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).
In Between
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hear a voice within me say
Hide yourself behind the screen
You shouldn't be heard, you shouldn't be seen
You're just an awful in between
That's what I am and in between
It's just like small pox quarantine
I'm just a circle in a square
I don't fit in anywhere
I"m past the stage of dull and carriage
I'm not the age to think of marriage
I'm too old for toys and I'm too young for boys
I'm just an in between
I'm not a child or children bore me
I'm not grown up, grown ups ignore me
And in every sense I'm just on a fence
I'm just an in between
I'll be glad when momma let's me go to dances
And have romances
I'll be glad to have a party dress that boys will adore
A dress that touches the floor
I'm sick and tired of bedtime story
I'm so inspired by love and glories
But I guess it's no use, I still get mother goose
I'm just an in between
I'm allow to go to pictures shows
That is if nurse is feeling able
But we only go to Mickey Mouse
I'm not allowed Clarke Gable
It's such an imposition
For a girl who's got ambition
To be an in between
My dad says I should bother more
About my lack of grammar
Huh, the only thing that bothers me
Is my lack of glamor
Why if I could use a lipstick and a powder pop
Who knows I might be ? in the rough
Instead of in between
I'll be glad when uncle Jim can't call me precious child
That simply drives me wild
I'll be glad to have a date that doesn't grow on a trees
A date that's not history
I'll be so glad when I have ?
All by myself, I get so lonesome
And I hope and pray for the day when I'll be sweet sixteen
Then I won't have to be an in between
Judy Garland's "In-Between" is a melancholic song that expresses the confusion of a girl on the cusp of adolescence. The lyrics describe the struggle of not fitting in, falling somewhere between adulthood and childhood, and experiencing a sense of limbo. The opening verse, "Fifteen thousand times a day," indicates the frequency of her internal monologue that tells her to hide her true self behind a screen. She feels as if she shouldn't be heard or seen because she is just an "awful in-between." This state of being in between is compared to a small pox quarantine, which emphasizes the idea of isolation and being alone in her confusion.
The song conveys the sense of being lost and not fitting into either the adult or child world. She's not old enough for one and not young enough for the other. She's beyond playing with toys and not yet interested in boys. In every sense, she's just on a fence, and there's no place where she feels like she fits. The longing for adulthood is evident in the lines, "I'll be glad when Momma let's me go to dances and have romances. I'll be glad to have a party dress that boys will adore." But at the same time, she feels trapped in her childish life since she's not allowed to go to adult movies or wear makeup.
The song's message is one of a yearning for self-acceptance and for finding her place in the world. The final verse indicates that she is looking forward to a future where she is past her in-between stage and free to live her life without the constraints that hold her back.
Line by Line Meaning
Fifteen thousand times a day
I constantly hear a voice telling me to hide myself
I hear a voice within me say
The voice is coming from inside my head
Hide yourself behind the screen
I should keep myself hidden from the world
You shouldn't be heard, you shouldn't be seen
I'm not good enough to be noticed
You're just an awful in between
I'm in a state of limbo, not belonging to either childhood or adulthood
That's what I am and in between
I'm stuck in the middle
It's just like small pox quarantine
My predicament is isolating
I can't do this, I can't go there
I feel restricted in my actions
I'm just a circle in a square
I don't fit in with anyone or anything
I don't fit in anywhere
I don't belong anywhere
I'm past the stage of doll and carriage
I'm too old for young child's toys
I'm not the age to think of marriage
I'm not old enough to consider marriage
I'm too old for toys and I'm too young for boys
I'm in an awkward stage between childhood and adolescence
I'm just an in between
I'm stuck in the middle
I'm not a child or children bore me
I'm too old for child's play
I'm not grown up, grown ups ignore me
I don't receive attention from adults
And in every sense I'm just on a fence
I can't make up my mind between childhood and adulthood
I'm just an in between
I'm stuck in the middle
I'll be glad when momma let's me go to dances
I'm looking forward to going to dances
And have romances
I'm excited for the opportunity to have romantic relationships
I'll be glad to have a party dress that boys will adore
I want to wear a dress that will make me attractive to boys
A dress that touches the floor
I want a glamorous gown
I'm sick and tired of bedtime story
I'm bored of childish stories
I'm so inspired by love and glories
I'm excited for romantic love and opportunities
But I guess it's no use, I still get mother goose
I'm still stuck with childish stories
I'm just an in between
I'm stuck in the middle
I'm allowed to go to picture shows
I'm allowed to watch movies
That is if nurse is feeling able
I'm under the supervision of a nurse
But we only go to Mickey Mouse
I'm only allowed to watch children's movies
I'm not allowed Clark Gable
I'm not allowed to watch movies with romantic male leads
It's such an imposition
It's a burden
For a girl who's got ambition
As someone with hopes and dreams
To be an in between
To be stuck in the middle
My dad says I should bother more about my lack of grammar
My dad wants me to focus more on improving my grammar
The only thing that bothers me
The only thing that really concerns me
Is my lack of glamor
I want to be glamorous and attractive
Why if I could use a lipstick and a powder pop
If I could use makeup
Who knows I might be ? in the rough
I could be a diamond in the rough, with hidden beauty
Instead of in between
Instead of being stuck in the middle
I'll be glad when uncle Jim can't call me precious child
I'm looking forward to being treated as an adult
That simply drives me wild
That drives me crazy
I'll be glad to have a date that doesn't grow on a trees
I want to have dates with real people, not fictional characters
A date that's not history
I want to have a contemporary and relevant date
I'll be so glad when I have ?
I'm not sure what I'll have, but I'm looking forward to it
All by myself, I get so lonesome
I feel lonely when I'm on my own
And I hope and pray for the day when I'll be sweet sixteen
I can't wait to turn sixteen and leave my in-between state
Then I won't have to be an in between
I'll finally be able to belong to one side or the other
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROGER EDENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
bradly2007
Actually the more one plays this amazing Cole Porter Tribute the better it becomes, remember watching it LIVE and loving how sophisticated and amazing Judy looked & sounded, at the end she nails "Night And Day" and throughout never misses a beat...don't know how anyone who loves Judy & Cole could not love it!
William Caron
She looks healthy and pretty, sounds good.
Michael Burns
My God ----- it's hard to imagine it's been almost fifty-five years ago, and we still realize we are watching the greatest entertainer who ever lived. When Judy flips her microphone cord and goes from one high-note explosive song right into another, it is pure magic. I thought watching it on TV then (yeah, I'm OLD :-) ) and still do today that the medley sort of (BRIEFLY) falls apart when she starts in with "Let's Do It" and the rather odd "Don't Fence Me In," but she's handling those numbers as best she can, with a little humor that definitely isn't required for the dramatic, blockbuster Porter numbers. It's not even that they are BAD songs, but just that the medley itself, and the proof of Garland's incredibly strong vocal power, could have easily done WITHOUT them!
Perry Grant
This is fabulous ...i also was amazed the first time i saw this as i had read in countless biographies how "dreadful" it was ...nothing could be further from the truth ...it is breathtaking and Judy is lovely and fabulous ..yes the voice is slightly uneven occasionally ..but the ending is amazing and thrilling ..and thats the whole point . Frank Sinatra and many great entertainers have slight changes in their vocal abilities ...we didn't care..it was thrilling to see them and be entertained by them because we loved them . Judy was beloved by millions especially her fans ...we were just thrilled to be in her presence and to hear and see her ....her loss and untimely passing left a void in entertainment that was never replaced or filled and is still painful for the many who adored her . This performance gets better every time you watch it ! Thankyou for posting
Carmine Bassano
Thank You for posting this! . . . I remember this vividly and it still gives me chills -- I know this performance (and recall) that it was much maligned and criticized but I found it thrilling -- still do. Amazing talent -- this was all live and she did the best she could with the obvious. GO, Judy!
Drew Deflon
She's amazing. I adore her. She was in fine voice here & looked healthy. The,REAL DIVA
R S
At 4’11 she stood taller than the rest of us through pain a triumph. What a legend ❤️
Alberto Fernández Carbajal
I also read many a scathing critique of this performance. If anything it seems the sound system couldn't quite deal with Judy's powerful voice. She did justice to a very long, complex and wordy medley, and she looked like a million dollars even if she didn't have the vocal nuance of her best years... but hey, hadn't she had a stellar career by the time she did this?? It's a fitting tribute to Porter but even more so a moment for Judy to shine for a crowd that failed to reward her for her best screen performance.
Ralph Ewell
I agree. There was too much treble on the microphone, and it didn't pick up the lower partials of her voice. Difficult,poorly constructed arrangement, but she sings the hell out of it. She looks great.
Valentina Maggie
Fantastica!!! I love you Judy!!