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 Only Had A Brain
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Conferrin' with the flowers,
Consulting with the rain;
And my head I'd be a scratchin'
While my thoughts are busy hatchin'
If I only had a brain.
I'd unravel ev'ry riddle for my
In trouble or in pain
With the thoughts that you'll be thinkin'
You could be another Lincoln
If you only had a brain.
Oh, I, could tell you why
The oceans near the shore
I could think of things I'd never
Thunk before,
And then I'd sit down and think some more.
I would not be just a muffin',
My head all full of stuffin',
My heart all full of pain;
And perhaps I'd deserve you and be
Even worthy even you
If I only had a brain.
The lyrics to Judy Garland's "If I Only Had A Brain" speaks about the character, the Scarecrow, from the famous classic movie, The Wizard of Oz. The Scarecrow is in search of a brain because he lacks one and wants to learn and understand new things. The song expresses his desire to be intelligent and knowledgeable, conveying how he thinks deeply and will be able to solve problems if he only had a brain. The opening lines describe how he would spend his time if he had a brain, "while away the hours, consulting with the rain" and "conferring with the flowers." He dreams of being able to think and solve every riddle, a possible reference to his role in the movie in helping Dorothy and her friends with their problems.
The lyrics imply that the Scarecrow feels inadequate without a brain, referring to himself as a "muffin" and describing his heart full of pain, highlighting his desire for more. He wants to be worthy of deserving others, assuming that being intelligent would make him a more eligible person. The songwriters purposefully used a folk-inspired tune that easily captures the emotions of the character, making it one of the essential scenes in the movie.
Line by Line Meaning
I could while away the hours
If I had a brain, I could spend time idling away by conversing with the flowers and the rain.
Conferrin' with the flowers,
I would have the ability to communicate and seek guidance from the botanical creatures.
Consulting with the rain;
I could seek counsel and advice from the rain, one of nature's unique elements.
And my head I'd be a scratchin'
I would scratch my head mulishly and think deeply.
While my thoughts are busy hatchin'
I ponder a lot, and my mind is always preoccupied with coming up with new ideas.
If I only had a brain.
Regrettably, I don't have a brain as capable enough to generate thoughtful ideas and have a clear understanding of things.
I'd unravel ev'ry riddle for my Individdle
If I had a brain, I would have the ability to untangle all the intricate puzzles of the world that puzzle me.
In trouble or in pain
Whenever I am in trouble, or emotionally hurting, I could use my intellect and capabilities to fix any issues that arose.
With the thoughts that you'll be thinkin'
I have the intellect to understand what other individuals are thinking, and the ability to come up with the appropriate responses.
You could be another Lincoln
I could be a great leader like Abraham Lincoln if I had a brain that's adroit and calculated.
If you only had a brain.
Sadly, I don't have the brains required to be a great leader and accomplish great things like Lincoln did.
Oh, I, could tell you why The oceans near the shore
With a clever intellect, I could resolve simple mysteries like why the oceans are always close to the shore.
I could think of things I'd never Thunk before,
My brain could come up with innovative solutions and ideas that I've never thought about before.
And then I'd sit down and think some more.
After coming up with new ideas, I would sit and think about them more to see how feasible they are.
I would not be just a muffin',
If I acquired the brainpower, I wouldn't be just a regular, empty person, but a profound one full of knowledgeable insights.
My head all full of stuffin',
I wouldn't be full of superfluous or irrelevant details in my head. Instead, there would be only useful insights.
My heart all full of pain;
If I only had a brain, I wouldn't have to be weighed down by emotional burdens and my conscience always hurting.
And perhaps I'd deserve you and be Even worthy even you
If I had a brain capable of making better choices, then maybe I could finally deserve some respect and praise, and even you.
If I only had a brain.
But alas, I am not blessed with a wise brain to acquire everything I desire.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cobracorporal6738
Lyrics
I could while away the hours
Conferrin' with the flowers
Consultin' with the rain
And my head, I'd be scratchin'
While my thoughts were busy hatchin'
If I only had a brain
I'd unravel every riddle
For any individ'le
In trouble or in pain
With the thoughts you'd be thinkin'
You could be another Lincoln
If you only had a brain
Oh, I would tell you why
The ocean's near the shore
I could think of things I never thunk before
And then I'd sit and think some more
I would not be just a nuffin'
My head all full of stuffin'
My heart all full of pain
I would dance and be merry
Life would be a ding-a-derry
If I only had a brain
@user-4545dajmdjtp
I could while away the hours conferrin with the flowers
Consultin with the rain
And my head I'd be scratchin while
my thoughts were busy hatchin
If I only had a brain
I'd unravel every riddle for any individ‘le
In trouble or in pain
With the thoughts you'll be thinkin
you could be another Lincoln
If you only had a brain
Oh, I could tell you why
the ocean‘s near the shore
I could think of things I never thunk before
And then I'd sit and think some more
I would not be just a nothin
my head all full of stuffin
My heart all full of pain
I would dance and be merry
life would be a ding-a-derry
If I only had a brain
@jamesbarlow3640
Warner Bros’ Are You Quick On Your Feet Round 3
Be Our Guest
Our guest today on the show will ask you a series of questions about themselves, their friends, or their story. Four possible answers.
Beetlejuice: He used to have a boring job at the cornfield, but after getting smart, he made a new start for himself! Let’s welcome that walking, talking bag of straw, the Scarecrow!
Scarecrow: Hiya, everybody! You think you know a lot about Oz? About Dorothy? All those situations we got ourselves into? Well, step right up and test your wits!
Question 1
What color is Dorothy’s dress?
A. Blue*
B. Green
C. Red
D. Purple
Question 2
What was the one body part that I wanted the most?
A. Brain*
B. Heart
C. Stomach
D. Ears
Question 3
What kind of storm in Kansas blows Dorothy away to Oz?
A. Tornado*
B. Hurricane
C. Thunderstorm
D. Blizzard
Question 4
What kind of plant does the witch use to make us all sleepy?
A. Poppy*
B. Rose
C. Dandelion
D. Sunflower
Question 5
What color are the Emerald City citizens?
A. Green*
B. Blue
C. Yellow
D. Purple
Question 6
What does the witch write in the sky?
A. Surrender Dorothy*
B. You’re Not Welcome Here
C. Eat At Joe’s
D. Is This Trip Really Necessary?
Question 7
Who is my real world counterpart?
A. Hunk*
B. Harry
C. Hal
D. Hank
Scarecrow: Well, that about does it! Got some royal stuff to attend to, but I’ll see you all later!
@vccstudents
In Washington in 2023, it goes like this:
I was sitting in my garage
While my son was getting massaged
And the media replied
And I flew around in my jet'
And drove by in my green Corvette
And stole stuff that's classified!
I thought I was making progress
But some doubters were in Congress
Yet I had some friends inside
Well, they turned out just like Judas
And I said, "Oh, ET TU, BRUTUS!"
And stole stuff that's classified!
@JakeSmith-rv1hm
Can we talk about the incredible makeup and design of Scarecrow. It genuinely looks like there's a bag on his head and yet the contours of his face are defined.
@vicmonty5556
I was just about to comment this! Yes, the makeup is amazing! It totally looks like his face is made of burlap 😮
@MaskedMan66
Jack Dawn and his staff worked hard at making the characters look like the actors playing them, while still making them true to the illustrations of W.W. Denslow and John R. Neill.
@Titaniaqueenofthefae
It left him with scars on his face that looked like a burlap sack for the rest of his life
@MaskedMan66
@@Titaniaqueenofthefae Not scars, just imprints, and they faded in a few weeks.
@toddstewart5
Sure.. makeup is great AF.. but it’s the lyrics and performance that make this legendary
@dylans.1741
Ray's Boston accent is very easy to listen to. His speaking style really helped his character to stand out amongst the main quartet.
@bryanstoudenmire
He reminds me of Dick vandyke
@willisapril
Jack Haley the Tin Man was also from Boston, and Judy Garland lived in nearby Hyannis MA, summers which is interesting
@WinnieTheTrain
Sounds like Mark Walbergs character from boogie nights, well at least in a few parts of this. Not the singing part, but him normally talking.