My Funny Valentine /
My Funny Love Story
Most people see My Funny Valentine as nothing more than a very beautiful love song, listening to it without noticing what makes it so unique: it is addressed to a woman whose face is disharmonious, and when she opens her mouth, what comes out is anything but brilliant. A declaration of love to someone unattractive and rather dull, really? We are certainly far from the classic, conventional love song. But the flaws of the loved one are merely pointed out and then dismissed: when you love, you take the person as they are, and their flaws only make you smile.
In My Funny Love Story, the loved one's flaw is of a different type: we are dealing with someone who is completely useless at flirting, at romantic approaches; someone from whom you could never elicit the slightest sweet word, incapable of any romanticism. I needed this variation on the same theme to convey, in French, the humor and message of this great classic song. But, in my opinion, the spirit is preserved, as it is still a declaration of love to someone who might not have the best assets to make someone fall for them.
My Funny Valentine is from the musical Babes in Arms; in the musical, it is preceded by a sung introduction written in a pompous old English, which creates a comic effect. I wrote an introduction for My Funny Love Story in a similar style, that makes you smile because of the contrast between a polished language (use of the simple past tense, a verb tense that is now neglected in French) and the use of cruder or more colloquial words.
My Funny Valentine
Written by
Richard Rogers & Lorenz Hart
(INTRO) 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 / Conceal thy good intent / Thou noble upright truthful sincere / And slightly dopey gent
My funny Valentine / Sweet comic Valentine / You make me smile with my heart
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Your looks are laughable / Unphotographable / Yet you’re my favorite 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
My Funny Love Story
French kiss by
François Godin
(INTRO) Si longtemps nous sortîmes ensemble / Et certes, nous baisâmes / De choses et d’autres tu m’entretins / Mais sans m’ouvrir ton âme / Les sentiments, s’il faut t’en croire / Ça n’est jamais très net / En parler te paraît inutile / Et même un peu... tapette
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Sans m’avoir fait la cour / Sans prendre de détours / Tu m’as dit : « Bon... est-ce qu’on s’aime ? / [ ajouté : Il faudrait savoir… » ]
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Sans y mettre les formes / Sans plus de décorum / Je t’ai dit : « Mais... te gêne pas ! / [ ajouté : C’est permis d’y croire... » ]
Beau début de love story / J’ai crié : « Tous aux abris ! » / Si l’amour est poésie / Quel ratage !
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Depuis, je suis ton chéri / Sans que tu me dises « chéri » / Comme tu crains les mots doux / N’empêche, tu me donnes tout
My Funny Love Story
Translation of the
French adaptation
(INTRO) We went out together for so long / And certainly, we kissed / You talked to me about this and that / But without opening your soul to me / Feelings, if I’m to believe you / Are never very clear / Talking about it seems useless to you / And even a little... faggy
Without having courted me / Without taking any detours / You said to me: “Well... do we love each other? / [added: You should know…”]
Without making a fuss / Without furher decorum / I told you: “Oh... How nice it would be/ [added: If we said yes…” ]
What a nice start to a love story / I shouted: “Everyone take cover!” / If love is poetry / What a failure!
Since then, I have been your darling / Without you ever saying “darling” to me / You really are afraid of sweet words / Still, you give me everything
The voice/piano demos of the French versions were recorded for the strict purpose of presenting my adaptation work. No broadcasting or public sharing on social networks, media or any other platform is authorized.
Any recording or public presentation by third parties of the songs in their French version is subject to my authorization as well as that of the rights holders of the original song.
