Valentine`s Day is taken from the album “Za Bakdaz”, or “The Unfinished Ope… Read Full Bio ↴Valentine`s Day is taken from the album “Za Bakdaz”, or “The Unfinished Opera” (2008 Heliocentric Records). Klaus Nomi was working on this album before he died in 1983.

The album was released 24 years after his death.
Za Bakdaz was not near completion, but was been reconstructed from the unfinished songs and vocals of Nomi, by friends and producers.

Valentine's Day
Klaus Nomi Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Miscellaneous
Valentines Day
Love hearts exchanging with tongues passing movement
Making the single ones eke
Searching the streets for cupids spare arrow
Because my future looks bleak
Down-trodden luck in self centered answers
When no is the nicest reply

Four walls subsiding in my head, which is confused
Think im ready to die
Valentines Day, It just gets in the way
My heart hurts like a broken bone
Valentines Day, How can i celebrate
When im going to bed all alone
The build up is numbing for 24 hours
And I celebrate when it ends
The lonely ones cry or tend to smile
An nonsensitive message it sends
Cards being swapped and flowers being topped off
With chocolate shaped as hearts
My only thought, as the lucky kids taunt
How a ludicrous idea like this starts
Valentines Day, It just gets in the way
My heart hurts like a broken bone
Valentines Day, How can I celebrate
When im going to bed all alone

Miscellaneous
Valentines Day

Overall Meaning

Klaus Nomi's song Valentine's Day is a poignant reflection on the experience of being alone on a day that is traditionally dedicated to celebrating love between couples. The lyrics paint a picture of a world in which love is the currency of the day, with "love hearts exchanging with tongues passing movement" and "cupids spare arrow" being sought out by those who have yet to find their own Valentine. The singer's own experience is one of desolation and isolation, with "four walls subsiding in my head" and a feeling of confusion that leads him to believe that he is "ready to die."

Despite the apparent bleakness of the song's message, there is a sense of defiance here too. The repeated refrain, "Valentine's Day, it just gets in the way," suggests that the singer is not entirely taken in by the romance and commercialism of the day. He sees through the veneer of chocolates, cards and flowers and recognizes that the effort to celebrate love on this one day is often superficial and fleeting. The fact that he chooses to sing about this experience is itself an act of resistance against a world that prizes 'happy couples' above all else.

Line by Line Meaning

Love hearts exchanging with tongues passing movement
People kissing in a constant motion

Making the single ones eke
Causing those who are single to struggle

Searching the streets for cupids spare arrow
Hopelessly seeking love

Because my future looks bleak
Feeling hopeless about the future

Down-trodden luck in self centered answers
Feeling unlucky and selfish

When no is the nicest reply
The best answer is rejection

Four walls subsiding in my head, which is confused
Feeling trapped and uncertain

Think im ready to die
Feeling hopeless and desperate

Valentines Day, It just gets in the way
Valentine's Day is an obstacle

My heart hurts like a broken bone
Feeling emotional pain

Valentines Day, How can i celebrate
It's impossible to celebrate Valentine's Day