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 Wish I Were In Love Again
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When we up and parted
You don't know I knocked on wood
Gladly, broken hearted
Worrying is through, I sleep all night
Appetite and health restored
You don't know how much we're bored
The sleepless nights, the daily fights
The quick toboggan when you reach the heights
I miss the kisses and I miss the bites
I wish I were in love again
The broken dates, the endless waits
The lovely loving and the hateful hates
The conversation with the flying plates
I wish I were in love again
No more pain
No more strain
Now I'm sane
But I would rather be ga, ga
The pulled out fur of cat and cur
The fine mis-mating of a him and her
We've learned our lesson
And we wish we were in love again
The furtive sigh, the blackened eye
The words, "I'll love you 'til the day I die"
The self deception that believes the lie
I wish I were in love again
When love congeals, it soon reveals
The faint aroma of performing seals
The double crossing of a pair of heels
I wish I were in love again
No more care
No despair
I'm all there now
But I'd rather be punch drunk
Believe me sir, I much prefer
The classic battle of a him and her
We don't like quiet and we wish we were in love again
The lyrics of “I Wish I Were in Love Again” is a duet performed by Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney in the 1930s film “Babes in Arms”. The song is about the contrasting feelings of Varnick and Billie’s characters towards love. The first verse speaks about Varnick's gladness at the break up; he knocked on wood happily and how he has regained his appetite and health. The second verse speaks about the different experiences of being in love like sleepless nights, fights, and even throwing plates. Despite these negative aspects, the two characters still wish that the love returns as they prefer the chaotic passion of love compared to the monotony of being single.
This song reflects the romanticism of the habit of quarreling with one’s lover but ultimately finding the good in each other. Although the characters’ tumultuous love affair causes them pain, they still prefer to be in love than to be without it altogether. The hilarious and cheeky portrayal of the lyrics has made it a timeless classic.
Line by Line Meaning
You don't know that I felt good
You are unaware of the joy I experienced when we separated
When we up and parted
When we abruptly ended our relationship
You don't know I knocked on wood
You are unaware that I celebrated our breakup
Gladly, broken hearted
I'm happy even though my heart was broken
Worrying is through, I sleep all night
Anxiety is long gone, and I sleep peacefully
Appetite and health restored
My appetite and health have returned to normal
You don't know how much we're bored
You are unaware of how dull our lives have become
The sleepless nights, the daily fights
Our restless nights, daily arguments
The quick toboggan when you reach the heights
Our relationship was like an exhilarating ride to the top
I miss the kisses and I miss the bites
I miss both the tenderness and passion of our love
I wish I were in love again
I want to experience the excitement of falling in love again
The broken dates, the endless waits
Our ruined plans, and long waits
The lovely loving and the hateful hates
Our tender moments and toxic fights
The conversation with the flying plates
The heated arguments that escalated into objects being thrown
No more pain
I'm relieved to be free of pain
No more strain
I'm happy to be stress-free
Now I'm sane
I'm finally sane and composed
But I would rather be ga, ga
But I would rather be crazy and infatuated.
The pulled out fur of cat and cur
The violent fights, hair-pulling, and scratches
The fine mis-mating of a him and her
The dynamic of two mismatched lovers
We've learned our lesson
We've learned from our mistakes
And we wish we were in love again
And we wish to experience that passionate love again
The furtive sigh, the blackened eye
The sad, repressed sighs and the results of physical abuse
The words, "I'll love you 'til the day I die"
The meaningless pledge of eternal love
The self-deception that believes the lie
Our own delusions believing that false promises will come true
When love congeals, it soon reveals
When love stagnates it gets exposed quickly
The faint aroma of performing seals
The strange and unpleasant smell of people putting on fake acts
The double crossing of a pair of heels
The deceit and infidelity of two selfish people
No more care
I'm relieved that I don't have to care anymore
No despair
I'm not hopeless anymore
I'm all there now
I'm completely present and available
But I'd rather be punch-drunk
But I still prefer the dizzying effect of love
Believe me sir, I much prefer
Do believe me when I say I still prefer
The classic battle of a him and her
The thrilling dynamic of two lovers in conflict
We don't like quiet and we wish we were in love again
We need excitement and desire to be in love again
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@fabianeoliveira3735
The sleepless nights
The daily fights
The quick toboggan when you reach the heights
I miss the kisses and I miss the bites
I wish I were in love again
The broken dates
The endless waits
The lovely loving and the hateful hates
The conversations with the flying plates
I wish I were in love again
No more pain
No no more strain
Now I'm sane
But I'd rather be punch drunk
The flying fur of cat and cur
The fine mismatching of a him and her
I've learned my lesson but
I wish I were in love again
The furtive sigh
The blackened eye
The words I love you 'til the day I die
The self-deception that believes that lie
I wish I were in love again
When love congeals
It soon reveals
The faint aroma of performing seals
The double-crossing of a pair of heels
I wish I were in love again
No more care
No more despair
Now I'm all there
But I'd rather be punch drunk
Believe me sir, I much prefer
The classic battle of a him and her
I don't like quiet and I wish I were
In love again
In love again
@WillScarlet16
Bless them, Mickey and Judy pretty much invented the idea of teenage romance in movies.
You talk about your High School Musicals or your 'Glee,' but none of that would have existed without these two.
@BadgerCheese94
In that case, Judy and Mickey have created monsters!
@Gunnergirl56371
BadgerCheese94 Monsters? o_o
@BadgerCheese94
AC56371
High school musical. God that movie sucked ass!
@Gunnergirl56371
BadgerCheese94 I understand. It's alright. But I gotta admit, without Judy and Mickey, then high school musical, glee or other shows/movies like this wouldn't even exist in our century. But now, those things definitely hit the market. :p
@BadgerCheese94
AC56371
Then we most go back and seperate the two to prevent the horrors of hearing Zac Efron singing and the subsequent squeal of 12 year old brats! Quick! To the Delorean! Great Scott!
@tadimaggio
Anyone who has ever performed knows just how much training and experience are needed to move as fluidly as Mickey and Judy do here, as well as to deliver Lorenz Hart's (very demanding) lyrics with such crisp articulation. It's like Fred Astaire's dances: executed with such grace and command that it all seems utterly effortless. GOD, what talent!
@timknowles9475
Absolutely. They make it look so easy….but far from it. Such talent
@roysernagiotto5482
They were magic together... obviously loved working together.
@larrydewein401
Yes they did!