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 Never Knew
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thought that I'd like to stay free
I never thought my time would come to marry,
No wedding bells for me, I've changed my mind after all,
I used to smile at all the songs that were popular,
Nothing but love in each song,
I used to think those kind of songs were foolish,
Now I admit I'm wrong.
Love songs are part of my plan, show me the minister man, for...
I never knew I could love anybody,
Honey, like I'm loving you;
I couldn't realize what a pair of eyes and a baby smile could do.
I can't sleep, I can't eat,
I never knew a single soul could be so sweet,
I never knew I could love anybody,
Honey, like I'm loving you.
The lyrics to Judy Garland's song I Never Knew starts with her suppositions of being single forever. She begins by expressing her belief in "single-blessed-ness" and loyalty to the idea of staying uncommitted. She now admits that she thought that was how it was meant to be and that there would never be wedding bells in her life. The song progresses indicating that she found someone she did not anticipate and how she changed her mind after all. She admits that she never thought she would smile so much, for all the love songs, and she thought those were foolish. She iterates that love songs have become part of her plan, and she wants to find the minister.
In the chorus, Garland confesses how she never knew that she could love somebody like the person she is in love with now. She is amazed by how her lover's eyes and smile had that effect on her, and she had no inkling before. The love has consumed her in such a way that she cannot eat or sleep anymore. She had never experienced such a depth of joy before.
The song's underlying message centers on true love and how it can surprise even the most ardent protestor. The lyrics also highlight how it is possible to evolve from one's previous beliefs after finding love.
Line by Line Meaning
I always thought that I'd prefer single-blessed-ness
I believed that being single was what I wanted in life.
Thought that I'd like to stay free
I desired to remain independent for the rest of my life.
I never thought my time would come to marry,
I did not expect to get married at any point in my life.
No wedding bells for me, I've changed my mind after all,
I did not want to get married, but now I have changed my views.
You are the one made me fall, for...
You are the one I fell in love with and changed my mind about marriage for.
I used to smile at all the songs that were popular,
I used to enjoy listening to the popular songs.
Nothing but love in each song,
The popular songs were all love songs.
I used to think those kind of songs were foolish,
I used to consider love songs to be silly and pointless.
Now I admit I'm wrong.
I now acknowledge that I was wrong about love songs being silly.
Love songs are part of my plan, show me the minister man, for...
Love songs are now a part of my life plan, and I am ready to get married.
I never knew I could love anybody,
I was unaware that I could feel love towards someone else.
Honey, like I'm loving you;
I have fallen in love with you deeply, my dear.
I couldn't realize what a pair of eyes and a baby smile could do.
I did not know that a single look or smile from you could melt my heart so much.
I can't sleep, I can't eat,
I am so in love with you that I cannot even sleep or eat.
I never knew a single soul could be so sweet,
I did not think that someone could be as kind and sweet as you are.
I never knew I could love anybody,
I did not know that I was capable of loving someone with such intensity and passion.
Honey, like I'm loving you.
My love for you is unparalleled and unconditional, my dear.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jonathankieranwriter
Without rival, that voice. And what a fun rendition of a saucy swing classic.
@ddee1890
Terrific recording. Thanks for publishing it