot of savvy.
Just to be a whore.
Come on lady,
What's a lady for?

Pimp:

Gimme the dirt
Who’s that bit over there?

Whore 1:

A bit of skirt
She’s the one sold her hair She's got a kid
Sends her all that she can.

Pimp:

I might've known
There is always some man
Lovely lady, come along and join us,
Lovely lady!

Whore 1:

Come on, dearie, why all the fuss?
You're no grander than the rest of us.
Life has dropped you at the bottom of the heap.
Join your sisters. Make money in your sleep!

Whore 2:

That's right dearie
Let 'im have the lot.

Whore 3:

That's right dearie
Show him what you've got!

Women:

Old men, young men, take 'em as they come,
Harbour rats and alley cats and every kind of scum.
Poor men, rich men, leaders of the land,
See them with their trousers off they're never quite as grand
All it takes is money in your hand!

Lovely ladies
Going for a song
Got a lot of callers
But they never stay for long.

Fantine:

Come on, Captain, you can wear your shoes
Don't it make a change,
To have a girl who can't refuse?
Easy money
Lying on a bed.
Just as well they never see the hate
That's in your head!
Don't they know
They're making love to one already dead!

Trivia[]

The song is also known as "Tu Viens, Chéri" (Come On, Dear) in the 1991 Paris revival, "Los Muelles: Chicas Guapas" (The Docks: Beautiful Girls) in the Spanish production, "Leichte Mädels" in the German production and "Lekkere Meiden" in the Dutch production. This translates roughly to "Tasty Girls".
The song is substantially shortened in the tenth anniversary concert. Every line from "Come here my dear" up until "Quick and cheap is underneath the pier!" as well as every line between "Lovely lady/fastest on the street!" and "That's right dearie/Show them what you've got!" is cut.
The first part "This bagatelle...," was cut in the film, but Fantine still sold her hair and was given ten francs for it. She also sold her front teeth for forty francs, a detail from the novel.
In the 2012 movie Fantine sells two of her back teeth.
In Polish Roma Theater version the track is titled "Miłe panie" ("Nice ladies")
In new productions Fantine sings Tell me captain, did you wear your shoes instead of Come on, Captain, you can wear your shoes.

Lovely Ladies

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