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).
Carolina In The Morning
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wishing is good time wasted,
Still it's a habit they say,
Wishing for sweet's I've tasted,
That's all I do all day.
Maybe there's nothing in wishing,
But, speaking of wishing I'll say,
Nothing could be finer
Than to be in Carolina
In the morning.
No one could be sweeter
Than my sweetie when I meet her
In the morning.
When the morning glories
Twine around the door
Whispering pretty stories
I long to hear once more
Strolling with my girlie
Where the dew is pearly early
In the morning.
Butterflies all flutter up
And kiss each little buttercup
At dawning.
If I had Aladdin's lamp
For only a day
I'd make a wish
And here's what I'd say
Nothing could be finer
Than to be in Carolina
In the morning.
Dreaming was meant for night time
I live in dreams all the day,
I know it's not the right time,
But still I dream away
What could be sweeter than dreaming,
Just dreaming and drift away.
Nothing could be finer
Than to be in Carolina
In the morning.
No one could be sweeter
Than my sweetie when I meet her
In the morning.
When the morning glories
Twine around the door
Whispering pretty stories
I long to hear once more
Strolling with my girlie
Where the dew is pearly early
In the morning.
Butterflies all flutter up
And kiss each little buttercup
At dawning.
If I had Aladdin's lamp
For only a day
I'd make a wish
And here's what I'd say
Nothing could be finer
Than to be in Carolina
In the morning.
The lyrics of Judy Garland's song "Carolina in the Morning" express a longing to be in a specific time and place, Carolina in the morning. The feeling of nostalgia for the past is clear in the lyrics. The first stanza speaks of wishful thinking and the act of dreaming during the day. The second stanza describes the beauty of being with a sweetheart in the morning, surrounded by dew-covered flowers and butterfly kisses.
Throughout the song, Garland's vocals are filled with emotion, evoking a sense of yearning, hope, and joy. The lyrics express a desire to experience the beauty and sweetness of life, and to be with someone cherished in a specific time and place that holds particular significance.
Overall, the song is a wistful, romantic fantasy that transports the listener to a specific time and place. It captures the essence of longing, love, and the beauty of nature, as well as the power of dreams to transport one to another reality.
Line by Line Meaning
Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina
Being in Carolina is the ultimate experience of contentment.
Wishing is good time wasted,
Wishing all day is not productive.
Still it's a habit they say,
People say dreaming is a habit.
Wishing for sweet's I've tasted,
Yearning for what has already been experienced.
That's all I do all day.
The artist spends the entire day dreaming.
Maybe there's nothing in wishing,
Perhaps there is no value in wishing.
But, speaking of wishing I'll say,
However, if I could make a wish...
No one could be sweeter than my sweetie when I meet her
The artist's significant other is the sweetest person they know.
When the morning glories twine around the door
Seeing morning glories wrapped around the door is enchanting.
Whispering pretty stories I long to hear once more
Hearing stories from the past would be delightful.
Strolling with my girlie where the dew is pearly early
Walking through dewy grass with the singer's partner would be ideal.
Butterflies all flutter up and kiss each little buttercup at dawning.
The artist finds beauty in the natural world.
If I had Aladdin's lamp for only a day
If the singer had the power to make one wish...
I'd make a wish and here's what I'd say
This is what the singer would wish for...
Dreaming was meant for night time
Dreaming during the day is not practical.
I live in dreams all the day,
The artist spends most of their day in a dreamlike state.
I know it's not the right time,
The artist acknowledges that it's not appropriate to dream during the day.
But still I dream away
Despite this, the singer continues to dream.
What could be sweeter than dreaming,
Dreaming is a pleasant experience.
Just dreaming and drift away.
The artist enjoys drifting away in their dreams.
Lyrics © DONALDSON PUBLISHING CO, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
August Peter
I saw Garland Live Twice, the last performance for me was a palace towards the tail end of a career. I will never forget the electricity that emanated from this woman on stage! She spoiled me ......I expect lightning from others, but there was only one Judy Garland!
Lola Pavon
August Peter I agree with you ...never saw her live ... Thank god for those tv shows ...
George Henson
What a privilege!
Sue D Nim
You, sir, are one lucky, lucky man.
Nathan Humes
I don't comment much on YT. I gotta give my props for this, always a favourite recording of mine. The sheer energy of her delivery is momentous, her phrasing built from decades of training, het response to a big letdown was pure class, her power awesome. I often expect nothing less from Judy but this was truly something special. What a performance.
njplr
Raw talent? I disagree. This is REFINED talent, talent that has been honed in, worked at, and absolutely perfected. For perfect it is. Judy was a consummate entertainer, one who ALWAYS went out there and gave it her all. She knew practice made perfect, that's why she worked her ass off preparing for her concerts. It takes more than sheer talent to become a Legend, and Judy is a Legend...
Gary Jaffe
Agreed. I call her the greatest talent of the 20th Century. I think the person posting probably mean "PURE talent" (vs. RAW talent).
Saxon C
I defy anyone to listen to her singing this song without smiling throughout! She’s magnificent!
John Campolo
When I hear this woman sing I am happy to be alive.
A Krenwinkle
@Doobe J I think if Judy were still with us, at 100, she would wonder, "What's all this fuss about this, mmmm... 'Bruh' person? Wh-who exactly is Bruh? Liza! Lorna! Even Joey... SOMEbody explain it to Mama!"