My Funny Valentine
Bárbra Streisand Lyrics

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Be hold 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

You're my funny valentine
Sweet comic valentine
You make me smile with my heart
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!

Overall Meaning

In Barbra Streisand's song My Funny Valentine, the lyrics capture the sentiment of finding beauty in imperfections. The opening lines describe a bird strutting its stuff, unaware of how comical it appears, prompting the songwriter to reflect on how appearances can be deceiving. The lyrics go on to address a love interest whom the singer finds endearing despite their unconventional looks and perhaps even their intelligence, emphasizing that beauty is not always found in a traditional sense.

The chorus of the song cements this message, as Streisand sings that the object of her affection is her "funny valentine" – someone who makes her smile and is her favorite work of art, despite their unconventional looks. The lyrics ask questions about what society perceives as "attractive" - questioning whether the love interest's figure and speech patterns are not conventionally desirable, but in the end, ultimately rejecting the idea that the subject of the song needs to change for the singer's affections to stay firm. The final line reinforces the idea of love in its purest form - every day is Valentine's Day when you love someone for who they are.

Line by Line Meaning

Behold the way our fine feathered friend
Look at how the bird shows off his virtues.

His virtue doth parade
He shows his virtues openly for all to see.

Thou knowest not my dim witted friend
You don't understand my foolish friend.

The picture thou hast made
The way you present yourself.

Thy vacant brow and thy tousled hair
Your empty stare and messy hair.

Conceal thy good intent
Hide your true intentions.

Thou noble upright, truthful, sincere
You are an honorable and honest person.

And slightly dopey gent
But you can be a bit foolish at times.

You're my funny valentine
You may be funny and quirky, but you are my valentine.

Sweet comic valentine
You are sweet and funny, my valentine.

You make me smile with my heart
You make me smile from the inside.