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).
Man That Got Away
Judy Garland Lyrics
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The stars have lost their glitter
The winds grow colder
Suddenly you're older
And all because of the man that got away
No more his eager call
The writings on the wall
Gone astray
The man that won you
Has run off and undone you
That great beginning
Has seen the final inning
Don't know what happened
It's all a crazy game
No more that all-time thrill
For you've been through the mill
And never a new love will
Be the same
Good riddance, goodbye
Every trick of his you're on to
But, fools will be fools
And where's he gone to?
The road gets rougher
It's lonelier and tougher
With hope you burn up
Tomorrow he will turn up
There's just no letup the live-long night and day
Ever since this world began
There is nothing sadder than
A one-man woman looking for
The man that got away
The man that got away
"Man That Got Away" is a song written by Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin for the musical drama A Star Is Born (1954). The song is performed by the lead star of the film, Judy Garland, and it forms the emotional heart of the film. The lyrics articulate the feelings of loss and heartbreak following a failed love affair. Garland's interpretation of the song delivers a poignant message of hopelessness and yearning. The song points out the hardships associated with an ill-fated romance and emphasizes the struggle of moving on after one's heart has been broken.
The first verse of the song talks about the harsh realities of life. The bitter night, cold winds, and growing age are all factors that show how time changes us. The loss of sparkle in the stars implies the loss of hope in life. The second verse emphasizes the fact that the singer is haunted by the memories of her past. She is aware of the fact that the man she was with has left her for good, and she knows that her dreams too have been shattered along with her heart. She can't fathom what went wrong in their relationship and attributes it to the vagaries of life.
The chorus of the song reflects the singer's current state of mind with the crushing weight of the realization that the man that got away has gone for good. Amidst the themes of despair and heartbreak, the song presents a message of hope. The singer waits and hopes for the return of her lost love. The image of hope is depicted in lines like, "With hope you burn up, tomorrow he will turn up." However, the song ultimately conveys a sense of melancholy and the futility of waiting for someone who might never return.
Line by Line Meaning
The night is bitter
The atmosphere is gloomy and miserable
The stars have lost their glitter
The feeling of excitement and joy has disappeared
The winds grow colder
The situation is getting harsher and unbearable
Suddenly you're older
This difficult experience has aged and exhausted you quickly
And all because of the man that got away
The source of all your hardship and pain is the man who left you
No more his eager call
He no longer calls you with enthusiasm or interest
The writings on the wall
The signs of his impending departure were clear all along
The dreams you dreamed have all
The hopes you had for the future are now gone
Gone astray
They have disappeared or become lost
The man that won you
The man who won your love and affection
Has run off and undone you
His departure has caused you great harm and heartache
That great beginning
The wonderful start you had together
Has seen the final inning
Their relationship has reached its end
Don't know what happened
The cause of their breakup is unclear
It's all a crazy game
Love is unpredictable and can lead to irrational behavior or outcomes
No more that all-time thrill
The excitement and passion of being in love is gone
For you've been through the mill
You have endured a lot of hardship and struggle
And never a new love will
You will never find another love that is the same
Be the same
Your heart will never experience that same level of joy again
Good riddance, goodbye
The artist is relieved the man is gone and wishes him farewell
Every trick of his you're on to
The artist is aware of all the man's schemes and deceptions
But, fools will be fools
Some people never learn from their mistakes or trust the wrong people despite the evidence
And where's he gone to?
The singer does not know where the man has gone
The road gets rougher
The path ahead will be even more challenging and arduous
It's lonelier and tougher
The journey will be more isolating and difficult
With hope you burn up
Despite the challenges, the singer still has hope and optimism
Tomorrow he will turn up
There is a possibility that the man will return and complicate things further
There's just no letup the live-long night and day
The pain and heartache are constant and never-ending
Ever since this world began
Throughout the history of the world
There is nothing sadder than
There is no greater source of sadness than
A one-man woman looking for
A woman who has lost the love of her life and is searching for
The man that got away
The man who left her and caused so much pain
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HAROLD ARLEN, IRA GERSHWIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Maya Hay-Nicholls
The night is bitter
The stars have lost their glitter
The winds grow colder
Suddenly you're older
And all because of the man that got away
No more his eager call
The writings on the wall
The dreams you dreamed have all
Gone astray
The man that won you
Has run off and undone you
That great beginning
Has seen the final inning
Don't know what happened
It's all a crazy game
No more that all-time thrill
For you've been through the mill
And never a new love will
Be the same
Good riddance, goodbye
Every trick of his you're on to
But, fools will be fools
And where's he gone to?
The road gets rougher
It's lonelier and tougher
With hope you burn up
Tomorrow he will turn up
There's just no letup the live-long night and day
Ever since this world began
There is nothing sadder than
A one-man woman looking for
The man that got away
The man that got away
Anne Hajdu
Best quote about Judy Garland: "She didn't sing a song, she inhabited it." She was only 23 in 1945 !! Her voice carried a hundred years of emotion, pain, passion, and perfection. She was in a league by herself. And still is.
Yolie C
Preach!
Macho Voce
This is 1954, not '45. Despite that, one could make a strong case that she was the greatest non-classical singer of the 20th century.
Joyce Richens
Anne Hajdu ss
Song ssong that's for me
Bing Crosby
Phoebe Dinsmore
She was 32 not 23, she was born in 1922 and the movie was 1954. Still a staggering voice though.
termar
I wholeheartedly agree!!! People laugh when I tell them Judy is 1 of my 2 favorite vocalists of all time! Her range, pitch, power- unmatched and unrivaled.. yes, she was in a class of her own back in her day, and the mark she left behind will never fade. She didn't just sing a song.. she took it, threw it up, threw it down, flipped it, and turnt it inside out! Ability and talent of her caliber is rare indeed..
Alex Linhardt
She should have won the Oscar for this performance alone. Before watching this, I have never experienced being truly blown away by someone singing. Judy Garland did that for me.
melisa GALVALIZI
she was a great actress and singer, no ust a great singer, don't forget that
Karli Woods
While I love Grace Kelly, who beat Judy out of the Oscars, I think Judy should have won it.
Tony From Coney
Her time to shine and she was ripped off at Oscar time.