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).
Am I Blue
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am loved, absolutely loved
What a wonderful thing to be able to say
I'm adored, I'm adored by the one
who first led my heart astray
I'm adored, absolutely adored
What a wonderful thing to be able to say
So ring out the bells, and let the trumpets blow
And beat on the drums, for now I know, I know
I am loved, I am loved
What a wonderful thing, what a glorious thing
What a beautiful thing, to be able to say
So ring out the bells, and let the trumpets blow
And beat on the drums, for now I know, I know
I am loved, I am loved
What a wonderful thing, what a glorious thing
What a beautiful thing, what a marvelous thing
What if happy to sing, what a crazy thing
What a lovely thing, what a precious thing
To be able to say
The lyrics of "I Am Loved" by Judy Garland express the joy of being loved and adored by someone in every way. Garland sings of being absolutely loved and adored by the individual who first captured her heart, and how wonderful it is to be able to say that she is loved. The singer's tone throughout the song is triumphant and celebratory, with the ringing of bells and beating of drums that symbolize the intensity of the feeling of being in love.
With each repetition of the chorus, Garland elevates the idea of being loved to a higher level, with more descriptive words such as glorious, beautiful, crazy, and precious. The repeated phrase reinforces the idea that the feeling of being loved is something that should be cherished and celebrated.
Overall, the lyrics of "I Am Loved" convey a sense of gratitude and appreciation for the feeling of being loved, and the joy that comes with it. The song celebrates the power of love and how it can fill one's life with happiness and meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
I am loved, I am loved by the one I love in every way
I am fully and unconditionally loved by the person I love.
I am loved, absolutely loved
I am completely, absolutely loved.
What a wonderful thing to be able to say
Expressing and sharing my love with someone is a beautiful and fulfilling thing.
I'm adored, I'm adored by the one who first led my heart astray
The person who first captured and won my heart still adores and loves me.
I'm adored, absolutely adored
I am completely, absolutely adored.
So ring out the bells, and let the trumpets blow
Let's celebrate this joyous occasion.
And beat on the drums, for now I know, I know
Let us make noise and music to express our happiness and love.
What a wonderful thing, what a glorious thing
Being able to say that I am loved is an amazing, splendid thing.
What a beautiful thing, to be able to say
Expressing and sharing love is beautiful.
What a marvelous thing, what if happy to sing
It is a wonderful and cheerful thing to sing about love.
What a crazy thing, what a lovely thing
Expressing and sharing love can make one feel wild and excited, yet also calm and content.
What a precious thing, to be able to say
Being able to say that I am loved by someone is an invaluable and cherished thing.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLE PORTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TheJudyRoomVideos
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT
On June 25, 2017, on WBAI Radio’s “Everything Old Is New Again” program’s annual Judy Garland tribute broadcast, the guest played the duet "Am I Blue" sung by Judy Garland and Johnny Ray on March 25, 1969, at Garland's very last public concert, which was in Copenhagen. This duet was one of two previously unknown and unheard pieces from this 1969 concert that had been posted to YouTube on March 15, 2017 (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTy7wMfMexU&t=5s) by The Judy Room (http://www.thejudyroom.com), which runs the largest and most successful site devoted to Judy Garland.
While The Judy Room and I are pleased that the guest shared this outstanding rare recording, it should be noted that he misidentified it as coming from Radio Danmarks. The two duets posted to YouTube by The Judy Room were not part of the Radio Danmarks broadcast of the 1969 concert - in fact, the radio station eliminated them from the broadcast. Instead, these two duets come from a private tape separately made by the concert hall in Copenhagen having nothing to do with the radio broadcast.
I own the only copy of that private tape, and I chose to make these precious recordings public through The Judy Room.
Neither I nor The Judy Room was given credit for "Am I Blue," which would have been appropriate.
John H. Haley and
Scott Brogan for The Judy Room
Stephen Perretti
Gosh...
That was wonderful.
Her voice worked the upper register perfectly.
That peculiar jump in her voice brought a smile of delight.
We are so used to thinking of Judy as a great tragedy. We are wrong.
Yes, her life had sorrows, angers and fears. So does mine AND yours.
We trivialize her when that becomes the default response.
She was a gift from God to a troubled world.
Thank you, God, for such a gift.
This is a beautiful performance.I'm going to listen to it again.
TheJudyRoomVideos
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT
On June 25, 2017, on WBAI Radio’s “Everything Old Is New Again” program’s annual Judy Garland tribute broadcast, the guest played the duet "Am I Blue" sung by Judy Garland and Johnny Ray on March 25, 1969, at Garland's very last public concert, which was in Copenhagen. This duet was one of two previously unknown and unheard pieces from this 1969 concert that had been posted to YouTube on March 15, 2017 (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTy7wMfMexU&t=5s) by The Judy Room (http://www.thejudyroom.com), which runs the largest and most successful site devoted to Judy Garland.
While The Judy Room and I are pleased that the guest shared this outstanding rare recording, it should be noted that he misidentified it as coming from Radio Danmarks. The two duets posted to YouTube by The Judy Room were not part of the Radio Danmarks broadcast of the 1969 concert - in fact, the radio station eliminated them from the broadcast. Instead, these two duets come from a private tape separately made by the concert hall in Copenhagen having nothing to do with the radio broadcast.
I own the only copy of that private tape, and I chose to make these precious recordings public through The Judy Room.
Neither I nor The Judy Room was given credit for "Am I Blue," which would have been appropriate.
John H. Haley and
Scott Brogan for The Judy Room
Cindy Brodie
Thank you so much. You may have no idea how really touching this recording is. Thank you again. ❤️
Stephen Perretti
Gosh...
That was wonderful.
Her voice worked the upper register perfectly.
That peculiar jump in her voice brought a smile of delight.
We are so used to thinking of Judy as a great tragedy. We are wrong.
Yes, her life had sorrows, angers and fears. So does mine AND yours.
We trivialize her when that becomes the default response.
She was a gift from God to a troubled world.
Thank you, God, for such a gift.
This is a beautiful performance.I'm going to listen to it again.
Russell Candy
Steve your comment was beautiful stated. We have to be grateful for the time we had Judy!! Judy has brought so much happiness into my life that I can't imagine living without her music and talent. Thank you!!!
Elspeth Coogan
This special recording is one in the eye for all those people who said Garland was a washed-up drug-addicted, alcoholic has-been towards the end of her life. Her delivery here is beautifully subtle, nuanced and pitched divinely. Her intelligence as a singer can be heard, as so often, with her intuitive phrasing and awareness of the meaning of each lyric. Feel privileged dear listener for you are listening to a master (mistress) in her field at work.
Dave Whiteford
absolutely spot on ...
Cindy Brodie
I listen to this over and over. It’s my favorite recording of any. ❤️
David Alp
OH WOW!!!!!!!! Just waking up to this in the UK!! Bloody AWESOME! Its almost like she was getting her voice back in the Spring of 1969! Because she sounds like the "Judy of old" here... Its a truly haunting performance. Thank you for finding it!
Len Welch
I couldn’t resist listening to this but clearly she is a woman dying doing what she loved best in the world - giving of herself to those that loved her . Clearly by this time fans paid money not to hear a great voice but to be in the same room with her to show how much they loved her . I’m glad because Judy gave all of herself , right up till the end . Husbands , business managers used her but her fans truly loved her . Besides her 3 wonderful children , it was her fans that loved her and it makes me happy to know that she was surrounded by her fans /. By true love till her dying day.
jurek46pink
yes, absolutely !