Album: My Kind Of Girl (1960)

Charted: 3

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Songfacts®:

• This Matt Monro number is a fairly run of the mill love song which compares a beautiful woman with the Mona Lisa backed by a heavy string arrangement.
• There is a horrible grammatical mistake in the last line where Monro sings "To try and paint a portrait of my love" instead of "To try to paint a portrait of my love." This error is extremely common in both spoken and written English; it appears in numerous songs including John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High" and the Flanders & Swann classic "The Gasman Cometh," where it is just about forgivable, but here, as Monro's voice rises to a crescendo, it is particularly galling, and is the most memorable thing about this otherwise forgettable song. It is surprising that nobody seems to have picked up on it, or if they did, that Monro never re-recorded it.
• "Portrait Of My Love" was recorded on Parlophone, accompaniment directed by Johnnie Spence, and backed by "You're The Top Of My Hit Parade." The sheet music credits are: Lyric by David West, Music by Cyril Ornadel, Copyright 1960 by Edward Kassner Music Co Ltd of London, Sole Selling Agent Kassner Associated Publishers Ltd. >>>

  Suggestion credit:
  Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 3

Comments: 5

• Jun Opelena from Makilala Cotabato PhilippinesIt is only a little error, the important is the message of the song.
• Rachel from Uk'Try and paint a picture' is normal colloquial British English, it's not an error at all.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn this day in 1961 {January 19th} "Portrait of My Love" by Matt Monro peaked at #3 {for 2 weeks} on United Kingdom's Official Top 50 Singles* chart...
  Between 1960 and 1973 the Shoreditch, London, England native had thirteen records on the U.K. Singles chart, four made the Top 10 with the above "Portrait of My Love" being his biggest it...
  Besides "Portrait" of My Love", his other three Top 10 records were "My Kind of Girl" {#5 in 1961}, "Softly As I Leave You" {#10 in 1962}, and "Walk Away" {#4 in 1964}...
  Matt Monro, born Terence Edward Parsons, passed away at the young age of 54 on February 7th, 1985 {liver cancer}...
  May he R.I.P.
  * And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the U.K. Singles Top 10 for January 19th, 1961...
  At #1. "Poetry In Motion" by Johnny Tillotson
  #2. "I Love You" by Cliff Richard & and the Shadows
  #3. the above "Portrait of My Love"
  #4. "Perfidia" by the Ventures
  #5. "Save The Last Dance For Me" by The Drifters
  #6. "Counting Teardrops" by Emile Ford & the Checkmates
  #7 " It's Now Or Never" by Elvis Presley
  #8. "Man of Mystery"/"The Stranger" by the Shadows
  #9. "Pepe" by Duane Eddy
  #10. "Goodness Gracious" by Peter Sellers & Sophia Loren
• Junmorj from Tagbilaran , PhilippinesThe song "Portrait of my Love" oftentimes deceive the unknowing into thinking that the Mona Lisa is a work by Michelangelo. David West's juxtaposition of the great work of art with the great artist in the same stanza led many to assume that the Mona Lisa is Michelangelo's, not Leonardo da Vinci's, painting. Either West was ignorant about it or was only after a good rhyme. I think it's more of the latter than the former.
• Al from Atlanta, GaWhoever wrote the comment about the grammatical error - is that your life work? If not, it could be. Pop songs, poetry, etc, etc, etc, are full of grammatical, historical & other errors. I believe it is called "poetic license". Oh, you could add to your pursuit, Pop, C&W & other songs that are sung or played off key, or have melodies that have been "plagerized" from other songs.

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