When she first sang the song, in the musical biography of Fanny Brice, Funny Girl , it was about precisely the  Fanny was so obsessed with her public identity that she'd neglected the personal; she could love audiences but not individuals.
Fanny Brice hated crowds and just wanted to hang out with close friends.
mnli hypothesis: Fanny Brice hated crowds and just wanted to hang out with close friends. premise: When she first sang the song, in the musical biography of Fanny Brice, Funny Girl , it was about precisely the  Fanny was so obsessed with her public identity that she'd neglected the personal; she could love audiences but not individuals.