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).
Come Out Come Out
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wherever you are
And meet the young lady
Who fell from a star
She fell from the sky
She fell very far
And Kansas, she says, is the name of the star
Kansas, she says, is the name of the star
Oh, haven′t you heard
When she fell out of Kansas
A miracle occured
The lyrics to Judy Garland's song "Come Out Come Out" talk about a young lady who has fallen from a star named Kansas. The singer invites whoever is listening to come out and meet her. The lyrics describe how the lady fell from the sky, far away from where she landed in Kansas. Interestingly, she brings good news that the song does not specify. However, the song makes it clear that some sort of miracle occurred when she fell from Kansas.
The song seems to have a mystical and magical feel to it. It is as though the young lady is a special messenger from another world or realm, and the song is inviting listeners to come out and see her. Even the name of the star, Kansas, adds mystery to the song. Furthermore, the fact that the young lady fell from the sky and brought good news suggests something extraordinary is happening. The lyrics urge people to go see this extraordinary event.
Line by Line Meaning
Come out, come out
Please reveal yourself
Wherever you are
I don't care where you are, just make yourself known
And meet the young lady
Come and greet this female person
Who fell from a star
This lady fell from the sky
She fell from the sky
She literally dropped out of the sky
She fell very far
She fell from a great distance
And Kansas, she says, is the name of the star
According to her, the star she fell from is called Kansas
Kansas, she says, is the name of the star
Repeating that the star she fell from is named Kansas
She brings you good news
She has a positive message for you
Oh, haven′t you heard
Are you not aware of this already?
When she fell out of Kansas
During her fall from the star named Kansas
A miracle occured
A wondrous event took place
Writer(s): E.y. Harburg, Harold Arlen
Contributed by Xavier G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
- Beeman
My mom's version:
Come out, come out, wherever you are and meet the young lady, who fell from a star.
She fell from the sky, she fell very far and chickens, she says, live in a jar.
My version:
Come out, come out, wherever you are and meet the young lady, who fell from a star.
She fell from the sky, she fell very far. The magazine she reads is called "Midnight Star". (a reference to this song)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VhSssXgJT8
Danto's Inferne
This movie is nuts. Truly a wonder. The munchkins alone are an absolute delight to watch. The costumes, the choreography, the enthusiasm, the personality. What a gift to the world this movie is
Mary S
it really is a gift
Chris Hartman
And to think that Victor Fleming directed this and Gone With the Wind the same year.
Mary S
@Chris Hartman I know, that's crazy! Too bad they weren't different years so W of Oz could've won best picture too.
MaskedMan66
@Chris Hartman When Fleming was called away from Wizard to work on Wind, it did not sit well with Judy Garland! She really loved working with him (in fact, she had a big crush on him), and was fuming for a few days. Nobody dared mention the name "Vivien Leigh" in her presence! But she rallied and threw a Fleming a big going-away party which culminated in her ordering five big wind machines switched on to "blow" him out the studio door! So he was "gone with the wind!" 😀
M M
Peter Dinklage would be LIVID
Elizabeth Baker
This was my favorite scene in Wizard of Oz. Love this movie! ❤
Laura Mannion
The look on Glinda’s face at 1:00 is hysterical as Dorothy almost hits her face with her thumb!
goback3spaces
Love how Dorothy picks up the tempo.
MaskedMan66
Judy was a brilliant dancer.