Musically, the song is a "perfect pastiche" of the cabaret and musical theater styles Poulenc had loved since his youth. It is characterized by its lyrical beauty, clarity, and expressive nuance.

Originally, the song was not intended as a standalone recital piece but as part of the incidental music for Jean Anouilh’s play Léocadia . The play tells the story of a young prince obsessed with the memory of a woman he knew for only three days; a young woman is eventually hired to impersonate her and bring him back to reality.

: These are set in C-sharp minor , evoking a sense of lost love and melancholy.