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 You Love
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is where our story ends,
Never lovers, ever friends.
Goodbye, Let our hearts call it a day,
But before you walk away,
I sincerely want to say:
To give your heart a song to sing;
And then a kiss, but more than this I wish you love.
And in July, a lemonade,
To cool you in some leafy glade;
I wish you health and more than wealth, I wish you love.
My breaking heart and I agree
That you and I could never be,
So with my best, my very best, I set you free.
I wish you shelter from the storm,
A cozy fire to keep you warm;
But most of all, when snowflakes fall,
I wish you love.
I wish you bluebirds in the Spring,
To give your heart a song to sing;
And then a kiss, but more than this I wish you love.
And in July, a lemonade,
To cool you in some leafy glade;
I wish you health and more than wealth, I wish you love.
My breaking heart and I agree
That you and I could never be,
So with my best, my very best, I set you free.
I wish you shelter from the storm,
A cozy fire to keep you warm;
But most of all, when snowflakes fall,
I wish you love.
In "I Wish You Love", Judy Garland is bidding farewell to a person she cares about. She knows that their romantic relationship cannot work out, and therefore they must part ways. Even though they were never in love, she still wishes the person happiness and blessings in life. She starts by telling them that it is pointless to pretend like everything is fine and that they can still be friends. She then expresses her well wishes for their future. She desires that the person finds something to sing about in the spring and a refreshing drink in the middle of summer. She wishes them good health and not just material wealth. She knows that they cannot be together and sets them free. She hopes they find comfort in the storm and warmth in the winter. Lastly, she emphasizes that what she wants most for them is love.
Line by Line Meaning
Goodbye, No use leading with our chins,
Farewell, there's no point in putting on a brave face
This is where our story ends,
Our relationship has come to a conclusion
Never lovers, ever friends.
We were never truly in love but we can still be friends
Goodbye, Let our hearts call it a day,
Goodbye, let's put an end to our emotional attachment as well
But before you walk away,
Before you leave me for good
I sincerely want to say:
I want to express my honest feelings
I wish you bluebirds in the Spring,
I hope you enjoy the beauty of nature in the new beginnings of life
To give your heart a song to sing;
So that your heart can be filled with joy and happiness
And then a kiss, but more than this I wish you love.
May you find someone who can give you not just one kiss, but also genuine love
And in July, a lemonade,
I hope you find simple pleasures in life
To cool you in some leafy glade;
To relax and unwind in the fresh air of nature
I wish you health and more than wealth, I wish you love.
May you have good health and find true love that's worth more than any material wealth
My breaking heart and I agree
My heart is also broken, but we both know it's for the best
That you and I could never be,
Our relationship was never meant to be
So with my best, my very best, I set you free.
With all of the love and respect I can give, I release you from our relationship
I wish you shelter from the storm,
May you find comfort during difficult times
A cozy fire to keep you warm;
May you always have warmth and comfort in your life
But most of all, when snowflakes fall,
Above all else, I wish you love
I wish you bluebirds in the Spring,
May you find happiness and joy in the beauty of the natural world
To give your heart a song to sing;
May your heart be filled with music and delight
And then a kiss, but more than this I wish you love.
May you find the person who makes your heart sing and gives you all the love you deserve
And in July, a lemonade,
May you find simple joys in the hot summer months
To cool you in some leafy glade;
May you find solace in nature's beauty
I wish you health and more than wealth, I wish you love.
May you be blessed with good health, and may you find the kind of love that money cannot buy
My breaking heart and I agree
Despite the pain, I know in my heart that it's better to part ways
That you and I could never be,
We were not meant to be together in a romantic sense
So with my best, my very best, I set you free.
With all the love and respect I have for you, I let you go
I wish you shelter from the storm,
May you find comfort and safety during life's hardships
A cozy fire to keep you warm;
May you always have warmth and comfort in your life
But most of all, when snowflakes fall,
Above all else, I wish you love
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PAUL YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mecca Johnson
Every time I hear her sing I just feel like she believes every single word she's singing and I love her for that
Drew Roberts
I believe her.
Kaye martin
With her eloquence and timely orchestra how could she have flawed...just Beautiful!!
George Brown
What a voice...what a talented woman...
Robert Lee, Countertenor
One of the most touching Judy performances
dedwardloftin
She has such incredible power of emotional communication. Such a beautiful, tragic lady...
Lisa
Love it..Amazing such a a small body could produce such a huge voice...I had forgotten what an extraordinary talent she possessed.
Chico Vera
Outstanding performance.
Barbara Lauro
The look in her eyes tells more that a thousand words😮
Russell Candy
Judy puts so much effortless emotion in this song!! Thank you!! Just wonderful!!!