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 Your Baby With A Dixie Melody
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you croon, croon a tune from the heart of Dixie.
Just place my cradle, mammy mine,
Right on the Mason Dixon line,
And swing it from Virginia
To Tennessee with all the love that's in ya.
Weep no more, my lady.
Soft and low, just as though
You had me on your knee.
A million baby kisses I'd deliver,
If you would only sing that Swanee River.
Rock-a-bye your rock-a-bye baby with a Dixie melody
The lyrics "Rock-a-bye your baby with a Dixie melody" suggests that the singer wants her baby to be calmed and soothed with a lullaby that is inspired by music from the Southern United States. The lyrics "When you croon, croon a tune from the heart of Dixie" suggests that the singer wants the person soothing her baby to sing with all their heart, using their voice to create a beautiful melody that will lull the baby to sleep.
The lyric "Just place my cradle, mammy mine, right on the Mason Dixon line, and swing it from Virginia to Tennessee with all the love that's in ya" suggests a desire for a sense of unity and love across the divide that was the Mason-Dixon line during the Civil War era. The singer implores her mother, or whoever is taking care of the baby, to swing the cradle from Virginia to Tennessee, bridging the literal and metaphorical gap between these two states.
Line by Line Meaning
Rock-a-bye your baby with a Dixie melody.
Sing a lullaby to your loved ones with a tune from the south.
When you croon, croon a tune from the heart of Dixie.
Sing from the bottom of your heart, a melody from the southern states.
Just place my cradle, mammy mine,
Set up my crib, dear mother,
Right on the Mason Dixon line,
Near the dividing line between the north and the south,
And swing it from Virginia
Rock it gently from Virginia
To Tennessee with all the love that's in ya.
With all the affection in your heart, sway the crib to Tennessee.
Weep no more, my lady.
Do not shed any more tears, dearest.
Sing that song again for me.
Replay that tune once again, for me.
Soft and low, just as though
Mild and calm, as if
You had me on your knee.
You held me on your lap when I was younger.
A million baby kisses I'd deliver,
I would provide a million kisses to my baby,
If you would only sing that Swanee River.
If only you sung that tune 'Swanee River' one more time.
Rock-a-bye your rock-a-bye baby with a Dixie melody
Soothe your baby with a southern tune, and rock them to sleep.
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