It's the Same Old Song II

I like to do this once in a while: tell the story behind a song's lyrics which then colors the song in a different way. Like the song says "It's the same old song/But with a different meaning..."

Sometimes I consider posting a week of great song lyrics by lyricists I consider geniuses, because a great song lyric is indistinguishable from poetry. Lorenz Hart is one of the people I'd feature. He had great success with his writing partner Richard Rodgers, but his life was a tortured one, struggling with alcoholism and the shame of his homosexuality in those primitive days in the early 20th century when gay's felt the need to hide. He died, alone, of pnumonia in 1943 at the age of 48. In 1937, he wrote a love song in the voice of a clear-eyed cynic hopelessly resigned to his affection. It is one of the most pointedly unromantic yet passionate love songs ever written. The lyrics haunt.

It has always been seen as part of a woman's repetoire, but the words don't seem to fit the attitude of a woman's. It's the sad despairing love song of one man for another, but its author could never use it as such.


My Funny Valentine
Music-R. Rodgers Lyrics-L. Hart From "Babes in Arms," 1937

Behold the way
our fine-feathered friend
His virtue doth parade.
Thou knowest not, my dim-witted friend
The picture thou hast made.
Thy vacant brow and thy tousled hair
Conseal thy good intent.
Thou noble, upright, truthful, sincere
And slightly dopey gent,

You're my funny valentine.
Sweet comic valentine.
You make me smile with my heart.
Your looks are laughable,
Unphotographable
Yet, you're my fav'rite work of art.
Is your figure less than Greek?
Is your mouth a little weak
When you open it to speak,
Are you smart?
But don't change a hair for me,
Not if you care for me.
Stay little valentine, stay.
Each day is Valentine's Day.

K.'s home! Happy Yalentine's Day.
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Addendum: 02-25-07:
More thoughts--One more thing to love about the song-the author hides his emotions behind a superior intellectualism in the opening then expresses them openly. It's here that Rodgers shines. Those opening bars are baroque-sprightly, then the music dips like a high-dive to "My Funny Valentine" in a minor key. The music builds to emotional confessions in "You make me smile with my heart" "Are you smart" and the crescendo of "Stay, little valentine, stay" (all lines end with a sustained note). The other lines are musical stepping stones to those heartfelt expressions, and makes the singing of the song a bit like climbing Everest. A truly amazing song.