Can anyone explain the first part of the song At the End of the Day from Les Miserables?
The first part of the song reflects the reality of their situation. They are poor, suffering, and are doomed to death by their birth and lifestyle. The lyrics go: “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!” It may seem optimistic, but it represents how the people want something to look forward to, a reason to keep going. That part also refers to “hunger in the land” reflecting how the people can’t take anything more and they want to break out of the cycle. “There’s gonna be hell to pay” because later a revolution is started by the people as they try to fight for the future. There’s another day dawning because at the end of the show there will be a battle for their lives.
