Judy Garland (June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969) was an American actress and si… Read Full Bio ↴Judy Garland (June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer from Grand Rapids, Minnesota, USA. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years, Garland attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist, and on the concert stage. Respected for her versatility, she received a Juvenile Academy Award, won a Golden Globe Award, received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for her work in films, as well as Grammy Awards and a Special Tony Award. She had a contralto singing range.

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).

Shenandoah
Judy Garland Lyrics

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Oh, Shenandoah's my native valley.
Aa-way, you rolling river!
Shenandoah is my native valley.
Ah-way, we're bound to go, 'cross th' wide Missouri!

Oh, Shenandoah, it's far I wander.
Aa-way, you rolling river!
Shenandoah, it's far I wander.

Ah-way, we're bound to go, 'cross th' wide Missouri!

Oh, Shenandoah has rushing waters.
Aa-way, you rolling river!
Shenandoah has rushing waters.
Ah-way, we're bound to go, 'cross th' wide Missouri!

Oh, Shenandoah, I love your daughters.
Aa-way, you rolling river!
Shenandoah, I love your daughters.
Ah-way, we're bound to go, 'cross th' wide Missouri!

Oh, Shenandoah, I long to see you.
Aa-way, you rolling river!
Shenandoah, I long to see you.
Ah-way, we're bound to go, 'cross th' wide Missouri!

Oh, Shenandoah, I'm boun' t' leave you.
Aa-way, you rolling river!
Shenandoah, I'm boun' t' leave you.
Ah-way, we're bound to go, 'cross th' wide Missouri!

Oh, Shenandoah, I'll never grieve you.
Aa-way, you rolling river!

Shenandoah, I'll never grieve you.
Ah-way, we're bound to go, 'cross th' wide Missouri!

Overall Meaning

The song "Shenandoah" by Judy Garland is a beautiful ode to the Shenandoah valley that rolls on the back of the Shenandoah river. The lyrics depict an individual's love for their native valley and their unyielding desire to wander far from it. The lyrics evoke a sense of nostalgia and longing for a place that holds the songwriter's heart.

The lyricist starts by calling out to the Shenandoah river and acknowledging that it is their native valley, and the rolling river seems to be a symbol of life running its course. The chorus, "Ah-way, we're bound to go, 'cross th' wide Missouri!" is a reference to the Missouri River, which represents the challenges that the songwriter must overcome before returning to their homeland. The theme of wanderlust is brought out in the second stanza, where the lyricist expresses that they've traveled away from Shenandoah for a good while but still feel its pull.

The third verse of the song highlights the roaring waters of the Shenandoah River. It may represent the turbulent waters of one's life when one is away from the valley. The fourth verse expresses the love the songwriter has for the daughters of Shenandoah: possibly alluding to the people who are present in the valley, highlighting the affectionate relationships that the writer had back home. The next two lines reveal that the writer has the desire to return home and see the valley again. In the final two verses, the songwriter acknowledges that they have to leave Shenandoah and that they will not grieve it but will carry it with them. The song leaves the impression that the memories of Shenandoah will never be forgotten.

ShenandoahJudy Garland Lyrics

Shenandoah
Judy Garland Lyrics