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).
Pretty Baby
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You hate to have me call you Pretty Baby,
I really thought that I was pleasing you,
For you're just a baby to me.
Your cunning little dimples and your baby stare,
Your baby talk and baby walk and curly hair,
Your baby smile makes life worth while,
You're just as sweet as you can be.
Your mother says you were the cutest kid,
No wonder, dearie, that I'm wild about you,
And all the cunning things you said and did.
Why, I love to fondly recall,
Ann just like Peter Pan, it seems you'll always be
The same sweet, cunning, Little Baby dear to me.
And that is why I'm sure that I will always love you best of all.
Everybody loves a baby that's why I'm in love with you,
Pretty Baby, Pretty Baby,
And I'd to be your sister, brother, dad and mother too,
Pretty Baby, Pretty Baby.
Won't you come and let me rock you in my cradle of love,
And we'll cuddle all the time.
Oh! I want a Lovin' Baby and it might as well be you,
Pretty Baby of mine.
In "Pretty Baby," Judy Garland sings about her love and adoration for someone she refers to as "Pretty Baby." She explains how this person hates being called that name, but Garland thought she was pleasing them. Garland then begins to describe all the adorable characteristics of Pretty Baby, such as their dimples, baby talk, and curly hair. She also mentions that Pretty Baby's mother thinks they were the cutest kid, which only intensifies Garland's love for them.
The second verse further explains why Garland loves Pretty Baby so much. She loves the things they say and do, and compares them to Peter Pan. Garland ends the song by saying that she will always love Pretty Baby the most, and inviting them to come and let her "rock you in my cradle of love."
The song is a sweet and innocent ode to childhood and the love that can be felt for someone who is like a child. It is reminiscent of a time when everything was simple and innocent, and when love was pure and uncomplicated.
Line by Line Meaning
You ask me why I'm always teasing you,
You want to know why I enjoy playfully bothering you constantly,
You hate to have me call you Pretty Baby,
You do not appreciate me referring to you as 'pretty baby',
I really thought that I was pleasing you,
I believed that you were happy with how I addressed you,
For you're just a baby to me.
To me, you are still just a child.
Your cunning little dimples and your baby stare,
Your adorable little indents and innocent gaze,
Your baby talk and baby walk and curly hair,
The way you talk, walk, and your curly hair, all remind me of a young child,
Your baby smile makes life worth while,
Your sweet, innocent smile brings me happiness and joy,
You're just as sweet as you can be.
You are absolutely delightful and kind-hearted.
Your mother says you were the cutest kid,
Your mother has told me how you were the most adorable child,
No wonder, dearie, that I'm wild about you,
It is no surprise that I have grown fond of you,
And all the cunning things you said and did.
I cherish the clever and mischievous things you have said and done,
Why, I love to fondly recall,
I enjoy recollecting and thinking of those moments,
Ann just like Peter Pan, it seems you'll always be
It appears that you will forever possess the innocence and wonder of Peter Pan,
The same sweet, cunning, Little Baby dear to me.
You will always be my dear, young, and mischievous child,
And that is why I'm sure that I will always love you best of all.
That is why I am confident that I will always cherish you most of all.
Everybody loves a baby that's why I'm in love with you,
Everyone adores a child, which explains why I am fond of you,
Pretty Baby, Pretty Baby,
My sweet and darling child,
And I'd to be your sister, brother, dad and mother too,
I wish I could be your sibling, father, and mother all at the same time,
Pretty Baby, Pretty Baby.
My beloved child.
Won't you come and let me rock you in my cradle of love,
Please come to me and let me hold you close to my heart,
And we'll cuddle all the time.
And we will embrace and snuggle each other often.
Oh! I want a Lovin' Baby and it might as well be you,
I desire a nurturing and loving child, and that child happens to be you,
Pretty Baby of mine.
My charming child.
Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BAYLEY COOKE, JASON EDWARDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@HoustonHistoricRetail
My Grandfather constantly sang this, along with an "parody version" he composed. The town I grew up in had a hospital named "Poly Ryon". His lyrics were as follows:
-Everybody loves a sickie that's why I'm in love with you.
-Poly Ryon, Poly Ryon
-And I'd like to be your doctor, nurse, and chiropractor too
-Poly Ryon, Poly Ryon
-Oh wont you come and cuddle with me in the fluoroscopy room, I'll let you see through me.
-Oh I love all my diseases but I'd give them up for you.
-Poly Ryon, you're mine, Poly Ryon your mine!
@Viracocha88
They were both such brilliant singers and they compliment each other beautifully in this brief clip. It's a pity they never recorded an entire LP of duets.
@grodjigoli9509
Sad.๐ข๐ข๐ข
@HoustonHistoricRetail
My Grandfather constantly sang this, along with an "parody version" he composed. The town I grew up in had a hospital named "Poly Ryon". His lyrics were as follows:
-Everybody loves a sickie that's why I'm in love with you.
-Poly Ryon, Poly Ryon
-And I'd like to be your doctor, nurse, and chiropractor too
-Poly Ryon, Poly Ryon
-Oh wont you come and cuddle with me in the fluoroscopy room, I'll let you see through me.
-Oh I love all my diseases but I'd give them up for you.
-Poly Ryon, you're mine, Poly Ryon your mine!
@28drago
Wow. Jolson and Garland. I'm in heaven.
@maureen1938
This is terrific...I've never heard them singing together....I love it
@alanlefkowitz8863
She could belt out a song as Jolson did. This recording sounds sweet, she holds her own
@madamerotten
Possibly the two greatest entertainers in history.
@lanitarenee4668
Love it, so VERY fab!!๐๐
@anneroy4560
the two greatest singers ever ...
@brigand444
Wunderbar. Danke!