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).
Judy's Olio Medley
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who was ever too blase for love
Make this the night for love
If we have to fight, let's fight for love
Some sigh and cry for love
Ah, but in Pa-ree they die for love
Some waste away for love
Just the same - hooray for love!
After you've gone and left me crying
After you've gone, there's no denying
You'll feel blue, you'll feel sad
You'll miss the dearest pal you've ever had
I'll go, I'll go, I'll go my way by myself
This is the end of romance
I'll go my way by myself, love is only a dance
And I'll face the unknown, I'll build a world of my own
No one knows better than I myself
I'm by myself alone, I'll go, I'll go by myself alone
The lyrics to "Hooray For Love" by Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand express a celebration of love and the importance of fighting for it, even if it means facing difficult times. The song starts with the simple statement that love deserves hoorays and that no one should ever be too indifferent or emotionally guarded to embrace it. The lyrics then move on to suggest that love is worth the fight and that those who seek it with determination may find it. The next section of the song gets a bit more melancholic as it explores the aftermath of lost love. The singer acknowledges that after their partner is gone, they will undoubtedly feel sad and miss the person who was once their closest confidant. However, the song takes a hopeful turn as the performer declares they will go on alone, building a new world and facing the unknown with courage and self-confidence.
Line by Line Meaning
Love, love, hooray for love
Love is something to be celebrated and cherished
Who was ever too blase for love
Nobody should be too indifferent or disinterested to love
Make this the night for love
Let us embrace love in this moment
If we have to fight, let's fight for love
Love is worth fighting for
Some sigh and cry for love
Some people yearn for love
Ah, but in Pa-ree they die for love
Love is so powerful that some people are willing to die for it
Some waste away for love
Love can be overwhelming to the point of causing physical or mental harm
Just the same - hooray for love!
Even with all its ups and downs, love is still worth celebrating
After you've gone and left me crying
Expressing the pain of losing someone you loved
After you've gone, there's no denying
Acknowledging the reality of a broken relationship
You'll feel blue, you'll feel sad
Anticipating the feelings of loneliness and sadness after a breakup
You'll miss the dearest pal you've ever had
Recognizing the deep emotional connection between two people in love
I'll go, I'll go, I'll go my way by myself
Deciding to move on and live independently after a breakup
This is the end of romance
Coming to terms with the fact that the romantic relationship has ended
I'll go my way by myself, love is only a dance
Realizing that love is fleeting and not worth dwelling on
And I'll face the unknown, I'll build a world of my own
Choosing to embrace the uncertainty of the future and create a new life for oneself
No one knows better than I myself
Believing in one's own strength and resilience
I'm by myself alone, I'll go, I'll go by myself alone
Embracing solitude and taking control of one's own life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Alex Schwartz, George Gershwin, BG DeSylva, H Arlen, H DietzIra Gershwin, T Layton, H Creamer, L Brown, Sigmund Romberg, Oscar Hammerstein, L Robin, IIR Henderson, Ralph Freed
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