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
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 Judy Garland's song "Rock A Bye Your Baby" depict a person who is yearning for the love and comfort of their mother. The opening lines "Mammy mine, your little rollin' stone that rolled away, strolled away" suggest that the singer has been away from their mother for some time, possibly due to work or other family responsibilities. The next lines "Mammy mine, your rollin' stone is rollin' home today, there to stay" reveal that the singer is finally coming back home and is looking forward to seeing their mother's smile.
The chorus of the song "Rock-a-bye your baby with a Dixie melody, when you croon, croon a tune from the heart of Dixie" is a request from the singer to their mother to sing a lullaby and comfort them. The mention of the Mason Dixon Line and swing from Virginia to Tennessee with all the love that's in ya is a nod to the southern roots of the song where Dixie's melody originated. The song also references two other popular songs from the same era - "Weep No More My Lady" and "Old Black Joe" further emphasizing the comforting effect of music and the bond with their mother.
Line by Line Meaning
Mammy mine
Addressing the singer's mother with affection
Your little rollin' stone that rolled away
Referring to the singer as a wanderer who left home
Strolled away
Emphasizing the casual nature of the singer's departure
Mammy mine
Repeating the singer's affectionate address to their mother
Your rollin' stone is rollin' home today
Assuring the mother that the singer is returning home
There to stay
Reassuring the mother that the singer plans to stay home
Just to see your smilin' face
Describing the singer's motivation for returning home
Smile a welcome sign
Describing the mother's welcoming smile
When I'm in your fond embrace
Referring to the comforting embrace of the mother
Listen, Mammy mine...
Calling the mother's attention
Rock-a-bye your baby with a Dixie melody
Asking the mother to sing the baby to sleep with a southern melody
When you croon, croon a tune from the heart of Dixie
Requesting a genuine and heartfelt southern melody
Just hang my cradle, Mammy mine
Requesting the mother to set the singer's cradle
Right on that Mason Dixon Line
Requesting the northern and southern cultures to blend together
And swing it from Virginia
Asking the mother to swing the cradle from Virginia
To Tennessee with all the love that's in ya
Asking the mother to spread southern love across states
"Weep No More My Lady," sing that song again for me
Requesting the mother to sing a comforting song
And "Old Black Joe" just as though you had me on your knee
Requesting the mother to sing another nostalgic song
A million baby kisses I'll deliver
Showing the singer's affection for the mother
The minute that you sing "The Swanee River"
Asking the mother to sing another southern melody
Rock-a-bye your rock-a-bye-baby with a Dixie melody
Asking the mother to sing again and rock the baby to sleep
Any time
Referring to any instance when a mother sings to her child
I hear a mammy sing her babe to sleep
Explaining the singer's emotional response to hearing other mothers sing to their children
Slumber deep
Describing the peaceful sleep of a child
That's the time
Referring to the specific moment when a child falls asleep
The shadows 'round my heart begin to creep
Describing the singer's feelings of sadness and regret
And I weep
Explaining the singer's emotional response
Wonder why I went away
Expressing the singer's confusion about their past choices
What a fool I've been
Acknowledging the singer's mistakes
Take me back to yesterday
Expressing the singer's desire to return to an earlier time
In your arms again
Describing the singer's longing for their mother's embrace
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
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