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 lyrics of "Bidin' My Time" by Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney reflect the idea of taking life at a slow and steady pace. The song opens juxtaposing the laid-back attitude of the singer with those who rush through life, always looking for the next thrill. The opening lines present different personalities, including one who likes to tip-toe through the tulips, one who sings in the rain, another who paints rainbows, but the singer asserts: I'm the one who prefers biding his time. The lyrics convey a sense of assurance that while everyone is running around, trying to fulfil their goals, this one person will take it slow and let things unfold in their own time.
The chorus emphasizes the message of the song, highlighting the singer's preference: bidin' my time, 'cause that's the kind of guy I am." The lyric "There's no regretting when I'm settin'" suggests that the singer won't have any regrets because there is no rush or pressure. Even if the future holds something great, it can wait till next year, while he's taking a nap. These lyrics exude confidence in the power of patience and waiting to achieve goals at one's own pace.
Line by Line Meaning
Some fellers like to tip-toe through the tulips,
Some people prefer to tiptoe through the pleasant things in life.
Some fellers go on singin' in the rain,
Some people keep going despite the challenges that come their way.
Some fellers keep on painting skies with rainbows,
Some people persist in finding the good in every situation and making the best of it.
Some fellers go on singin' down the lane.
Some people stay optimistic and continue to whistle a happy tune.
Bidin' my time,
I'm taking things slow and steady, with patience.
'Cause that's the kind of guy I'm,
That's just my personality, I don't rush into things.
While other folks grow dizzy, I'll keep busy,
While others get caught up in the rush of things, I'll stay focused and productive.
Next year, Next year, Something's bound to happen,
I'm hopeful that good things are coming my way soon.
This year, this year, I'll just keep on nappin'.
But for now, I'm taking it easy and not stressing out about it.
That's the kind of guy I'm,
My approach to life and all its ups and downs defines me as a person.
There's no regrettin' when I'm settin',
I don't regret taking things slow and steady, because it's my way of doing things.
Bidin' my time,
Waiting patiently for the good things that are sure to come.
While other grow dizzy, I'll keep busy,
I won't get distracted by the hectic pace of life, but rather stay focused on my goals.
Next year, Next year, Something's bound to happen,
I have faith that my patience and hard work will lead to good things in the near future.
This year, this year, I'll just keep on nappin'.
But for now, I'm taking a breather and relaxing, because I know I've got this.
Bidin' my time,
Taking things slow and steady in order to achieve success in the long run.
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, 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.