Valentine Candy

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of someone grappling with a profound identity shift in a person they thought they knew intimately. The narrator addresses "Miss Cordelia Drexel Biddle" with a sense of bewilderment, stating, "I thought I knew you well / But now... I just can't tell." This immediately establishes a core tension: the familiar has become alien, and the narrator is struggling to reconcile past perceptions with present reality. The central conflict revolves around Cordelia's apparent internal struggle between opposing archetypes. The narrator poses a series of stark contrasts: "valentine candy or boxing gloves?" "sonnets by Shelley or Rover Boys?" and "canvas or crepe de chine?" These juxtapositions highlight a perceived dichotomy in her nature, moving from sweet and romantic to aggressive and adventurous, or from artistic to perhaps more delicate and refined. The narrator questions whether she should "kiss him or blacken his eye," underscoring the dramatic change in her behavior and the confusion it causes. The most striking aspect of the writing is the use of these sharp, almost cartoonish contrasts to represent a complex internal metamorphosis. The repeated question, "Are you valentine candy or boxing gloves?" acts as a refrain, emphasizing the narrator's inability to categorize Cordelia. The lyrics suggest that Cordelia herself is now questioning her own identity, "suddenly wondering / Which kind of someone are you?" This internal questioning is mirrored by the narrator's external confusion, creating a dual sense of disorientation. Ultimately, the effectiveness of these lyrics lies in their ability to capture the disorienting experience of witnessing a loved one undergo a significant, unpredictable change. The simple, yet potent, imagery of "valentine candy or boxing gloves" distills a complex emotional and identity crisis into a memorable, relatable dilemma. The narrator's plea, "Will you someday be someone that somebody loves?" coupled with the persistent questioning, conveys a deep-seated anxiety about the future and the potential loss of the person they once understood.