Judy Garland (June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969) was an American actress and si… Read Full Bio ↴Judy Garland (June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer from Grand Rapids, Minnesota, USA. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years, Garland attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist, and on the concert stage. Respected for her versatility, she received a Juvenile Academy Award, won a Golden Globe Award, received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for her work in films, as well as Grammy Awards and a Special Tony Award. She had a contralto singing range.

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).

All God's Chillun Got Rhythm
Judy Garland Lyrics

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I got a frown, you got a frown
All God's chillun got a frown on their face
Take no chance with that frown
A song and a dance, turn it upside down

Ah, ah, ah, ah, zazoo, zazoo
All God's chillun got rhythm, all God's chillun got swing
Maybe haven't got money, maybe haven't got shoes

All God's chillun got rhythm for to push away their blues

All God's chillun' got trouble, troubles don't mean a thing
When they start to go, "Ho ho ho"
The old troubles bound to go 'way, say
All God's chillun got swing

All God's children got trouble
Da da do day, ra do day, ra do da do, da da, da da day
Doh da do day, da do day, ra do, da do, da do day

Maybe haven't got money or maybe haven't got shoes
All God's chillun got rhythm for to push, for to push
For to push away their blues

All God's chillun got trouble, troubles don't mean a thing
When they start to go, "Ho ho ho"
The old troubles bound to go 'way, say
All God's chillun got swing

Swing it high, swing it low, hell, let 'em go, hah hah, yea
Swing it up, swing it down, ah hah let it go, oh hah, yea

Ain't got money, ain't got shoes
All God's chillun got rhythm
For to push away their doggone weary blues

Three cheers for the red, white and blue
Swing it up to the sky, don't ask how, don't ask why

Brother, go go oh hoh, blow blow, way hay ay
All God's chillun got swing, swing, swing

Overall Meaning

In "I Got Rhythm," Judy Garland is singing about how even though everyone has their own problems and struggles, they can push those issues aside through the power of music and dance. The singer notes that everyone has a frown on their face, but by turning it upside down with a "song and a dance," the troubles that seem so heavy can be lifted away. Garland emphasizes that "All God's chillun got rhythm," highlighting the idea that rhythm is a universal language that anyone can understand and turn to in difficult times. Through rhythm and swing, the characters in the song are able to push away their blues and forget their troubles.

The song is particularly notable because it emphasizes the idea of turning to music and dance in order to alleviate stress and anxiety. It's also significant because of the way Garland performs it, incorporating a playful and upbeat energy that further emphasizes the song's theme of joy in the face of adversity. The repetitive chorus reinforces that message, reminding the listener that everyone, no matter what their background or struggles may be, can benefit from the simple joy of music.

All God's Chillun Got RhythmJudy Garland Lyrics

All God's Chillun Got Rhythm
Judy Garland Lyrics