Lovely Lonely Man Lyrics – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Song Overview

Set like a single rose in a musical bouquet of confectionary and comedy, “Lovely Lonely Man” is the emotional heart of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968). It floats in halfway through the film, just after Truly Scrumptious begins to truly soften toward the eccentric widowed inventor Caractacus Potts. Richard and Robert Sherman’s ballad, given to Sally Ann Howes alone, trades playful pastiche for sincerity: a torch-song turned lullaby, rooted in longing.

Though the number was removed from the 2002 and 2005 stage adaptations for pacing reasons, fans of the original film cite it often as one of the Sherman Brothers’ most underappreciated gems. In fact, the song became a surprise TikTok rediscovery in 2022 when a clip of Howes' performance (matched with modern footage of solitude) went viral, sparking reappraisal across Broadway fan channels.

Song Credits

• Featured: Sally Ann Howes (Truly Scrumptious)
• Producer (film): Albert R. Broccoli
• Composer & Lyricist: Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman
• Conductor / Orchestrator: Irwin Kostal
• Release Date: December 17, 1968
• Genre: Romantic show-ballad / orchestral pop
• Instruments: Solo strings, harp, flute, soft timpani, piano
• Label: United Artists Records
• Mood: Yearning, introspective
• Length: 2 min 45 s
• Track #: 9 on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – Original Cast Soundtrack
• Language: English
• Music style: Waltz-ballad with chromatic bridge and rubato phrasing
• Poetic meter: Iambic with internal enjambment
• Copyright ©: 1968 EMI Unart Catalog Inc.; renewal 1996

Song Meaning and Annotations

This is not a romantic duet. It’s a confession without a listener, an unmailed letter. “This lovely, lonely man / I’ve only known a day” — Howes’s voice trembles over a slowly ascending phrase, as if she herself is climbing out of a previous life. The orchestration stays hushed, even when her feelings crescendo. Like all great musical theatre soliloquies, it externalizes private thought, letting the audience feel the gap between what she says and what she cannot yet say aloud.

The line “This sudden summer storm inside” is a rare moment of pure Sherman lyricism — part cliché, part Shakespearean volta. It's a swell of emotional energy in an otherwise tightly corseted melody. By the final verse, Truly imagines a future where he understands his own worth — not just to the world, but to her. It’s not just romantic. It’s quietly radical in a story where male figures so often control the plot.

Opening Verse

This lovely, lonely man / I’ve only known a day

“Lonely” is voiced on a falling interval, suggesting a sigh — we feel his ache in her phrasing.

Bridge

How did he touch my heart? / How did this feeling start?

Sequential questions modulate into a lush middle-eight; vulnerability blooms amid harmonic uncertainty.

Final Statement

Oh, how I love / This one and only man

The only use of the word “love” at full voice — and it comes after a full-circle return to the original key.

Similar Songs

1. “As Long As He Needs Me” – Nancy (from Oliver!, 1960)
   Both solos feature a woman pledging emotional loyalty to a troubled man. Though Nancy’s ballad is darker in orchestration and stakes, both articulate a feminine resolve that sounds gentle but feels adamant.
2. “On My Own” – Éponine (from Les Misérables, 1980)
   Éponine’s self-aware romanticism echoes Truly’s — each sings of a love that may be unreciprocated, and each finds strength in solitude, not defeat.
3. “Send in the Clowns” – Glynis Johns (from A Little Night Music, 1973)
   Subtler in melody but equal in emotional ambiguity. Stephen Sondheim’s piece trades sweeping strings for reflective irony; yet both songs ponder the missed timing of intimacy.

Questions and Answers

Why was the song cut from the stage version?

The 2002 West End and 2005 Broadway productions dropped it for runtime and to avoid “solo-bloat,” though fans loudly missed its emotional core.

Is it based on a specific earlier ballad?

Not directly, but it’s influenced by 1950s romantic musicals — “If I Loved You” (Carousel) and “People Will Say We’re in Love” (Oklahoma!) echo in phrasing and sentiment.

Did Sally Ann Howes record any other versions?

Yes — a stereo studio vocal was recorded for the U.S. soundtrack LP, slightly slower than the film version.

Was this number well received at the time?

Mixed — 1968 reviews praised Howes’s performance but found the song “an interlude,” though later retrospectives rank it among her best.

How did it go viral again recently?

A TikTok mashup paired Truly’s garden soliloquy with montage clips of men silently helping others; the hashtag #lovelylonelyman trended in late 2022.

Awards and Chart Positions

• Broadway cut status: Not included in the 2002–2005 stage adaptation.
• Film legacy: Often cited in retrospectives as Sally Ann Howes’s most vulnerable moment onscreen.

Fan and Media Reactions

“It’s the musical theatre version of texting someone ‘hope you’re okay’ and deleting it.” – Reddit user @TheaterLass

“Every time she sings ‘summer storm,’ I swear the clouds pause outside.” – @StageDame on Twitter

“Howes doesn’t act the song — she exhales it. Like she's writing it as she sings.” – Musical Moments podcast

“Justice for ‘Lovely Lonely Man.’ That’s the real climax of Act I.” – BroadwayWorld commenter

“So delicate it almost disappears — until it lands right in your chest.” – YouTube user @Roses4Sondheim