Gabriel Yared (Arabic: جبرائيل يارد) (born 7 October 1949) is a Lebanese-Fr… Read Full Bio ↴Gabriel Yared (Arabic: جبرائيل يارد) (born 7 October 1949) is a Lebanese-French composer, best known for his work in French and American cinema.

Born in Beirut, Lebanon, his work in France included the scores for Betty Blue and Camille Claudel. He later began working with American film directors, winning an Oscar for his score for The English Patient and a nomination for The Talented Mr. Ripley and Cold Mountain.

In 2004, Yared's score to the movie Troy, with a song by Tanja Tzarovska, was rejected due to the poor reception it received in a test screening. It was replaced with one by James Horner.

Biography:

At the age of 7, his father sent Yared to an accordion teacher. Two years later he stopped his accordion lessons and started music theory and piano lessons. His piano teacher thought that he had no future in music.

Although he was not a natural pianist, he was interested in reading music.

At the age of 14, Yared's piano teacher died, so he was to replace his teacher as the organist at Saint Joseph University. During this time, Yared used the University library to read all the work of Bach, Schumann, and many others. This extensive reading inspired his first original composition, a piano waltz.

Yared completed a degree in Law. His formal musical education only began when he travelled to France in 1969, and attended the École Normale de Musique de Paris as a non-registered student. There he learned the rules of music composition from Henri Dutilleux.

At the end of 1971, Yared went to Brazil to visit his uncle. There, the president of the World Federation of light music festivals asked him to write a song to represent the Lebanese in the Rio de Janeiro Song Festival. His song won the first prize. During his time in Brazil, Yared performed with his small orchestra. Yared says that Brazil has greatly influenced his work.

When Yared returned to France, he met the Costa Brothers and collaborated with them. In the six years following his return, Yared wrote three thousand orchestrations.

Not to be limited to orchestrating, Yared collaborated with Jacques Dutronc, Françoise Hardy, Charles Aznavour, Mireille Mathieu, and others. Since 1980 Yared has continued working with a variety of musicians and has contributed to radio and TV jingles, such as the one for TF1 news.

My Funny Valentine
Gabriel Yared Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

My funny valentine, sweet comic valentine
You make me smile with my heart

You're 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

The lyrics of Gabriel Yared's My Funny Valentine bear the mark of many beautiful love songs of the past. However, its poetic elements stood out, making it a uniquely captivating and intriguing song. In the first verse, the singer expresses how his lover's idiosyncrasies and sense of humor make him feel happy and touched. The sweet comic valentine, who has a unique sense of humor, brings joy to the singer's heart, even though their appearance may not be traditionally beautiful or picturesque.

The second verse talks about the lover's beauty, and how it is not easy to describe. Their looks are laughable and unphotographable, which is a description that might not match the typical beauty standards. Despite this, the singer loves his valentine, regardless of their appearance. He considers his lover to be a masterpiece, or rather, his favourite work of art. The final verse describes how the singer loves his valentine just the way they are. They may not be a perfect match for society, but that doesn't matter. Whether their figure is less than Greek or if their mouth is a little weak, it doesn't change the fact that the singer loves them. The song ends with a very romantic and heartwarming message- for the singer, every day is Valentine's Day when he is with his beloved partner.

Line by Line Meaning

My funny valentine, sweet comic valentine
You're my unique and hilarious romantic partner who brings sweetness to my life

You make me smile with my heart
Your presence alone uplifts me emotionally and fills me with joy

You're looks are laughable, unphotographable
You have unusual physical features that are distinctively attractive but cannot be captured in a photo

Yet you're my favorite work of art
Despite society's beauty standards, you are my preferred artwork because you have an exceptional individuality that I adore

Is your figure less than Greek? Is your mouth a little weak?
Your appearance may not fit the idealized Greek standards or your voice may be feeble from time to time, but it doesn't matter because I love you as you are

When you open it to speak, are you smart?
I love hearing what you have to say because you come across as intelligent, witty and sharp

But don't change a hair for me, not if you care for me
Please don't transform yourself into someone else's ideal for my benefit, because I love you the way you are

Stay little valentine, stay
Stay with me because our love is precious and every day we spend together is worth cherishing

Each day is Valentine's Day
Every day is a celebration of our love and I don't need a special occasion to express my love for you

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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