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).
Happy New Year
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The wind blows memories through my hall
And I am all alone on New Year's eve
The time I need you most of all
The gay ones don their silly paper hats
And blow their stupid little horns
At midnight they will all be singing Auld Lang Syne
I wish you a Happy New Year darling
May your new love be bright and fair
I hope he'll do those special things for you
That I would do if I were there.
I love the days we spent together
Before the old year lost it's shine
I'll keep that memory locked within my heart
That Happy New Year you were mine
The Judy Garland song “Happy New Year” is a classic tale of heartbreak and loneliness, set against the backdrop of the celebratory holiday. With lyrics that are both melancholy and reflective, the song is a poignant reminder of the pain of separation and the longing for connection during the festive season.
The opening lines of the song, “The snow makes teardrops on my window/The wind blows memories through my hall,” set the tone for an introspective meditation on the difficult emotions that come with being alone on New Year’s Eve. The singer is missing their loved one intensely, and the surrounding revelry only serves to underscore their isolation. Even the joyful rituals of the holiday, like wearing paper hats and blowing horns, feel hollow without the person they love.
The chorus of the song is a bittersweet wish for the future. The singer expresses their hope that their beloved will find happiness and love with someone new, while acknowledging the painful contrast between that possibility and the memories of their past together. The final lyrics reveal the depth of emotion at the heart of the song, as the singer expresses a poignant farewell to the “Happy New Year you were mine.”
Overall, “Happy New Year” is a song that speaks to the complexity of human emotion and the enduring power of memories. Its sentiments are universal, as many people can relate to the feelings of longing and loss that it expresses, particularly during the holiday season when such feelings can be particularly intense.
Line by Line Meaning
The snow makes teardrops on my window
As I sit alone on New Year's Eve, looking out my window, I see the snow falling and it reminds me of the tears I cry for not having you by my side.
The wind blows memories through my hall
The wind blowing through my empty hallways brings back memories of us, and how much I wish I could turn back time and spend this New Year's Eve with you.
And I am all alone on New Year's eve
Despite being surrounded by the sounds and celebrations of others, I am lonely and missing you on this New Year's Eve.
The time I need you most of all
This is the time of year where I need you the most, and yet you are not here. It hurts more than you could ever know.
The gay ones don their silly paper hats
As I sit here alone, I can hear the sound of others celebrating with their paper hats and silly horns. They are the lucky ones who have someone to share their New Year's with.
And blow their stupid little horns
Those who have someone to share their New Year's with might not understand the depth of my pain and loneliness.
At midnight they will all be singing Auld Lang Syne
When the clock strikes midnight and the others are singing Auld Lang Syne, I will still be alone and missing you.
But the sad ones sit alone before the fire and sip a glass of lonely wine
While others are surrounded by loved ones, those of us who are alone sip a lonely glass of wine by the fire, wishing for someone to share the New Year with.
I wish you a Happy New Year darling
Despite the pain I am feeling, I still hold love for you in my heart and wish you the best for the New Year.
May your new love be bright and fair
I pray that your new love brings you happiness and joy, even though it breaks my heart to think of you with someone else.
I hope he'll do those special things for you
I hope that your new love treats you well and does all of the things that I would have done for you, if only I could.
That I would do if I were there.
If only I could be there with you, I would do everything in my power to make you happy and bring a glimmer of joy to your life.
I love the days we spent together
Despite the distance between us, I will always carry with me the love and fond memories of the New Year's we spent together in the past.
Before the old year lost it's shine
I look back at the time we spent together with nostalgia, before the pain of the present moment clouded my memory.
I'll keep that memory locked within my heart
Though time may pass and life may change, I will never forget the love we shared and the happiness we found together.
That Happy New Year you were mine
As the clock strikes midnight and the New Year begins, I will hold onto the memory of the year when you were mine and I was yours.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GORDON JENKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Miguel Ángel Alfaro López
Spooky perfomance of Judy Garland with this theme beyond the drama, and that I would score from 0 to 10, with a 25, like twenty-five times I heard it last night one after another, absolutely impressed. It is dedicated to those who receive the entrance of the year in solitude. It is a song for old and tired souls...
Luis Rivera
I love this song, and the way she sings it...
BriNic317
my dad stumbled upon this song while making me a cd and I fell in love with this song.
Judy Alcatraz
happy new year 2017