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).
Over The Rainbow Reprise
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
That's where you'll find me
Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why, then, oh, why can't I?
Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why, then, oh, why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh, why can't I?
The lyrics of "Over The Rainbow" by Judy Garland are a reflection of human longing and the dreams we hope to achieve. The song speaks of an idyllic place somewhere over the rainbow, a space that's peaceful, calm and free from the everyday struggles of present reality. The words "Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high" suggest the height of the place over the horizon that is out of reach. The idea that Garland heard of such a place in a lullaby confirms its dreamlike existence.
The lyrics suggest a message of hope that the dreams that we dare to dream really can come true. The notion of wishing upon a star conveys a feeling of hope and optimism, as the writer dreams of a place where clouds do not exist, and everyday struggles turn to trivial things. The lyrics mention a place where troubles melt like lemon drops over the chimney tops. This image connotes a place that is fantastical, wondrous, and free from all the challenges of the world.
Overall, the song "Over The Rainbow" talks about the endless hope and optimism that lives inside each of us, the yearning for a place of comfort and the dreams we aspire to achieve.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There is a place somewhere that is above the clouds
There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby
There is a mythical land that I have only heard about in a dream
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
In this unknown world, the skies are always blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true
In this magical place, your biggest dreams and aspirations can come true
Someday I'll wish upon a star
One day, I will make a wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
My wish will take me to a place where I am far away from all my problems
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
In this place, all my worries and fears will disappear
Away above the chimney tops
This place is high up above the city, away from all the noise and chaos
That's where you'll find me
I will be waiting for anyone who wants to join me in this magical place
Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly
In this magical land, there are bluebirds that fly freely
Birds fly over the rainbow
Other birds also fly above this magical place
Why, then, oh, why can't I?
Why can't I also be free to fly and explore this magical world?
Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly
In this magical land, there are bluebirds that fly freely
Birds fly over the rainbow
Other birds also fly above this magical place
Why, then, oh, why can't I?
Why can't I also be free to fly and explore this magical world?
If happy little bluebirds fly
In this magical place, even the birds are happy
Beyond the rainbow
But this happiness is only found beyond the rainbow
Why, oh, why can't I?
Why can't I also find this happiness and freedom?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Yip Harburg, Harold Arlen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Saxon C
I guess even the cameramen and crew watching this scene, were all crying. Judy is and always will be, the greatest
💋 My Funny Valentine 💋
They did.
Michael Barlow
They never should have deleted the footage of Judy Garland singing the heartbreakingly sad reprise of "Over The Rainbow" from the scene in the Wicked Witch of the West's castle. Although it is understandable that the producer and director of the film felt that that segment of the scene would be too upsetting to children watching the movie, that scene should have been left intact because it demonstrates Judy Garland's phenomenal acting ability.
gene webb
and to think they didnt want her to sing this song period. it was undignified for her to sing such a song in a barmyard and that it slows the picture down. so glad they kept this in which made it a movie classic monent
Charlie Childers
As far as being too upsetting for the children to see and hear, the wicked witch was far more upsetting and also frightening to most of the children who saw the movie. My 10-year-old cousin would run out of the room whenever the witch came on. It would be very human and natural for the little children to watch and relate to Judy when she was crying and missing home and frightened. They would have gotten even more personally involved with Dorothy's character and the story (and the movie) Judy Garland would have been recognized very early on of her enormous acting talents and would have become an even greater star then instead of later! 😱🤔🤗😇💞♥️
P.Z. Arnott
Also, it comes full circles on Dorothy's development. She at the beginning, want to escape when no one, especially Aunt Em, listens to her problems, to the point of escaping to a whole new place. But here, the song takes a whole new meaning of going over the rainbow back home
Joshy GOLDIEM_J
At sixteen as well! Real shame she got abused, but the fact that she carried on acting is truly admirable.
Pat Alb
Nah they just didn’t know what the heck they were doing, they even almost axed when she first sang it at the beginning
Long Gray Line
The greatest actress/performer of all time in the greatest movie of all time. She commands a scene like no other.
Michael Barlow
@ Long Gray Line. No question whatsoever that Judy Garland was the greatest female entertainer of all-time (with honorable mention of Barbra Streisand as the second greatest female entertainer of all-time). As far as the greatest male entertainer of all-time , that distinction goes to Al Jolson.