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).
Alexander
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come on and hear (2x), it's the best band in the land!
They can play a bugle call like you never heard before,
So natural that you want to go to war--
That's just the bestest band what am, Honey Lamb!
Come on along (2x), let me take you by the hand
Up to the man (2x), who's the leader of the band,
And if you want to hear the Swanee River played in ragtime
The lyrics of Judy Garland's classic "Alexander's Ragtime Band" invite the listener to experience the exciting and energetic music of the titular band. The song encapsulates the joy and sense of camaraderie that ragtime music brought to people in the early 1900s. Garland's rendition of the song is brimming with enthusiasm, and her vocal performance captures the infectious spirit of the music.
The song's lyrics describe Alexander's Band's unique ability to play a bugle call that makes one feel like going to war, demonstrating the emotional power of music. The band's leader is extolled as a musical genius who leads the best band in the land. The song evokes the image of a bustling dance hall, with Garland urging the listener to come along and join in the fun. The lyrics also make a nod to the song "Swanee River," written by Stephen Foster, which was a popular tune that many ragtime bands incorporated into their repertoire.
Overall, "Alexander's Ragtime Band" was an essential song of its time that helped to popularize ragtime music in the United States and beyond. It is a joyful and infectious tune that captures the spirit of an era and inspired many other artists to create their unique takes on ragtime music.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on and hear (2x), Alexander's Ragtime Band,
Join us and listen to Alexander's Ragtime Band.
Come on and hear (2x), it's the best band in the land!
Join us and enjoy the delightful music of the best band.
They can play a bugle call like you never heard before,
The band is so talented that you'll hear a bugle call like never before.
So natural that you want to go to war--
The music is so captivating that you will feel passionate and driven enough to go to war.
That's just the bestest band what am, Honey Lamb!
This is the best band ever, my dear!
Come on along (2x), let me take you by the hand
Join me and let me lead you to hear the band.
Up to the man (2x), who's the leader of the band,
We're going to meet the man who leads the band.
And if you want to hear the Swanee River played in ragtime
If you're interested in hearing the Swanee River with a ragtime twist,
Come on and hear (2x), Alexander's Ragtime Band!
Then join us to hear Alexander's Ragtime Band play it!
Lyrics © PAUL RODRIGUEZ MUSIC LTD. , Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IRVING BERLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marvin Muoneké
I love it when great performances are recorded on my birthday, 30th October!
Judy Garland
wonderful!
Susanne Maarten
Judy's always great, but this song belongs to Alice Faye!