After appearing in Vaudeville theater with her sisters, Judy was signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as a teenager. There she made more than two dozen films, including nine with Mickey Rooney, and the film with which she would be most identified, "The Wizard of Oz" (1939). After 15 years, Judy was released from the studio but gained renewed success through record-breaking concert appearances, including a critically acclaimed Carnegie Hall concert, a well-regarded but short-lived television series, and a return to film acting beginning with "A Star Is Born" (1954).
Despite her professional triumphs, Judy battled personal problems throughout her life. Insecure about her appearance, her feelings were compounded by film executives who told her she was unattractive and overweight. Plied with drugs to control her weight and increase her productivity, Garland endured a decades-long struggle with addiction. Garland was plagued by financial instability, often owing hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes, and her first four of five marriages ended in divorce. She attempted suicide on a number of occasions. Garland died of an accidental drug overdose at the age of 47, leaving children Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft, and Joey Luft.
Legacy
Judy Garland's legacy as a performer and a personality has endured long after her death. The American Film Institute named Garland eighth among the "Greatest Female Stars of All Time". She has been the subject of over two dozen biographies since her death, including the well-received "Me and My Shadows: A Family Memoir" by her daughter, Lorna Luft. Luft's memoir was later adapted into the multiple award-winning television mini-series, "Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows", which won Emmy Awards for two actresses portraying Garland (Tammy Blanchard and Judy Davis).
Garland was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. Several of her recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. These include "Over the Rainbow," which was ranked as the number one movie song of all time in the American Film Institute's "100 Years...100 Songs" list. Four more Garland songs are featured on the list: "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (#76), "Get Happy" (#61), "The Trolley Song" (#26), and "The Man That Got Away" (#11).
Judy Garland has twice been honored on U.S. postage stamps, in 1989 (as Dorothy) and again in 2006 (as Vicki Lester from A Star Is Born).
After You're Gone
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
After you've gone there's no denyin'
You'll feel blue, you'll feel sad
You'll miss the dearest pal you've ever had
There'll come a time, now don't forget it
There'll come a time when you'll regret it
Someday, when you grow lonely
After you've gone, after you've gone away
After you've gone and left me cryin'
After you've gone there's no denyin'
You're gonna feel blue, and you're gonna feel sad
You're gonna feel bad
And you'll miss, and you'll miss,
And you'll miss the bestest pal you ever had
There'll come a time, now don't forget it
There'll come a time when you'll regret it
But baby, think what you're doin'
I'm gonna haunt you so, I'm gonna taunt you so
It's gonna drive you to ruin
After you've gone, after you've gone away.
The lyrics to Judy Garland's "After You're Gone" are about the aftermath of a breakup. The singer is telling their ex-partner that they will feel sad and miss them after they have left. The singer also tells their ex that they will regret their decision someday when they grow lonely and their heart breaks like the singer's. The lyrics reflect the pain of losing someone who was once so important to you and the realization that you took them for granted.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the inevitable feeling of loss that will come after the breakup. The repetition of the lines "After you've gone and left me cryin', after you've gone there's no denyin'" adds a sense of finality to the situation. The singer is telling their ex that they will not be able to deny the painful consequences of their decision.
The bridge of the song is particularly haunting. The singer warns their ex that they will haunt and taunt them after they are gone. The repetition of the line "It's gonna drive you to ruin" makes it clear that the singer is not just warning their ex but threatening them. The bridge is a powerful expression of the singer's anger and hurt.
Overall, "After You're Gone" is a poignant portrayal of the sadness and regret that come with the end of a relationship. The song captures the feelings of both the person who has been left behind and the person who has done the leaving.
Line by Line Meaning
After you've gone and left me cryin'
Once you have departed, leaving me weeping,
After you've gone there's no denyin'
It is undeniable that once you are gone,
You'll feel blue, you'll feel sad
You will feel despondent and unhappy,
You'll miss the dearest pal you've ever had
You will long for the most cherished friend you have ever had,
There'll come a time, now don't forget it
Remember, there will be a future time when,
There'll come a time when you'll regret it
You will regret your actions,
Someday, when you grow lonely
In the future, when you feel alone,
Your heart will break like mine and you'll want me only
Your heart will be shattered like mine and you will desire only me,
You're gonna feel blue, and you're gonna feel sad
You will undoubtedly feel melancholic and unhappy,
You're gonna feel bad
You will feel remorseful about what you have done,
And you'll miss, and you'll miss,
You will miss,
And you'll miss the bestest pal you ever had
You will long for the most exceptional friend you ever had,
But baby, think what you're doin'
However, darling, consider the consequences of your actions,
I'm gonna haunt you so, I'm gonna taunt you so
I will haunt and tease you so relentlessly,
It's gonna drive you to ruin
It will lead you towards total destruction,
After you've gone, after you've gone away
After you depart, after you leave me here,
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Henry Creamer, Turner Layton, Ray Sherman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chrissy N
After you've gone and left me cryin'
After you've gone there's no denyin'
You'll feel blue, you'll feel sad
You'll miss the dearest pal you've ever had
There'll come a time, now don't forget it
There'll come a time when you'll regret it
Someday, when you grow lonely
Your heart will break like mine and you'll want me only
After you've gone, after you've gone away
After you've gone and left me cryin'
After you've gone there's no denyin'
You're gonna feel blue, and you're gonna feel sad
You're gonna feel bad
And you'll miss, and you'll miss,
And you'll miss the bestest pal you ever had
There'll come a time, now don't forget it
There'll come a time when you'll regret it
But baby, think what you're doin'
I'm gonna haunt you so, I'm gonna taunt you so
It's gonna drive you to ruin
After you've gone, after you've gone away.
Long Gray Line
How in the hell was she not considered drop dead gorgeous by MGM executives? She was absolutely stunning to my eyes.
Bec Silver
I Know!! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼😭😭😭😭 She's just the most gorgeous human Ever to Grace the earth!
Charles Copenhagen
Louis B Mayer didn’t see Judy, sadly, he only saw $ signs.
Lindsey Carribean
@Charles Copenhagenhe was a sob.
UncleDu
The emotion she wrenched out of "There'll come a time" was devastating. She was the perfect singer/actor merger. Never another.
Diamondstar7851
This might be my favorite performance from Judy's MGM era. The way she links the lyrics to her character is astounding.
Sabrina elva
I love her!! I'm doing a show about her soon, she is so amazing, and everyone will miss her soooooooooooooo much!! She is so talented and beautiful that it's unbelievable!! I love you always Judy Garland😘😘
Long Gray Line
Sabrina elva
It’s obvious to many of us that she was as beautiful as anyone to ever grace Hollywood. She had a special energy that no one else had. One of a kind star from Heaven itself...
Yasy
Meu Deus… que voz angelical e perfeita. Acho que acabou de virar uma das minhas músicas preferidas com a voz de Judy…
The Geek Monster
One of the best movies of that era! So overlooked, even though it had Gene Kelly (his first role!) and Judy Garland headlining. A sweet, sad, touching film <3