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).
That's Entertainment!
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or the dance that's a dream of romance
Or the scene where the villain is mean.
That's entertainment!
The lights on the lady in tights
Or he bride with the guy by her side
Or the ball where she gives it her all.
That's entertainment!
A gay divorcee who is after her ex
It could be Oedipus Rex
Where a chap kills his father and causes lots of bother.
The clerk who is thrown out of work
By the boss who is thrown for a loss
By the skirt who is doing him dirt
The world is a stage; the stage is a world of entertainment!
It might be a fight like you see on the screen
A swain getting slain for the love of a queen
Some great Shakespearean scene
Where a ghost and a prince meet, and everyone ends in mincemeat.
The guy who was waving the flag
That began with the mystical hand
Hip hooray! The American way
The world is a stage; the stage is a world of entertainment!
The song "That's Entertainment" is an upbeat number that celebrates the various forms of entertainment that we enjoy. It suggests that everything and everyone can be entertaining, from clowns with their pants falling down to the lights on the lady in tights, from scenes where the villain is mean to Shakespearean scenes where everyone ends in mincemeat. The song describes entertainment as a way to escape from the world's troubles and as a way to bring joy and excitement into our lives.
The lyrics celebrate entertainment in all its forms and suggest that it can be found everywhere, even in the most unexpected places. The song describes how entertainment can take many different forms, from the plot of a hot movie that's teeming with sex to a great Shakespearean scene. The world is portrayed as a stage, where everyone plays a part in the grand drama of life. The song suggests that entertainment is an integral part of our lives and something that we should cherish and enjoy.
Line by Line Meaning
A clown with his pants falling down
A comedic performer whose outfit is coming apart, which is amusing to the audience.
Or the dance that's a dream of romance
A choreographed routine that conveys a love story through movement.
Or the scene where the villain is mean.
A moment in a story when the antagonist acts cruelly or maliciously, heightening the conflict.
That's entertainment!
These experiences bring joy to the spectators, regardless of how different they are from each other.
The lights on the lady in tights
A performer wearing tight-fitting clothing, whose beauty and talent are accentuated by the lighting.
Or he bride with the guy by her side
The moment when a woman marries the man she loves, with him standing beside her in support.
Or the ball where she gives it her all.
The joyful, energetic dancing of a skilled ballroom dancer during a special event.
The plot can be hot, simply teeming with sex
The story being told can have intense, romantic themes that showcase the intricacies of relationships.
A gay divorcee who is after her ex
A woman who has separated from her husband because he was unfaithful, but still wants him back.
It could be Oedipus Rex
Even ancient tragedy can be entertaining, with its complex characters and shocking storylines.
Where a chap kills his father and causes lots of bother.
The dramatic tale of Oedipus, in which he unknowingly killed his father and married his mother, causing chaos.
The clerk who is thrown out of work
The story of a hardworking employee who loses his job through no fault of his own.
By the boss who is thrown for a loss
The scene where the businessman, who is usually successful, experiences failure.
By the skirt who is doing him dirt
The woman who is causing the man problems or betraying him in some way.
The world is a stage; the stage is a world of entertainment!
All of life is like a theatrical performance, and every moment can be viewed as a source of enjoyment for the audience.
It might be a fight like you see on the screen
A cinematic scene that features a physical altercation between characters.
A swain getting slain for the love of a queen
A man who is killed while trying to win the heart of a powerful and beautiful woman.
Some great Shakespearean scene
A memorable moment from the plays of William Shakespeare, a master of storytelling.
Where a ghost and a prince meet, and everyone ends in mincemeat.
The climactic scene of Hamlet, where the prince confronts the ghost of his father and everyone ends up dead.
The guy who was waving the flag
A patriotic American waving the nation's flag with pride.
That began with the mystical hand
The fantastical origin story of America's founding, alluded to by the phrase 'mystical hand.'
Hip hooray! The American way
Celebrating the unique and vibrant culture of the United States.
The world is a stage; the stage is a world of entertainment!
The entire planet is a grand spectacle for those who keep their eyes open and appreciate the beauty and wonder around them.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Howard Dietz, Arthur Schwartz
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind