Julie Andrews got her big break when her stepfather introduced her to Val Parnell, whose Moss Empires controlled prominent venues in London. Andrews made her professional solo debut at the London Hippodrome singing the difficult aria "Je Suis Titania" from Mignon as part of a musical revue called "Starlight Roof" on 22 October 1947.
Andrews gained fame at a young age in 1950s Britain by acting and singing on light entertainment radio programmes such as "Educating Archie". She rose to international prominence after starring in Broadway musicals such as My Fair Lady and Camelot, as well as musical films like Mary Poppins (1964) and The Sound of Music (1965).
Andrews had a major revival of her film career in the 2000s, in children's films such as The Princess Diaries (2001), its sequel The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004), and the Shrek animated films (2004-2007). In 2005, Andrews made her debut as a stage director with a revival of The Boy Friend, in which she also made her Broadway acting debut in 1954.
She was married with Blake Edwards in 1965 until his death in 2010.
My Funny Valentine
Julie Andrews Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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 are...
My funny valentine, sweet comic valentine
You make me smile with my heart
Your looks are laughable, un-photographable
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
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
The lyrics of My Funny Valentine are a blend of contradictions. The song is essentially an ode to the imperfect, the flawed, and the unconventional. The opening lines describe a "fine feathered friend" who parades his "virtue"- a thinly veiled reference to someone who is superficially attractive but lacks substance. However, despite the singer's apparent disdain for these qualities, she goes on to describe them in almost loving terms- his "vacant brow, tousled hair" that hides his "noble upright truthful sincere" nature. In a way, the singer seems to be saying that what's on the surface isn't important- what matters is what's inside.
The chorus of the song is a declaration of affection for this "funny" valentine- a person who may not fit the traditional idea of beauty or intelligence, but who nevertheless captures the singer's heart. Her love for him is all-consuming- he makes her "smile with [her] heart," and she sees him as her favorite work of art, despite his un-photographable looks. The final lines of the song reinforce the idea that what's inside is the most important thing- the singer asks her valentine to stay just the way he is, flaws and all, because every day is Valentine's Day when they're together.
Line by Line Meaning
Behold the way our fine feathered friend
Take a look at how our bird friend shows off his good qualities.
His virtue doth parade
He displays his moral excellence.
Thou knowest not, my dim-witted friend
You may not understand, my foolish friend.
The picture thou hast made
The way you behave.
Thy vacant brow, and thy tousled hair
Your empty-headedness and messy hair.
Conceal thy good intent
Hides your good intentions.
Thou noble upright truthful sincere
You are a noble, honest, and sincere person.
And slightly dopey gent, you are...
Although you may be a bit foolish.
My funny valentine, sweet comic valentine
My beloved, funny, comic, silly partner.
You make me smile with my heart
You bring joy to my heart and make me happy.
Your looks are laughable, un-photographable
Your appearance is not conventionally attractive, but that doesn't matter to me.
Yet, you're my favorite work of art
I find you to be the most wonderful and beautiful thing in my life.
Is your figure less than Greek?
Is your body not the epitome of physical perfection?
Is your mouth a little weak?
Is your voice not particularly strong or assertive?
When you open it to speak
When you start talking.
Are you smart?
Do you possess intelligence?
But, don't change a hair for me
Don't alter any part of who you are for my sake.
Not if you care for me
If you truly love me, you won't change a thing about yourself.
Stay little valentine, stay
Remain just the way you are, my beloved.
Each day is Valentine's Day
Every day is special to me as if it were Valentine's Day.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dimitris Span
A TRUE AND AUTHENTIC PERFORMANCE !!!
....
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING MISS JULIE ANDREWS
Curly Sue
So beautiful face and voice!❤️❤️❤️ Thank you .
claudette mousseau
A feast for eyes and ears... simply the best