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).
Sleep My Baby Sleep
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's sweetness both princes and peasants may calim,
Like a bird on the wing or a bee in the clover,
No matter the language the song is the same.
Go to sleep, my baby, go to sleep,
While the stars above begin to peep,
They're lighting the windows of heaven, angels watch over you.
Sleep, my baby, sleep.
From the windows of heaven, mother's watching you too.
Sleep, my baby, sleep.
The lyrics of Judy Garland's song 'Sleep, My Baby Sleep' is a lullaby that speaks of an old love refrain that is known throughout the world, and it is so sweet that both princes and peasants may claim it. It's like the song is universal- it doesn't matter what language or culture you belong to; the melody, the feeling, and the love portrayed in this song remain the same. The lyrics focus on a mother who is singing to her baby to go to sleep, telling the baby that the stars are lighting the windows of heaven and that angels are watching over the baby. The mother reassures the baby that she is also watching over the baby from the windows of heaven. The overall tone and lyrics of the song are very soothing and calming. It is a reassurance to the baby that he or she is protected and loved.
The song was first recorded by Gene Austin in 1927 and was later recorded by singers such as Vernon Dalhart, Wilf Carter, and The Ames Brothers in subsequent years. However, Judy Garland's version of 'Sleep, My Baby Sleep' is considered one of the best recordings of the song. It was recorded by Garland in 1936 when she was only 14 years old, and it became one of her earliest successful recordings.
Line by Line Meaning
There's an old love refrain that has known the world over,
A well-known melody exists that has transcended cultures and is beloved by all.
It's sweetness both princes and peasants may calim,
Both royalty and commoners alike can appreciate the beauty of this song.
Like a bird on the wing or a bee in the clover,
This song is as free and natural as the flight of a bird or the buzz of a bee in a field.
No matter the language the song is the same.
This song has a universal quality that is not lost in translation.
Go to sleep, my baby, go to sleep,
May you rest and fall into a peaceful slumber, my dear child.
While the stars above begin to peep,
As nighttime sets in and the stars appear in the sky.
They're lighting the windows of heaven, angels watch over you.
The twinkling stars are like lights shining through the windows of heaven, where angels are keeping watch over you.
From the windows of heaven, mother's watching you too.
Your mother, who is also in heaven, is keeping a close eye on you as you sleep.
Sleep, my baby, sleep.
Once again, may you rest and sleep well, my dear child.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: EDDIE POLA, FRANZ STEININGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind