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).
Rock-A-Bye Baby
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your little rollin' stone that rolled away
Strolled away
Mammy mine
Your rollin' stone is rollin' home today
There to stay
Just to see your smilin' face
Smile a welcome sign
Listen, Mammy mine
Rock-a-bye your baby with a Dixie melody
When you croon, croon a tune from the heart of Dixie
Just hang my cradle, Mammy mine
Right on that Mason Dixon Line
And swing it from Virginia
To Tennessee with all the love that's in ya
"Weep No More My Lady," sing that song again for me
And "Old Black Joe" just as though you had me on your knee
A million baby kisses I'll deliver
The minute that you sing "The Swanee River"
Rock-a-bye your rock-a-bye-baby with a Dixie melody
Any time
I hear a mammy sing her babe to sleep
Slumber deep
That's the time
The shadows 'round my heart begin to creep
And I weep
Wonder why I went away
What a fool I've been
Take me back to yesterday
In your arms again
Rock-a-bye your baby with a Dixie melody
When you croon, croon a tune from the heart of Dixie
Just hang my cradle, Mammy mine
Right on that Mason Dixon Line
And swing it from Virginia
To Tennessee with all the love that's in ya
"Weep No More My Lady," sing that song again for me
And "Old Black Joe" just as though you had me on your knee
A million baby kisses I'll deliver
The minute that you sing "The Swanee River"
Rock-a-bye your rock-a-bye-baby with a Dixie melody
The lyrics to the song “Rock-A-Bye Baby in a Dixie Melody” by Judy Garland is a touching tribute to the warm and caring embrace of a mother. Throughout the song, Garland sings about returning home to her “Mammy” and longs to be held in her loving arms again. The opening lines describe Garland as a “rollin' stone that rolled away” which could refer to the adventurous nature of the singer as she embarked on a journey away from home. However, the chorus makes it clear that she yearns to return and be rocked to sleep by her mother once again.
The song’s refrain of “Rock-a-bye your baby with a Dixie melody” is a metaphor for the soothing effect that a mother’s love can have on her child. The mention of “the heart of Dixie” and locations like Virginia and Tennessee allude to the nostalgia Garland feels for her Southern roots. The lyrics “Weep No More My Lady” and “Old Black Joe” is a nod to classic folk songs from the time, emphasizing the importance that music played in the lives of people during this era.
Overall, the song “Rock-A-Bye Baby in a Dixie Melody” by Judy Garland is a heartfelt tribute to the bond between mother and child, and the power of music to bring people together.
Line by Line Meaning
Mammy mine
Addressing the singer’s mother with a term of affection
Your little rollin' stone that rolled away
Referring to herself as a restless person who has been away from home for a long time
Strolled away
Walking away from home aimlessly
Mammy mine
Addressing the singer’s mother with a term of affection
Your rollin' stone is rollin' home today
Announcing that the singer is finally coming back home
There to stay
Expressing the singer’s intention to stay home for good
Just to see your smilin' face
Stating the reason for the singer’s return: to reunite with her mother
Smile a welcome sign
Requesting that the mother welcome her back with a smile
When I'm in your fond embrace
Referring to the warmth and tenderness of her mother’s hug
Listen, Mammy mine
Asking the mother to pay attention
Rock-a-bye your baby with a Dixie melody
Requesting that her mother sing a lullaby to her as she did when she was a baby
When you croon, croon a tune from the heart of Dixie
Asking her mother to sing a song that originated from the Southern United States
Just hang my cradle, Mammy mine
Asking her mother to prepare a comfortable place for her to rest
Right on that Mason Dixon Line
Asking her mother to place her cradle near the dividing line between the Northern and Southern United States
And swing it from Virginia
Asking her mother to gently rock the cradle from side to side as she sings
To Tennessee with all the love that's in ya
Asking her mother to continue to show her love as she did when the singer was a baby
"Weep No More My Lady," sing that song again for me
Requesting that her mother sing a song called "Weep No More My Lady"
And "Old Black Joe" just as though you had me on your knee
Requesting that her mother sing a song called "Old Black Joe" as if the singer were still a child
A million baby kisses I'll deliver
Promising to give her mother many kisses as a way of showing her love
The minute that you sing "The Swanee River"
Placing importance on the song "The Swanee River", as it holds a special place in the singer’s heart
Rock-a-bye your rock-a-bye-baby with a Dixie melody
Repeating the chorus, asking her mother to sing a Southern lullaby to her as she did when she was a baby
Any time
Stating that hearing a mother sing a lullaby to her child can evoke strong emotions in the singer
I hear a mammy sing her babe to sleep
Referring to any mother singing a lullaby to her child
Slumber deep
Describing the child’s deep and peaceful sleep
That's the time
Referring to the moment when the child falls asleep in their mother's arms
The shadows 'round my heart begin to creep
Describing a feeling of sadness that comes over the singer when she hears a mother singing a lullaby to her child
And I weep
Expressing the singer’s sadness
Wonder why I went away
Regretting the decision to leave home
What a fool I've been
Acknowledging that the decision to leave home was foolish
Take me back to yesterday
Expressing a desire to go back in time and not leave home
In your arms again
Expressing a desire to be held by her mother once again
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JEAN SCHWARTZ, JOE YOUNG, SAM M. LEWIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Take my Hand
Lyrics
Rock a bye, your baby
With a Dixie melody
When you croon, croon a tune
From the heart of Dixie
Just hang my cradle, mammy mine
Right on that masoned, Dixen line
And swing it from Virginia, to Tennessee
With all the love that's in ya
Weep no more, my lady
Sing that song again, for me
Sing on black Joe, just as though
You have me on your knees
A million baby kisses, I'll deliver
If you will only play that Swanee river
Rock a bye your rock a bye baby
With a Dixie melody
Oh, weep no more, my lady
Sing that song again, for me
Sing on black Joe, just as though
You have me on your knees
A million baby kisses, I'll deliver
If you will only play that Swanee river
Rock a bye your rock a bye baby
With a Dixie melody
lala
judy wasn't for the faint of heart. when she belted out a song, you knew she was there. rip, judy, you're missed more than you know.
Joel Graciano
Amen.
Allan Roser
I had the extraordinary privilege of seeing Judy in Sydney. I will never forget that night. I miss her every day. God bless her.
joey burrell
She had a golden voice from the very beginning, but seasoned with Father Time, you can’t beat it. Like fine wine aged. 👍👍👍
happychildhood
This brings tears to my eyes! What an incredible multi-talented woman Judy was! We love you Judy!
Nanci Lucey
You and me both! It gives me chills, she is sooo good!
camil0091
you can't beat her voice. The best of all time.
David Hajjar
The greatest female singer of the 20th century ! Judy rocks !!
Letha Luks
I agree 100% and Barbra Striesand is #2
Micah Woodard
I can't help but to smile. What an abosolute gift and treasure she was and still is. Unmatched talent