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).
Ten Pins in the Sky
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thunder comes in spring?
Once upon a time it seems
All the world was wrapped in dreams
Playful little fellas, so they tell us
Said Let's have our fling!
Spring is in the air, you know!
It's time to wake 'em up below!
They're playing ten-pins in the sky
Little fellas way up yonder make the raindrops fly
While rollin', bowlin' ten-pins in the sky
The world will wear a new bonnet
Daffodils on it
Thanks to the skies above
Thunder and showers
Wake up the flowers
Where there are flowers
There must be love
So, laugh at raindrops, laugh at thunder
Clouds will soon roll by
They're playing ten-pins in the sky!
The lyrics of the song Ten Pins in the Sky by Judy Garland are both creative and poetic. The lyrics start with a question, "Did you ever wonder why in thunder thunder comes in spring?" which makes the listener curious and interested in the story being told. The song lyrically explains the origin of thunder and rainfall in Spring. According to the song, it all began when some playful and mischievous beings living in the sky decided to have fun and play a game of Ten Pins. This game caused the sound of thunder and made the raindrops fall on the earth.
The song then goes on to explain that thunder and showers of rain wake up the flowers, and where there are flowers, there must be love. The lyrics suggest that people should not be afraid of thunder and rain, but instead, they should laugh at them and enjoy them. Finally, the song ends with the playful beings rolling and bowling ten-pins in the sky while the clouds start to move away, and the sun shines again.
Overall, Ten Pins in the Sky is a beautiful and creative song that celebrates the beauty of nature and its cycles. The lyrics make a connection between the playful beings in the sky, rain, flowers, and love, and convey the message that we should enjoy the little things in life and embrace the changes that come with every season.
Line by Line Meaning
Did you ever wonder why in thunder
Have you ever thought about why thunder occurs?
Thunder comes in spring?
Is thunder more common in the spring season?
Once upon a time it seems
It appears that a story is about to be told
All the world was wrapped in dreams
Everyone was lost in their own imaginations
Playful little fellas, so they tell us
According to a story, mischievous creatures exist
Said Let's have our fling!
These creatures wanted to have some fun
Spring is in the air, you know!
It's clear that spring has begun!
It's time to wake 'em up below!
It's time to stir up the people on the ground
So, when the thunder starts to thunder don't run home and cry
Don't be afraid of thunder and run away
They're playing ten-pins in the sky
The creatures are bowling in the sky with thunderbolts
Little fellas way up yonder make the raindrops fly
The creatures high in the sky make the rain move around
While rollin', bowlin' ten-pins in the sky
While playing their bowling game with thunderbolts
The world will wear a new bonnet
The world will look different
Daffodils on it
There will be daffodils
Thanks to the skies above
It's all thanks to the sky and its creatures
Thunder and showers
The thunder and rain
Wake up the flowers
Causes the flowers to grow
Where there are flowers
Flowers signify
There must be love
That love is present
So, laugh at raindrops, laugh at thunder
Don't be scared of rain and thunder and laugh instead
Clouds will soon roll by
The clouds will move away soon enough
They're playing ten-pins in the sky!
The creatures are still having fun in the sky
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOSEPH A. MC CARTHY, MILTON AGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
mca1218
Absolutely bewitching. This is the last film before OZ, and you can already see the magic 16-year-old Judy promotes in delivering a simple ballad. And it's lovely to see how each of the guys listening- little Scotty Beckett, teenage Freddie Bartholomew, and grown-up Alan Hale- seem to simultaneously fall in love with her.
Jay Taylor
mca1218 I agree with you about Judy. Not so sure about Freddie B.'s reaction though; he seemed more interested in how Alan Hale was reacting than in listening to Judy. But that was now doubt what he was directed to do.
Terry Smith
I don't think this was the film just before OZ. Didn't she make Love Finds Andy Hardy in 1938, and Listen Darling was 1937?
Jay Taylor
@Terry Smith She did make the Andy Hardy in 1938, but it was released in the summer, whereas "Listen Darling" was released in December. Of course, the one could have been made before the other and just released later; it's hard to know.
Derek Llewellyn
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Michael Leake
Even at about 16 years of age, Judy Garland sounded like a fully mature woman singing this. Great voice and beautifully done. It presaged what was soon to come.
Allen Gumm
She manages to sound grown-up and childlike at the same time. What a magical performer.
Terry Smith
Mr. Donato, Judy always SANG out loud with the recording. I believe she was the first to do that all the time. Many times those who were lip-synching, looked as though they were out of sync. Judy looked as though she was ahead of her time. This was a very sweet number, and her little squeeze of Scotty at the end of the song was perfect. I would bet the farm that was her idea, because it looked so natural. This scene is one of my all time favorites. Love this movie.
Terry Grant
I read that Alan Hale passed up a big part in another film to be in this film because he wanted to work with Judy. He was a huge fan of hers. Even though the part was small, he felt it was well worth it.
Jamel Smith
Judy's voice was replica of an Angel. Just Lovely.