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).
Never Will I Marry
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never, never will I wed
Born to wander solitary
Wide my world, narrow my bed
Never never never will I marry
Born to wander 'til I'm dead
No burden to bear
No memories to mourn
No turning, for I was
Born to wander solitary
Wide my world, narrow my bed
Never never never will I marry
Born to wander 'til I'm dead
No burden to end
No conscience, no care
No memories to mourn
No turning, for I was
Born to wander solitary
Wide my world, narrow my bed
Never never never will I marry
Born to wander 'til I'm dead
The lyrics to the song "Never Will I Marry" performed by Judy Garland convey a message of personal freedom and the rejection of traditional societal norms. The singer of the song declares that she will never get married or have any commitments that would restrict her wanderlust. She affirms her determination to live a solitary life, free from the burdens and responsibilities of married life, with no conscience or care. The singer expresses a sense of liberation, stating that she has no memories to mourn and no turning back in the solitary path she has set for herself. The song portrays a perspective that challenges the social construct of marriage and promotes independence and individual agency.
The lyrics of the song Not Will I Marry were written by Frank Loesser for the 1960 musical, Greenwillow. However, the song was not included in the final production of the musical, and it was later recorded by Judy Garland in 1961 for her album, "The Judy Garland Show." The song has since been performed by other artists such as Barbra Streisand and Carly Simon.
Line by Line Meaning
Never, never will I marry
I am determined to not get married
Never, never will I wed
I have no desire to enter into a lifelong commitment with anyone
Born to wander solitary
I was meant to live a solitary life, without any permanent attachments
Wide my world, narrow my bed
I have a vast world to explore, but I do not need much space to sleep
No burden to bear
I have no obligations or responsibilities to fulfill
No conscience, no care
I do not have any moral concerns or worries to deal with
No memories to mourn
I do not have any memories of love or companionship to mourn
No turning, for I was born to wander solitary
I have no desire to change my path, as I was destined to live a solitary life
Never never never will I marry
I am reiterating my decision to remain unmarried
Born to wander 'til I'm dead
I will keep living my life of solitude and travel until the day I die
Contributed by Adeline L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Augustus Caesar
Perfect
Take It down.
To post it again.
And I always wait for THE VERY PERFECT ONE
PERFECT PERFORMER AND PERFORMANCE
ITS THIS EPISODE OR ILL WAIT.
That's perfect from beginning to end that's the reason it's those tinted flower glass things or no
Nope
Ill wait
I breathe after I watch it every time
For every time perfect is all the word ..
(I breath nothing else to say if u just watched)
Perfect
Lola Lang
She turned what had been a sad and depressing tune into an empowering one!
Marcel Audubon
it was never sad and depressing, I think you're projecting
Ken Aldrich
if you think this is great you def need to hjear buddy richs version it kicks MAJOR ASS please do yourself a favor and check it out its just breath taking jay corre has the sax solo arr don piestrup it's prob the definitive version i think after hearing it you may agree one thing is sure you wont hate it!!
Ken Aldrich
almost forgot at the live buddy rich show judy garland was in the audience that night i oft wondered if that version inspired this one?
leukdagen11
Always, always the most perfect performance from this great lady! She was the consummate performer of performers. I’m grateful that so much of her work was captured on film, to enjoy forever. The world misses you, Judy Garland!
Juju Bees
She was so beautiful and just perfect. I hope she knows that she is loved and missed terribly.
Susana Aguiló. Pianista, compositora y cantante.
Love it!! I watch it over and over again. I love Judy absolutely 😍💖
CY W
Oh. Dear, Judy Garland, such power house voice coming from that frail body, what a performance, she really knows how to dance with high heels. Love her always.
nicky Exelmans
My favorite song now ❤️
Wil Snodgrass
I'm married now but this song was the 1st step to free myself so I could be married....