Down With Love
Judy Garland Lyrics


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You sons of Adam, you daughters of Eve
The time has come to take, your love-torn hearts off your sleeve
Look, look about you, what, what do you see?
Love-sick, love-lorn, love-wrecked, love-worn, boo hoomanity

There'll be no peace on Earth Until this curse
Is wiped off from this love-mapped universe
Are we mice or are we men? Can't you see the light?
Come you fellow victims lets unite

Down with love, the flowers and rice and shoes
Down with love, the root of all midnight blues
Down with things that give you that well-known pain
Take that mood and wrap it in cellophane

Down with love, let's liquidate all its friends
Moon and June and roses and rainbows ends
Down with songs that mourn about night and day
Down with love, just take it away, away
Take it away, take it away

Give it back to the birds and the bees and the V and E's
Down with Eyes romantic and stupid
Down with signs, down with Cupid
Ruttle that stuff that duff

Down with love
Down with love





Down with love
Down, down, down with love

Overall Meaning

In Judy Garland's song Down with Love, the lyrics express a frustration with the constant cycle and pain that comes with love. The opening lines address both men and women, saying that it is time to take their "love-torn hearts off [their] sleeve." The chorus repeats the phrase "down with love," expressing an overall disdain for what love represents. Garland mentions the traditional trappings of love, such as flowers, rice, shoes, and the hurtful associations with love, like the color blue. She asserts that there will be no peace on Earth until the curse of love is wiped off from the universe.


Garland contrasts these elements with the natural world, stating that love should be "given back to the birds and the bees and the V and E's." The lyrics reject the idea that love is inevitable, suggesting that love is a choice that people make. The song ends with the repeated "down with love," and a strong assertion that love must be taken away entirely. Overall, the song expresses a melancholic view of love as something that is both painful and unnecessary.


Line by Line Meaning

You sons of Adam, you daughters of Eve
Addressing all human beings, regardless of gender.


The time has come to take, your love-torn hearts off your sleeve
It's time to put aside your vulnerability and wear your heart on your sleeve no more.


Look, look about you, what, what do you see?
Take a good look around and see for yourself what love has done to people.


Love-sick, love-lorn, love-wrecked, love-worn, boo hoomanity
Love has made people sick, desolate, ruined, and tired of it.


There'll be no peace on Earth Until this curse
There will be no peace in the world until the curse of love is removed.


Is wiped off from this love-mapped universe
The world will have to abandon love's influence and dependence on romance.


Are we mice or are we men? Can't you see the light?
We cannot remain feeble or fearful of love anymore, let's wake up and see reality.


Come, you fellow victims let's unite
Let's come together, those who have been victims of love's deception, and make a stand.


Down with love, the flowers and rice and shoes
Reject love, and all the material things that come with it: wedding traditions, jewelry or gifts.


Down with love, the root of all midnight blues
Love has become a root of sorrow and depression, and we must reject it.


Down with things that give you that well-known pain
Avoid everything that leads to misery and heartache, a result of love.


Take that mood and wrap it in cellophane
Put your emotions aside and hide them away safely, like wrapping something valuable in plastic wrap.


Down with love, let's liquidate all its friends
Eliminate anything that reminds us of love and its circle of friends such as Valentine's Day, and romantic movies or music.


Moon and June and roses and rainbows ends
Stereotypical romantic things like full moons, June wedding months, roses, and rainbows must go.


Down with songs that mourn about night and day
No more love songs that relate night to sadness and afternoon to joy.


Down with love, just take it away, away
Completely reject love, and get rid of it from our hearts and mind.


Give it back to the birds and the bees and the V and E's
Love belongs in nature and the animal world not in the human world.


Down with Eyes romantic and stupid
No more looking at things from a hopelessly romantic and foolish point of view.


Down with signs, down with Cupid
No more symbols or Cupid depictions, which signify love and its influence.


Ruttle that stuff that duff
Destroy any love-related items that you own or come across.


Down with love
Reject love, avoid it, and don't let it rule us anymore.


Down, down, down with love
Strongly condemn love and everything that comes with it.




Lyrics © S.A. MUSIC, SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: E. Y. HARBURG, HAROLD ARLEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Ranting Raven

I love that they included this footage in the film down with love. 💜

Timothy Rogers

What a performance! Shame so few people have experienced it.

Hollywood

Every time I hear Judy sing this, I can't stop smiling.

Daniele Pimentel

Mais DIVA impossível!!! 🤩👸🏻

Jonathan Watanabe

She had insane range. Too bad she's remembered for her downfall.

Seventies Memories

The original recording from 1960 is a real treat, she was in much better voice. Her voice was raw on her TV show because the amphetamines she took to stay thin dried out her throat terribly.

Listen the the clip from 1966 of her somewhat plumper on the Perry Como show singing "What Now My Love" to hear what might have been.

Hawaii Volcano Squad

Bravo

砂糖斎藤

Thanks😃

Maria del Pilar Rosas

Judy Garland song chicago

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