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).
Gotta Be This Or That
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If it ain't day, it's night
If you ain't sure, you might
Gotta be this or that
If it ain't dry, it's wet
If you ain't got, you get
If it ain't gross, it's net
Gotta be this or that
It's got to be your brother
Can't you see it's gotta be
One way or the other
If it ain't full, it's blank
If you don't spend, you bank
If it ain't Dee, it's Frank
Gotta be this or that
The lyrics in Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra's Gotta Be This Or That are all about binary choices, where there are only two possible options and no in-between. The refrain "gotta be this or that" is repeated throughout the song as a constant reminder of this way of thinking. The first verse sets the tone by presenting contrasts such as right/wrong, day/night, and sure/might. The second verse continues with more dichotomies like wet/dry, get/got, and gross/net.
In the bridge, the lyrics become more personal as the singer talks about relationships. "If it ain't sis, you can't miss" implies that if you have a sister, you should be close to her and not miss the opportunity to spend time with her. "It's got to be your brother" reinforces this idea, emphasizing the importance of family. The bridge concludes by saying "Can't you see it's gotta be One way or the other," suggesting that there are no grey areas in relationships either - you either have a close bond with your siblings or you don't.
Overall, Gotta Be This Or That celebrates the simplicity of binary thinking while acknowledging that it can also be limiting. By presenting a series of dichotomies, the song encourages the listener to think in terms of absolutes and make clear decisions.
Line by Line Meaning
If you ain't wrong, you're right
There is no grey area, either you are correct or incorrect
If it ain't day, it's night
There are only two contrasting states, lightness and darkness
If you ain't sure, you might
Uncertainty leads to possible failure
Gotta be this or that
Life always gives you two options, and you must choose one
If it ain't dry, it's wet
There are only two contrasting states, absence or presence of moisture
If you ain't got, you get
If you do not have something, you must strive to obtain it
If it ain't gross, it's net
Every positive has a negative, every gain has a loss
Gotta be this or that
Life always gives you two options, and you must choose one
If it ain't sis, you can't miss
The closest relative cannot be overlooked or ignored
It's got to be your brother
Family comes first
Can't you see it's gotta be
There is no other way but to choose one option or the other
One way or the other
There are only two paths to choose
If it ain't full, it's blank
Either something is complete or it is incomplete
If you don't spend, you bank
Saving is the only other alternative to spending
If it ain't Dee, it's Frank
There are only two alternatives to consider
Gotta be this or that
Life always gives you two options, and you must choose one
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SUNNY SKYLAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
William Clarke
Wow! What a fantastic duet by two of the all time greatest singers!