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).
Swing Mister Charlie
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh swing Mister Charlie,
I don't care what tune,
Just make it a hot tune!
Play a note or two
Of a theme that's new;
And the notes you hit is harder than
Anything I've heard since time began!
Oh swing Mister Charlie,
Oh swing Mister Charlie,
No-one can swing it like you do!
I can't get enough
Of that swingable rhythm stuff
Swing Mister Charlie, swing!
Oh swing Mister Charlie,
Oh swing Mister Charlie,
I don't care what tune,
Just make it a hot tune!
Play a bar or two
Of a theme that's new;
And the notes you hit is harder than
Anything I've heard since time began!
Swing Mister Charlie,
Oh swing Mister Charlie,
No-one can swing it like you do!
I can't get enough
Of that swingable rhythm stuff
Swing Mister Charlie, swing!
Swing Mister Charlie, swing!
The lyrics to Judy Garland's Swing Mr. Charlie are all about the joy of swing music and the talent of the musician, Mister Charlie. The singer is asking Mister Charlie to play anything, as long as it's a hot tune filled with swingable rhythm. The singer is amazed by the notes that Mister Charlie hits, which are harder than anything they've heard since time began. The enthusiasm for the music is clear, with the repetition of the phrase "swing Mister Charlie" throughout the song.
The lyrics are a celebration of the era of swing music, which was popular from the late 1920s to the mid-1940s. Swing music was characterized by a strong rhythmic swing, with a focus on the "big band" sound of large jazz ensembles. Swing music was widely popular in dance halls across the United States, and became a cultural phenomenon. The references to a "hot tune" and "swingable rhythm stuff" in the lyrics reflect the energy and excitement of the music.
Overall, the lyrics to Swing Mr. Charlie are a lively and enthusiastic tribute to swing music and the talent of the musicians who created it. Through the repeated phrases and joyful language, the song invites the listener to join in the fun and enjoy the experience of swinging to the rhythm.
Line by Line Meaning
Swing Mister Charlie,
Start the music, Mister Charlie!
Oh swing Mister Charlie,
Please swing that music, Mister Charlie!
I don't care what tune,
It doesn't matter which song you choose,
Just make it a hot tune!
Just make sure it's an upbeat and lively song!
Play a note or two
Start with a couple of notes,
Of a theme that's new;
Of a tune that's fresh and new,
And the notes you hit is harder than
And the melody you play is stronger and better than
Anything I've heard since time began!
Any song I've listened to till this day!
No-one can swing it like you do!
Nobody else can play swing like you do, Mister Charlie!
I can't get enough
I absolutely love
Of that swingable rhythm stuff
That rhythm that's so fun to move and dance to!
Swing Mister Charlie, swing!
Keep on swinging Mister Charlie! Swing, swing, swing!
Lyrics © NEXT DECADE ENTERTAINMENT,INC.
Written by: HARRY BROOKS, IRVING TAYLOR, J. RUSSELL ROBINSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jadaraines
I find it fascinating how you can HEAR her smile through the recording. She was a truly one of a kind artist.
@njplr
That voice. Wow. She had it all, right here, at 14, and kept it, right to the end. There will NEVER be another like her, she was in a class all by herself, bred in vaudeville, reared at MGM, a star who was as vulnerable and lovable as it gets. This is Grand Prize.
@waynebrasler
Always loved this recording. From the start she was unparalleled.
@organicskating
I love this tune! Her phrasing was so there at 14! Thanks for uploading!
@YangPanang123
What a marvellous song! Truly wonderful!
@overcamehim
So pure and honest. Nothing ever forced.
@drtmuir
Everybody recalls the wistful, yearning quality of Miss Garland, but they should also remember her abundant sense of fun, and rhythm. At only 14, she swing as hard as any big band leader.
@ilovejudytoo
what a voice!
@MrKirkman1991
Magnificent. I have this version on Spotify - which is of much better quality. You can really hear the instruments.
@cecilbernard6043
She's great, and that band she is singing with is fantastic.