The problem with Sondheim's problem with "unphotographable" is that he's taking the word too literally. I think the sense of Hart's word choice is just fine. Though I'm not sure "unphotogenic" is really an exact equivalent either. I tend to think it does mean something closer to "unable to capture the real sense of his looks in a mere picture." I suppose it's open to interpretation.
The lyric that eludes me just a bit in that song is "is your mouth a little weak?" - weak in a physical sense, or like other parts of the lyric, meaning in an aesthetic sense - or is it explained in the next line that the words that come out of that mouth aren't always smart? It's a bit of an odd line. |
