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).
Bidin' My Time
Judy Garland Lyrics
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Some fellers go on singin' in the rain,
Some fellers keep on painting skies with rainbows,
Some fellers go on singin' down the lane.
Bidin' my time,
'Cause that's the kind of guy I'm,
While other folks grow dizzy, I'll keep busy,
Next year, Next year,
Something's bound to happen,
This year, this year,
I'll just keep on nappin'.
Bidin' my time,
That's the kind of guy I'm,
There's no regrettin' when I'm settin',
Bidin' my time.
Bidin' my time,
That's the kind of guy I'm,
While other grow dizzy, I'll keep busy,
Bidin' my time.
Next year, Next year,
Something's bound to happen,
This year, this year,
I'll just keep on nappin'.
Bidin' my time,
That's the kind of guy I'm,
There's no regrettin' when I'm settin',
Bidin' my time.
The opening verses of Judy Garland's song Bidin' My Time describe the different ways that people engage with life. While some may tip-toe through the tulips or paint skies with rainbows, the singer acknowledges her own tendency to wait patiently in the background, biding her time. She sees no value in growing dizzy with anticipation and chooses instead to "keep busy" in her own way.
The chorus of the song reinforces this message of patience and waiting. The singer repeats the phrase "Bidin' my time" several times, emphasizing the deliberate, measured pace of her life. She contrasts her own approach with those who are always looking forward to the next big event or achievement, reassuring herself that "next year, something's bound to happen" even if it doesn't come to fruition this year. In the final verse, the singer implies that she has no regrets about her approach, and that she is content to keep "settlin'" into her quiet lifestyle.
Line by Line Meaning
Some fellers like to tip-toe through the tulips
Some people enjoy taking life slowly and delicately
Some fellers go on singin' in the rain
Others stay positive no matter how bad things get
Some fellers keep on painting skies with rainbows
Some people see the bright side of life and remain optimistic even during hard times
Some fellers go on singin' down the lane
There are some people who never stop singing and enjoying life
Bidin' my time, 'Cause that's the kind of guy I'm
I am a person who is patient and willing to wait for the right moment
While other folks grow dizzy, I'll keep busy
Other people may be in a rush, but I will stay focused and active
Next year, Next year, Something's bound to happen
I believe that good things will happen in the future if I am patient
This year, this year, I'll just keep on nappin'
For now, I will take it easy and rest until the right opportunity comes along
There's no regrettin' when I'm settin'
I won't regret waiting for the perfect moment because it will be worth it
Bidin' my time, That's the kind of guy I'm
I am someone who is content to wait for the right moment and not rush life
While other grow dizzy, I'll keep busy
Others may get caught up in the chaos of life, but I will remain productive and focused
This year, this year, I'll just keep on nappin'
For now, I will take it easy and relax until the opportunity arises
Bidin' my time, That's the kind of guy I'm
I am someone who believes in waiting for the right moment for success, and not rushing towards it
There's no regrettin' when I'm settin'
I do not regret the waiting period as there will be no question of success upon the right time.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nicole K.
Absolutely one of the best musical sequences ever put on film. Everyone involved was at the top of their games - the Gershwins, Garland, Rooney and Taurog.
Broadway Classics
I love the surrealism of the floating guitar!
Beth Heinecamp
I agree!!! Such creativity, a wonderful arrangement, just heavenly. :)
Stan Kimer
Musically and choreographically spectacular ... I love everything about this masterpiece.
Always Blake
You can sometimes forget how beautiful she was. You can't take your eyes off of her.
Jonathan Kieran
Gobble blake ... Amen. I never got that whole trope about Garland as some kind of “ugly duckling.” I think that’s a total myth that started after her death, when journalists quoted people who remembered that she had insecurities about her looks. (What normal woman doesn’t?) But my grandparents grew up in her era, when she was the biggest musical box-office star/singer, and they spoke of her as very pretty. One of Hollywood’s glamorous greats—with mesmerizing talent. But very pretty. That being said, my grandparents also stated that it was very difficult and discomfiting to watch such a beloved figure from their own youth deteriorate so visibly and self-destructively toward the end of her days. My Gran said it was downright awkward, for example, to watch her guest-star on TV shows, being so obviously ill, in the late ‘60s. She said people of her generation found it tough to grasp how someone who had been so lovely, so successful, with so much talent, could just implode in front of everyone’s eyes. She made people feel ill-at-ease, I gather. But they made it clear that, in her prime, she was adored by all: “Everyone loved Judy. What kind of person couldn’t love that beautiful, gifted girl?”
tiger maximus
@Jonathan Kieran i know. i love judy myself. i gro up watching her.
Bobby Wimsy
Perfect campaign song for Joe.
Stan Kimer
@Bobby Wimsy Yes ... instead of Bidin' My Time it is "Biden THIS time!"
Pabu May
If you want to see the soon to be dead Judy watch the famous 1960 movie "Judgement at Nuremberg ", not the later mini series with Alex " I didn't shoot anyone " Baldwin. The latter is a pathetically childish production.