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 Feel a Song Comin
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm a-warning you
It's a victorious, happy and glorious new strain
I feel a song coming on
It's a melody full of the laughter
Of children out after the rain
You'll hear a tuneful story
Love and glory, hallelujah
And now that my troubles are gone
Let those heavenly drums go on drumming
'Cause I feel a song coming on
You'll hear a tuneful story
Ringing through you
Love and glory, hallelujah
And now that my troubles are gone
Let those heavenly drums go on drumming
'Cause I feel a song coming on
The lyrics are from the song "I Feel a Song Coming on," a classic tune from the 1930s that was first sang by Peggy Lee. It's a song about the excitement and anticipation that comes with the creation of a new song. Within the first few lines of the song, Garland shares that she feels a song coming on and warns us that it's a "victorious, happy, and glorious new strain." She sets the tone for the rest of the song, which is positive and uplifting.
Garland talks about how the song is full of the laughter of children out after the rain, giving listeners a sense of childlike wonder and innocence. She then goes on to sing about how the song will ring through us, bringing love and glory with it. The song finishes on a triumphant note, with the singer suggesting that we let the heavenly drums go on playing because she feels a song coming on.
Overall, the lyrics of "I Feel a Song Coming on" are a celebration of the creative process and how a single song can bring joy and happiness to others.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel a song coming on
I sense that a new piece of music is about to emerge from me
And I'm a-warning you
I'm telling you in advance so that you can join me in the celebration
It's a victorious, happy and glorious new strain
The new song will be triumphant, joyous, and magnificent
It's a melody full of the laughter
The tune will convey the gleeful sounds of children at play
Of children out after the rain
Who are outdoors without a care in the world, delighting in the fresh air
You'll hear a tuneful story
The melody will tell a captivating tale
Ringing through you
It will resound inside you, filling you with happiness
Love and glory, hallelujah
It will express themes of affection and distinction, to make you feel exalted
And now that my troubles are gone
Since my trials and sorrows have vanished, I can sing with absolute joy
Let those heavenly drums go on drumming
May the celestial rhythm continue, amplifying the joyous celebrations
'Cause I feel a song coming on
I am eager to produce and share the new composition that is bursting within me
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOROTHY FIELDS, GEORGE OPPENHEIMER, JIMMY MC HUGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bruno Prieto
Her performance is wonderful here, with different expressions, and an energy
Xaviotes Harris
There never was nor ever will be another one like Judy.
Durand Davis
This is way we sing walking down the street.😅😂