Lee Wiley (October 9, 1908 – December 11, 1975) was an American jazz singer… Read Full Bio ↴Lee Wiley (October 9, 1908 – December 11, 1975) was an American jazz singer, popular in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.

Wiley was born in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. While still in her early teens, she left home to pursue a singing career with the Leo Reisman band. Her career was temporarily interrupted by a fall while horseback riding. Wiley suffered temporary blindness, but recovered, and at the age of 19 was back with Reisman again, with whom she recorded three songs: "Take It From Me," "Time On My Hands," and her own composition, "Got The South In My Soul." She sang with Paul Whiteman and later, the Casa Loma Orchestra. A collaboration with composer Victor Young resulted in several songs for which Wiley wrote the lyrics, including "Got The South in My Soul" and "Anytime, Anyday, Anywhere," the latter an R&B hit in the 1950s.

In 1939, Wiley recorded eight Gershwin songs on 78s with a small group for Liberty Music Shops. The set sold well and was followed by 78s dedicated to the music of Cole Porter (1940) and Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart (1940 and 1954), Harold Arlen (1943), and 10" LPs dedicated to the music of Vincent Youmans and Irving Berlin (1951). The players on these recordings included Bunny Berigan, Bud Freeman, Max Kaminsky, Fats Waller, Billy Butterfield, Bobby Hackett, Eddie Condon, Stan Freeman, Cy Walter, and the bandleader Jess Stacy, to whom Wiley was married for a number of years. These influential albums launched the concept of a "songbook" (often featuring lesser-known songs), which was later widely imitated by other singers.

Wiley's career made a resurgence in 1950 with the much admired ten-inch album Night in Manhattan. In 1954, she opened the very first Newport Jazz Festival accompanied by Bobby Hackett. Later in the decade she recorded two of her finest albums, West of the Moon (1956) and A Touch of the Blues (1957). In the 1960s, Wiley retired, although she acted in a 1963 television film, Something About Lee Wiley, which told her life story. The film stimulated interest in the singer. Her last public appearance was a concert in Carnegie Hall in 1972 as part of the New York Jazz Festival, where she was enthusiastically received.

My Funny Valentine
Lee Wiley Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

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, 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

Overall Meaning

In "My Funny Valentine", Lee Wiley is addressing someone she is attracted to, but who may not fit society's traditional standards of physical attractiveness or intelligence. She compares this person to a "fine feathered friend", using their apparent innocence and purity as a way to suggest that they have a deeper, more valuable kind of beauty. Despite the fact that this person's looks are not conventionally attractive, Wiley finds them endearing and refers to them as a "favorite work of art."

The song also touches on the idea of acceptance, suggesting that people should not change their appearance or personalities for the sake of others. Wiley sings the line, "But, don't change a hair for me / Not if you care for me," indicating that she values this person for who they are, and does not require them to conform to societal norms or her personal preferences. Instead, she asks this "little valentine" to stay as they are, suggesting that each day can be Valentine's day when two people accept and appreciate each other for who they are.

Overall, the lyrics of "My Funny Valentine" celebrate the beauty in those who may not fit into traditional beauty standards or societal expectations, emphasizing the importance of genuine connection and acceptance.

Line by Line Meaning

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

His virtue doth parade
He is exhibiting his good qualities.

Thou knowest not, my dim-witted friend
You are unaware, my unintelligent friend.

The picture thou hast made
The impression that you have given.

Thy vacant brow, and thy tousled hair
Your blank expression and messy hair.

Conceal thy good intent
They hide your good intentions.

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

And slightly dopey gent, you are...
But you also come across as a bit dim-witted.

My funny valentine, sweet comic valentine
My amusing and endearing Valentine.

You make me smile with my heart
You bring great joy to my heart.

Your looks are laughable, un-photographable
Your appearance is humorous and hard to capture in a photo.