Braff was a wonderfully characterful and melodic player with an immediately identifiable sound and unique tone on the cornet, an uncommon instrument in post-war jazz. He style was fundamentally based on that of earlier players including Louis Armstrong, Bobby Hackett and Bunny Berigan but he transcended these influences to always sounds fresh, sparky and somehow modern.
He was born in Boston and began playing in local clubs in the 1940s. In 1949, he was hired to play with the Edmond Hall Orchestra. He relocated to New York in 1953 where he was much in demand for band dates and recordings.
He died February 10, 2003, in Chatham, Massachusetts.
"Sure, they’ve made statements about my supposedly combining a modern approach with a feeling for traditional forms. Well, people say all sorts of things, because they want to categorise and label. I’ve only ever had two labels. Either it’s good or it stinks." - Ruby Braff speaking in 1968
My Funny Valentine
Ruby Braff 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 opening lines are directed to a bird; interestingly, the song does not use any pronouns until much later. The bird’s “feathers” represent their values, and this “fine feathered friend” is using it to show off its virtues. The singer then turns their attention to their beloved, who is dim-witted and doesn’t understand how their looks (his vacant brow and tousled hair) contradict their noble intentions (being upright, truthful, sincere, and slightly dopey). However, despite their appearance and lack of intelligence, the singer cherishes their lover, who makes them smile from the bottom of their heart. They acknowledge that his looks may be laughable and can’t be captured in a photograph, but he is still their favorite artwork.
The next verse talks about the lover’s physical imperfections; their figure is “less than Greek,” and their mouth is “a little weak,” which may refer to a stutter or something else. The singer then asks if their lover is smart when they open their mouth, though it’s clear to the listener that their intelligence is not what drew the singer to their lover. Despite everything, the singer does not want their lover to change anything about themselves, and they want them to stay with them. The singer believes that each day with their lover is akin to Valentine’s Day, perfect and romantic.
Line by Line Meaning
Behold the way our fine feathered friend
Look at the way this person presents themselves, like a bird showing off their feathers
His virtue doth parade
They are showing off their good qualities
Thou knowest not, my dim-witted friend
You may not realize it, but you are not very smart
The picture thou hast made
The way you look and act creates an image of yourself to others
Thy vacant brow, and thy tousled hair
Your empty expression and messy hair give a careless look
Conceal thy good intent
Despite your appearance and behavior, you have good intentions
Thou noble upright truthful sincere
You are a good person at heart
And slightly dopey gent, you are
Yet, you may not be the sharpest tool in the shed
My funny valentine, sweet comic valentine
My charming and comical love
You make me smile with my heart
You bring me joy and warm feelings deep within me
Your looks are laughable, un-photographable
Your appearance is odd, but unique, making you impossible to capture in a photo
Yet, you're my favorite work of art
Still, I find you to be the most beautiful and interesting person
Is your figure less than Greek?
You may not have a perfectly toned physique like a Greek statue
Is your mouth a little weak?
You may not have the strongest voice, or struggle to express yourself
When you open it to speak
When you begin to talk
Are you smart?
Are you intelligent?
But, don't change a hair for me
Please don't change anything about yourself for my sake
Not if you care for me
Because I care for you as you are
Stay little valentine, stay
I want you to keep being my sweet and charming valentine
Each day is Valentine's Day
My love for you is constant and never-ending
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Remember Our Music
How wonderful of you to remember Ellis Larkins. Today, May 15th 2016, is his 93rd birth anniversary. Please check out my youtube channel honoring great African-American musicians like Ellis Larkins¸ Fats Waller, Sidney Bechet, Robert Johnson and James Brown, all born in the month of May.
midnight_womi_nine
finally i can find the original... :)
Richard Smith
Gorgeous music but does anyone know what the picture is?
whatisupdoc
bonjour, hello an other version of "my funny valentine" deejay/tp