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).
Jamboree Jones
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Out in West Virginia
Is a little college
(Rah, Rah, Rah)
All the student body
Only cared for football
Never mind the knowledge
Never mind the sheepskin
They preferred the pigskin
Seemed to have it in their bones
Yeah, they knew all about it
Couldn't do without it
All except a certain Mr. Jamboree Jones
And he played the clarinet with all his might
He studied night and day, he practiced day and night
No runnin' up the field for Mr. Jones
He'd rather run up the scale and down the scale,
What tones.
Even though his buddies
Always cut their studies
To attend the rallies
(Rah, Rah, Rah)
While they all were rootin'
You could hear him tootin'
"What's become of Sally"
(Rah, Rah, Rah)
How they used to hate him
Co-eds wouldn't date him
Thought he was an awful bore
Oh, but he liked his rhythm
More than being with `em
So he'd only turn in
For to practice some more
And meanwhile the team marched on to greater fame
Till they were asked to play that famous Rose Bowl game
And on that day of days the students beamed
What did they do when the team marched on the scene
I want to tell you ladies and you gentlemen, they screamed.
Rah, Rah, Rah, Rah
Biff-boom-bah, bah-bah-dee-addle-oh
Yea-ho, watch `em go
Startin' from the kick-off,
They pulled every trick off
But they couldn't win it
(No, no, no)
Instead of goin' forwards
They were goin' backwards
`Bout a mile a minute
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Seein' their position
They called intermission
And they heard the referee say
Hey, seventeen to nothin'
Ain't exactly nothin'
And you've only got about a minute to play
And then from the stand there came a distant wail
And it was Jamboree a-swingin' "Hold `em Yale"
(Bula, bula, bula)
And then the students all began to yell
The players marched up the field
And down the field, pell mell.
Now on a certain West Virginia hill
There stands that college still
Just as it always will
And there's a picture in the hall of fame
You'll find the boy in the frame who won the game
Jamboree Jones was the gentleman's name.
The song "Jamboree Jones" is a story about a young man named Jamboree Jones and his passion for music. The story takes place in a college in West Virginia, where the rest of the student body is obsessed with football, but Mr. Jones prefers to play the clarinet. He studies and practices the instrument day and night, while his friends skip class to attend football rallies. They criticize him for not joining in on the football antics, while he is more interested in playing music.
The story takes a turn when the football team is asked to play in the famous Rose Bowl game. At this point, the team is losing badly, and only has one minute left to play. It is then that Jamboree Jones steps in and begins to play his clarinet, inspiring the players and the crowd. The team manages to win the game, and Jamboree Jones becomes a hero. The song ends with a mention of the college, which still stands today, and a picture in the hall of fame of Jamboree Jones, the boy who won the game.
The song is a classic example of the importance of following your passions and not giving in to peer pressure. Jamboree Jones is an outsider because he does not share his classmates' love for football, but he refuses to give up his love for music. In the end, it is his unique talent that saves the day and brings him the recognition he deserves.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll begin the story
I'm going to tell you a story
Out in West Virginia
This story takes place in West Virginia
Is a little college
There is a small college located there
(Rah, Rah, Rah)
This refrain is heard frequently throughout the story, representing the enthusiasm of the college students for football
All the student body
All of the students at the college
Only cared for football
The students were solely interested in football
Never mind the knowledge
They didn't care about academics
(Rah, Rah, Rah)
Refrain - see above
Never mind the sheepskin
They didn't care about earning a degree
They preferred the pigskin
They preferred football
Seemed to have it in their bones
Football was a part of their identity
Yeah, they knew all about it
They were very knowledgeable about football
Couldn't do without it
They couldn't live without football
All except a certain Mr. Jamboree Jones
However, there was one student who didn't care as much about football - Jamboree Jones
And he played the clarinet with all his might
Jamboree Jones was passionate about playing his clarinet
He studied night and day, he practiced day and night
He worked hard to improve his clarinet skills
No runnin' up the field for Mr. Jones
Jamboree Jones wasn't interested in playing football
He'd rather run up the scale and down the scale, What tones.
He preferred playing music to playing football
Even though his buddies
Despite his friends' interest in football
Always cut their studies
They often skipped classes to attend football rallies or games
To attend the rallies
Getting excited for football games through pre-game rallies was more important to them than academics or music
(Rah, Rah, Rah)
Refrain - see above
While they all were rootin'
While his friends were cheering for the football team
You could hear him tootin'
Jamboree Jones could be heard playing his clarinet
"What's become of Sally"
Jamboree Jones was focused on his music and didn't care about the games or other students' romantic interests
(Rah, Rah, Rah)
Refrain - see above
How they used to hate him
Other students didn't like or appreciate Jamboree Jones
Co-eds wouldn't date him
Female students weren't interested in him
Thought he was an awful bore
They found him uninteresting or dull
Oh, but he liked his rhythm
Jamboree Jones enjoyed playing music and improving his skills
More than being with 'em
He preferred his music over socializing with others
So he'd only turn in
He didn't socialize or attend events with others
For to practice some more
He spent his time practicing his clarinet
And meanwhile the team marched on to greater fame
While Jamboree Jones focused on improving his music skills, the football team became more successful
Till they were asked to play that famous Rose Bowl game
The football team became so successful that they were invited to play in a famous bowl game called the Rose Bowl
And on that day of days the students beamed
On the day of the Rose Bowl game, the other students were excited
What did they do when the team marched on the scene
What was the reaction of the students when the football team appeared?
I want to tell you ladies and you gentlemen, they screamed.
The students cheered loudly when the football team arrived
Rah, Rah, Rah, Rah
Refrain - see above
Biff-boom-bah, bah-bah-dee-addle-oh
Sounds of cheering and excitement
Yea-ho, watch `em go
More sounds of cheering and excitement
Startin' from the kick-off,
The football game started
They pulled every trick off
The football team used all of their best moves and strategies
But they couldn't win it
Despite their efforts, the football team couldn't win the game
(No, no, no)
Refrain - see above
Instead of goin' forwards
Instead of making progress toward victory
They were goin' backwards
The team was actually moving backwards, away from their goal
`Bout a mile a minute
They were moving backwards very quickly
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Refrain - see above
Seein' their position
Recognizing their loss
They called intermission
The team called a break to re-strategize
And they heard the referee say
The referee addressed the team
Hey, seventeen to nothin'
The football team was losing 17-0
Ain't exactly nothin'
While this seemed like a significant lead for the other team, it wasn't an insurmountable difference in the game
And you've only got about a minute to play
The team only had a minute left to try to turn things around
And then from the stand there came a distant wail
A far-off sound was heard from the stands
And it was Jamboree a-swingin' "Hold `em Yale"
Jamboree Jones was playing his clarinet, which was heard from the stands, and he was excitedly encouraging the team to hold off the opponent
(Bula, bula, bula)
Exclamatory sounds of excitement or encouragement
And then the students all began to yell
Other students joined Jamboree Jones in cheering for the team
The players marched up the field
The football team advanced, moving up the field
And down the field, pell mell.
The team made progress moving both up and down the field haphazardly
Now on a certain West Virginia hill
Present day, back on that same hill in West Virginia
There stands that college still
The college still exists and is located on the hill in West Virginia
Just as it always will
It will always continue to exist and have a history
And there's a picture in the hall of fame
There is a picture in a hall of the college's famous alumni or other figures of significance
You'll find the boy in the frame who won the game
In that picture, you'll see Jamboree Jones, who helped the team win that important game
Jamboree Jones was the gentleman's name.
The story's protagonist is Jamboree Jones
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHNNY MERCER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Roifberthyijixuifuubgbv4 Crinitin
I Love this duet