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 It Again
Judy Garland Lyrics
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You hadn't any right.
I really shouldn't have let you kiss me.
And although it was wrong,
I never was strong.
So as long as you've begun it,
And you know you shouldn't have done it,
I may cry no, no, no, no, no, but do it again.
My lips just ache to have you take
The kiss that's waiting for you.
You know if you do you won't regret it.
Come and get it.
Oh, no one is near,
I may cry oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, but no one can hear.
Mama may scold me 'cause she told me
It was naughty but then, please, do it again.
Yes do it again, and again and again and again and again.
Turn out the light.
And hold me close in your arms
All through the night.
I know tomorrow morning
You will say goodbye and amen.
But until then, please do it again.
The song "Do It Again" by Judy Garland is a love song about giving into temptation and longing for someone who is not necessarily good for you. The singer of the song is conflicted because while she knows that what they are doing is wrong, she cannot resist the temptation to continue. She acknowledges that she is not strong enough to stop the cycle, and urges her lover to continue despite their better judgement. She recognizes that their time together is fleeting and that they will soon have to part ways, but still wishes to continue the pattern one last time.
The lyrics of the song show a complexity of emotions, ranging from desire and longing to guilt and regret. Garland's smooth and soulful delivery adds another layer of complexity to the lyrics, allowing the listener to feel the emotions behind the words. Overall, the lyrics of "Do It Again" showcase the idea that sometimes love and passion can be messy, and that people are not always capable of doing what is right.
Line by Line Meaning
You really shouldn't have done it,
It's not right what you did, you had no authority to do so.
You hadn't any right.
You had no permission to do what you did.
I really shouldn't have let you kiss me.
I made a mistake by allowing you to kiss me knowing it was not right.
And although it was wrong,
Despite knowing that it was incorrect,
I never was strong.
I was not strong enough to resist the temptation.
So as long as you've begun it,
Now that you have started this action,
And you know you shouldn't have done it,
And you are aware of the mistake you made,
Oh, do it again.
Please repeat the action.
I may cry no, no, no, no, no, but do it again.
I may react negatively, but I want you to do it again.
My lips just ache to have you take
The kiss that's waiting for you.
I crave your kiss, which is readily available.
You know if you do you won't regret it.
You will enjoy it and not have any remorse.
Come and get it.
Please take the opportunity.
Oh, no one is near,
There is nobody around to witness this.
I may cry oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, but no one can hear.
I may express my emotions but nobody can hear me.
Mama may scold me 'cause she told me
It was naughty but then, please, do it again.
My mother may disapprove of this but I still want you to repeat the action.
Yes do it again, and again and again and again and again.
Repeat the action multiple times.
Turn out the light.
Switch off the light.
And hold me close in your arms
All through the night.
Embrace me tightly throughout the night.
I know tomorrow morning
You will say goodbye and amen.
I am aware that you will leave the next morning.
But until then, please do it again.
Till then, please perform the action again.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Michael Love, Brian Wilson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind