Judy Garland (June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969) was an American actress and si… Read Full Bio ↴Judy Garland (June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer from Grand Rapids, Minnesota, USA. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years, Garland attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist, and on the concert stage. Respected for her versatility, she received a Juvenile Academy Award, won a Golden Globe Award, received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for her work in films, as well as Grammy Awards and a Special Tony Award. She had a contralto singing range.

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).

Do I Love You ?
Judy Garland Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

After that sweet Summer afternoon
When for the first time I saw you appear,
Dreaming of you I composed a tune,
So will you listen to it, dear?

Do I love you, do I?
Doesn't one and one make two?
Do I love you, do I?

Does July need a sky of blue?
Would I miss you, would I?
If you ever should go away?
If the sun should desert the day,
What would life be?
Will I leave you, never?
Could the ocean leave the shore?
Will I worship you for ever?
Isn't heaven forever more?

Do I love you, do I?
Oh, my dear, it's so easy to see,
Don't you know I do?
Don't I show you I do,
Just as you love me?

Do I love you, do I?
Doesn't one and one make two?
Do I love you, do I?
Does July need a sky of blue?
Would I miss you, would I?
If you ever should go away?
If the sun should desert the day,
What would life be?
Will I leave you, never?
Could the ocean leave the shore?
Will I worship you for ever?
Isn't heaven forever more?

Do I love you, do I?
Oh, my dear, it's so easy to see,
Don't you know I do?

Don't I show you I do,
Just as you love me?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Judy Garland's "Do I Love You?" express the deep and unconditional love the singer feels for someone. The song begins by reminiscing about a specific moment in the past, a sweet summer afternoon when the singer first laid eyes on this person. The lyrics suggest that during that moment, the singer started dreaming about this individual and even composed a tune for them. The singer then asks if they truly love this person, using rhetorical questions to emphasize the certainty of their love. The lyrics compare the undeniable love between the two individuals to simple mathematical equations, stating that the love they share is as natural and inseparable as the existence of a blue sky in July or the sum of one and one equaling two.

The lyrics also touch upon the fear of separation and loss. The singer wonders if they would miss this person if they were to go away, using metaphors such as the sun deserting the day to illustrate the emptiness that would ensue without their presence. The lyrics convey that the love expressed is everlasting and unchangeable, implying that the singer will never leave the person they love and will continue to worship and adore them forever. The song concludes by asserting that the love between the two is undeniable and can be easily seen in the way the singer behaves and shows affection toward their beloved.

Overall, "Do I Love You?" is a heartfelt declaration of unwavering love and devotion, portraying the depth of emotion and commitment the singer feels for their significant other.

Line by Line Meaning

After that sweet Summer afternoon
Following that pleasant summer day

When for the first time I saw you appear
On the occasion of my initial glimpse of you

Dreaming of you I composed a tune
I crafted a melody whilst envisioning you

So will you listen to it, dear?
Therefore, would you be willing to lend an ear, my beloved?

Do I love you, do I?
Am I truly in love with you?

Doesn't one and one make two?
Is it not a fact that the sum of one and one equals two?

Do I love you, do I?
Am I truly in love with you?

Does July need a sky of blue?
Is it not necessary for the month of July to have a sky adorned with blue?

Would I miss you, would I?
Would I yearn for your presence if you were to depart?

If you ever should go away?
In the event that you were to ever leave my side?

If the sun should desert the day
If the sun were to abandon the daytime