Friday 14 February 2014

Closet Valentine

As I have posted previously on Valentines Day, one of the great standard tunes from the 1930/40s, My Funny Valentine, contains lyrics written by Lorenz Hart.

Lorenz Hart

Hart was homosexual at a time when inevitably he had to remain deep in the closet. He was short in stature, an alcoholic, he suffered from depression and generally was full of self-loathing for his appearance.

Yet he wrote magnificent lyrics that would have won over many a romantic interest. It is thought that many of his lyrics were secretly gay love notes including the classic My Funny Valentine (1937) for which Richard Rodgers provided the music.

It remains a favourite 'torch song' of mine. Frank Sinatra's interpretation is as good as anyone's.

4 comments:

  1. I've never thought about this before Victor, but you really are a romantic type.

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  2. The lyrics are clever and beautiful. This is a favorite song of mine, too. Check out the interpretations done by Ella Fitzgerald and Chaka Kahn - very different but both very good.

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