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).
Danny Boy
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side.
The summer's gone, and all the roses falling,
It's you, it's you must go and I must bide.
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow,
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow,
It's I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow,
But when ye come, and all the flowers are dying,
If I am dead, as dead I well may be,
You'll come and find the place where I am lying,
And kneel and say an Ave there for me.
And I shall hear, though soft you tread above me,
And all my grave will warmer, sweeter be,
For you will bend and tell me that you love me,
And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me!
The lyrics to Judy Garland's song "Danny Boy" tell a story of a lover bidding farewell to their beloved Danny. Danny is called to leave by the pipes that sing across the glens and mountainside. The roses have fallen, and summer is gone, indicating a changing of the seasons and perhaps a metaphor for the passage of time. The singer must stay behind, while Danny ventures out into the world.
However, the singer's love for Danny is profound, and they ask him to return when summer is back in the meadow or when the valley is silent and white with snow. The singer vows to be waiting for him, no matter the weather or circumstances. The second half of the song is more melancholic; it imagines a future where Danny may return to find the singer dead. The singer asks Danny to kneel by their grave and pray an Ave, so their spirit may rest in peace. Danny is also asked to express his love for the singer, bending down to whisper it in their ear. The final imagery is of the singer sleeping peacefully until Danny returns, suggesting a kind of eternal love that transcends time and death.
Overall, "Danny Boy" is a tender and heart-wrenching song about love, loss, and the passage of time. It expresses a desire for love to endure beyond physical death, as well as a hope that lovers will someday be reunited.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
Oh, Danny boy, the traditional Irish bagpipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side.
The sound of the bagpipes echoes through the mountains and glens
The summer's gone, and all the roses falling,
The season of warmth and beauty has come to an end, and the flowers are dying
It's you, it's you must go and I must bide.
You must leave me now and go your way, while I must stay behind
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow,
Return to me when the meadow is lush with green and the sun is shining
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow,
Or come back to me when the snow has made the valley quiet and peaceful
It's I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow,
I'll be here waiting for you, regardless of the conditions
Oh, Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so!
Oh, Danny boy, I love you deeply and passionately!
But when ye come, and all the flowers are dying,
However, when you come back, the flowers may be dead and gone
If I am dead, as dead I well may be,
If I have passed away by then, as is possible
You'll come and find the place where I am lying,
You will seek out my grave
And kneel and say an Ave there for me.
And you will kneel and offer a prayer for me at my tomb
And I shall hear, though soft you tread above me,
Even though you walk lightly above me, I will hear you
And all my grave will warmer, sweeter be,
My resting place will feel warmer and more comforting because of your presence
For you will bend and tell me that you love me,
You will lean close and say words of affection to me
And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me!
And I will rest in peaceful slumber until you join me once again
Lyrics © Radio Tele Music, Bluewater Music Corp., Songtrust Ave
Written by: FRANK BENNETT, DP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind