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).
Friendly Star
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Brightly shining in the sky
It seems to be a part of our destiny
Every night I eagerly,
Watch them all go twinkling by
But I can't seem to find the one the heavens
Assigned to me...
Smile for me from out of the lonely night
Friendly star, my fate needs deciding
How I need the glow of your guiding light
I know that you are near, for I am strangely dreamy
And so if you can see me from afar
Won't you kindly, light my way
Lead me to my lover, Just point him out, And whisper,
"There you are, there you are"
Then my love, you will be
Standing here, close to me
In your eyes, I will see my friendly star.
The lyrics of "Friendly Star" by Judy Garland speak of the universal human longing for connection and love, likening it to the search for a star to guide one's path. The opening lines describe how there is a special star for everyone in the sky, which seems to be a part of our destiny. The singer eagerly watches the stars every night, hoping to find the one assigned to her, but she can't seem to locate it.
The chorus then addresses the elusive star directly, asking it to reveal itself and guide her toward her fate. The singer is dreamy and hopeful, sensing the star's proximity and waiting for it to reveal itself. The final verse expresses the ultimate hope that, with the help of the friendly star, her lover will finally appear and bring her the love and connection she seeks.
Overall, the song captures the bittersweet combination of longing and hope that comes with searching for something just out of reach.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a star for everyone
Each and every person has a celestial body that they are connected to
Brightly shining in the sky
The star can be easily seen because of its luminous quality
It seems to be a part of our destiny
The choice of star is by fate or some predetermined force in life
Every night I eagerly, watch them all go twinkling by
Each night, there is an excitement to see the star that belongs to her shining among the others
But I can't seem to find the one the heavens assigned to me...
Despite her hopes, the star which is destined for her seems difficult to locate
Friendly star, where could you be hiding
Judy calls out to her star, hoping for it to reveal itself
Smile for me from out of the lonely night
She hopes that the star's appearance will dispel her loneliness
Friendly star, my fate needs deciding
Judy is aware that her destiny is tied to the star and her destiny hangs in balance
How I need the glow of your guiding light
She requires the star's help to guide her path in life
I know that you are near, for I am strangely dreamy
She has an intuition that the star is within reach and this fills her with otherworldly feelings
And so if you can see me from afar
She believes that the star can perceive her presence even from a distance
Won't you kindly, light my way
Judy appeals to the star to show her the proper direction of her life
Lead me to my lover, Just point him out, And whisper, 'There you are, there you are'
The star might be the guiding light to help her find her lover who is somewhere in the same universe
Then my love, you will be, Standing here, close to me
When she finds the right path, she will be united with her true love
In your eyes, I will see my friendly star.
She believes that the love she finds will have the same connection with the star as she does
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MACK GORDON, HARRY WARREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@herutishlach6469
Lyrics:
There's a star for everyone
Brightly shining in the sky
It seems to be a part of our destiny.
Every night I eagerly
Watch them all go twinkling by
I can't seem to find
The one the heavens assigned to me.
Friendly star,
Where can you be hiding?
Smile for me from out of the lonely night.
Friendly star,
My fate need deciding
How I need the glow of your guiding light
I know that you are near
For I am strangely dreaming
And so if you can see me from afar
Won't you kindly light my way,
Lead me to my lover
Just point him out and whisper
There you are,
There you are.
Then my love you will be
Standing here close to me
In your eyes I will see my friendly star.
@charleslumpkin6170
Judy is not just a singer, she is a storyteller! Her voice rises and falls effortlessly!
@grandma651
She looks gorgeous here. What a voice.
@susanlloyd7395
Good Lord, Gene Kelly was gorgeous. Poor Orville didn't stand a chance.
@TabChesson
That shot of Gene Kelly listening to her tugs at my heart strings every time!
@kuroniro1
TabChesson Ikr?! One of the most beautiful, romantic moments put on fan. Just for this number alone, it's become my favorite GK/JD film.
It's too bad the ending seems so rushed and goofy compared to this. It's almost like a different movie.
@MsWesty81
Mine too.
@susanlloyd7395
And he's so beautiful
@kimquinn7728
My fav movie of hers.
@girlfromthebronxbywayofelb7288
I haven't seen the full movie in a long while. What happens after she discovers he is sitting there? Some conversation about... Something about the boring guy everyone is trying to get her to marry? A romantic kiss got cut out of this clip?
@peterholwill1170
Magic doesn't get better than this queen Judy