What’ll I Do / My Funny Valentine

Song Meaning

The lyrics to "What'll I Do / My Funny Valentine" open with a profound sense of impending loss. The speaker is consumed by anxiety, repeatedly asking "What'll I do" when their beloved is "far away" and potentially with someone else. This initial section paints a picture of deep loneliness, where a mere "photograph" becomes the sole confidante for troubles. The emotional landscape shifts dramatically with "My Funny Valentine," introducing a tender, accepting love. Here, the speaker celebrates a partner whose "looks are laughable" and "unphotographable," yet is unequivocally declared "my favorite work of art." This section revels in the joy of a present, imperfect love, contrasting sharply with the earlier fears of absence and betrayal. The craft here lies in the juxtaposition of these two emotional states. "What'll I do" emphasizes helplessness and fear, while "My Funny Valentine" uses affectionate, almost teasing descriptions like "sweet comic valentine" to highlight a love that cherishes flaws. The rhetorical questions in the second part's bridge – "Is your figure less than Greek?" – are not criticisms but rather affirmations of unconditional acceptance, urging the beloved, "Don't change a hair for me." The power of these combined lyrics culminates in the final, echoing question: "What'll I do?" This isn't just a lament for a lost love, but a poignant query about life without *this specific*, uniquely cherished, and imperfect person. It suggests that even in the embrace of profound, accepting love, the vulnerability to its potential absence remains, making the bond all the more precious and essential.