When Chaka Khan sings My Funny Valentine in her soulful, husky voice we do not remember, nor have to remember, just who is the Valentine she is singing about. We know only this: it symbolizes a sweetheart.

Nor do we know, or need to know, when Frank Sinatra, Chet Baker or Sting sing that 1937 Broadway musical song, that the lyrics of My Funny Valentine were originally not directed to an idealized woman at all: it would be odd if such a woman wer