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).
I've Confessed To The Breeze
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But all my thoughts just fade away
And all my courage flies when I look into your eyes
I'm wishing for your answer sweet, my heart has nearly ceased to beat
Why keep on hesitating?
Why keep me longer waiting?
My dear I too have done meditating
I've confessed to the breeze I love you
And every star above you, each has heard every word
The lyrics to Judy Garland's song "I've Confessed To The Breeze" convey a sense of vulnerability and hesitation. The singer longs to express their feelings to someone, but finds themselves unable to muster the courage to do so. They are so struck by the person's presence that they cannot even form a coherent thought, let alone express it. The singer wonders why this person continues to hesitate and keep them waiting, and realizes that they, too, have been doing a lot of soul-searching about their feelings. The song takes an ultimately romantic turn as the singer confesses their love to the breeze, the birds and the bees, and every star above the person they love.
The song's use of natural imagery, such as the breeze, the birds, the bees, and the stars, creates a sense of intimacy and connection with the natural world. The singer is not just confessing their love to the person they love, but to the entire universe. The use of the phrase "confessed to the breeze" is particularly powerful, as it suggests a release of emotions that cannot be contained any longer. The singer cannot keep their feelings bottled up any longer, and feels the need to express them in the most profound way possible.
Line by Line Meaning
There's something I would like to say
I have a message that's been burning in my heart
But all my thoughts just fade away
Whenever I try to speak, my words disappear
And all my courage flies when I look into your eyes
I lose all my bravery when I see your gaze
I'm wishing for your answer sweet, my heart has nearly ceased to beat
Your response is what I desire most, my heart races with anticipation
Why keep on hesitating?
Why delay any longer?
Why keep me longer waiting?
Why make me wait any more?
My dear I too have done meditating
I've also done some contemplation
I've confessed to the breeze I love you
I've revealed my love to the wind
Told the birds and the bees your name
I've shared your name with the animals and nature
And every star above you, each has heard every word
Every star in the sky has heard my declaration of love for you
Contributed by Camilla W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.