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).
If I Love Again
Judy Garland Lyrics
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Brought such a flame to me
And let it die
And if another love should find my heart
It will remind my heart of your goodbye
With every new love you
In others eyes, its you I see
If I love again
Though its someone new
If I love again
It'll still be you
In someone else's firm embrace
I'll close my eyes but see your face
If I love again
I'll find other charms
But I'll make believe, you are in my arms
And though my lips whisper
"I love you"
My heart will not be true
I'll be loving
Every time I love again
The lyrics to Judy Garland's song If I Love Again express a sense of loss and nostalgia for a past love. The singer wonders why this person came into their life, brought such passion and fire, only to let it die out. They acknowledge that if another love should come into their heart, it will inevitably remind them of this goodbye.
The second verse further emphasizes this feeling, as the singer explains that with every new love, they will see this past person in others' eyes. Even if they fall in love with someone new, it will still be this past person they are conjuring in their mind. They will find other charms but make believe that this person is in their arms. The final lines express that while their lips may whisper "I love you", their heart will not be true, as they will still be in love with this past person every time they love again.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of longing and connection to a past love that the singer cannot shake. They acknowledge that even if they move on and find someone new, this previous person will always hold a special place in their heart and thoughts.
Line by Line Meaning
I often wonder why he came to me
I always wonder what made him attracted to me and ignited new passions within me.
Brought such a flame to me
He ignited a new passion in me; made me feel alive and rejuvenated.
And let it die
But he also let it die; he did not carry it forward leaving me in sorrow.
And if another love should find my heart
If I fall in love with someone new.
It will remind my heart of your goodbye
I will remember your goodbye every time I open up my heart to someone new.
With every new love you
With every new love that comes along.
Will come back to me
You will always come back to me in my memories.
In others eyes, its you I see
When I look into other people's eyes, I still see you in them.
If I love again
If I fall in love again.
Though its someone new
Even though it's with someone new.
It'll still be you
It will always be you in my heart.
In someone else's firm embrace
When I am held by somebody else, I'll imagine your embrace.
I'll close my eyes but see your face
I'll close my eyes and visualize your face, pretending like it's you holding me in your arms.
I'll find other charms
I'll look for different qualities that charm me in others.
But I'll make believe, you are in my arms
But I'll pretend like it's you who is holding me in your arms.
And though my lips whisper
Even though I whisper with my lips.
"I love you"
The words I say to someone else when I am in love.
My heart will not be true
But my heart will not be loyal to them, as it will always belong to you.
I'll be loving
I'll be loving you each and every time I fall in love again.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MURRAY JACK, BEN OAKLAND, JACK MURRAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind