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 Old Black Magic
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That old black magic that you weave so well
Icy fingers up
And down my spine
The same old witchcraft when your eyes meet mine
The same old tingle that I feel
Inside
Down and down I go, round and round I go
Like a leaf that's
Caught in the tide
I should stay away but what can I do
I hear your name, and I'm aflame
Aflame with
Such a burning desire
That only your kiss can put out the fire
You are the lover that I've waited for
The mate that fate had me created for
And every time your lips meet mine
Baby down and down I go,
All around I go
In a spin, loving the spin that I'm in
Under that old black magic called love
The song "That Old Black Magic" by Judy Garland is about the overwhelming power that love can have over an individual. Garland sings about an intense, captivating love that has a spell-like quality to it. The “old black magic” refers to the mysterious and alluring quality of this love. Garland sings about the way that the person she's in love with can perfectly weave this magic and how their eyes meeting creates the same tingle inside her every time.
Garland continues to describe how this love takes ahold of her, making her feel like she's caught in a current and spinning out of control. Despite knowing that she should stay away from this powerful love, she cannot resist the pull it has over her. The passion she feels for this person is so intense that only their kiss can put out the fire inside her. Garland believes that this person is her true love, the one she was destined to be with.
The lyrics of "That Old Black Magic" are a perfect representation of love's hold on an individual. The power that love has over the singer is palpable and the way she describes the feeling of being caught in its grip is relatable to anyone who has ever felt the intensity of love.
Line by Line Meaning
That old black magic has me in its spell
I am completely entranced by your mysterious power
That old black magic that you weave so well
You have an uncanny ability to enchant me
Icy fingers up
A chill runs through me
And down my spine
Starting from the top and coursing down to the base of my back
The same old witchcraft when your eyes meet mine
Every time we lock eyes I feel an all too familiar magic
The same old tingle that I feel
I am no stranger to this sensation
Inside
Deep within me
When that elevator starts its ride
Whenever I'm near you and I feel that rush
Down and down I go, round and round I go
I am losing control, spiraling further into your grasp
Like a leaf that's Caught in the tide
I am at the mercy of the forces pulling me in
I should stay away but what can I do
I know I should keep my distance but I can't resist you
I hear your name, and I'm aflame
Your name alone sends me into a frenzy
Aflame with Such a burning desire
I am consumed by an intense longing
That only your kiss can put out the fire
Only you have the power to ease my burning desire
You are the lover that I've waited for
You are the one I've been searching for all along
The mate that fate had me created for
It's clear to me now that we were destined to be together
And every time your lips meet mine
Whenever we kiss
Baby down and down I go, All around I go
I find myself falling deeper and deeper, spinning out of control
In a spin, loving the spin that I'm in
Despite the chaos, I'm enjoying every second of it
Under that old black magic called love
It's all because of this inexplicable thing we call love
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HAROLD ARLEN, JOHNNY MERCER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Elizabeth Taytay
Absolutely the most beautiful voice and actress ever 2019!!!
Andrew j wheeler jr
2020 here miss Elizabeth sweetness😞😞😞😞😞😞😞😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭.
italoman9
Twenty years old and what a fantastic voice and rendition--just Wow!
briansky10
Judy at her best!
Andrew j wheeler jr
I know for a fact that Everytime I hear her singing this beautiful tune I just break out in tears because it's so beautiful to me you will never ever be forgotten my sweetheart not ever love you always and forever😞😞😞😞😞😞😞😞😞😞😞😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭.
Rod Jones
heavenly ... the song and the look
kellycolleen20
Back when music was music and required real talent. What a sexy song...!
briansky10
You place any song in the care of Judy Garland and boom! You've got a class act.
Tony A
the best version
mitsymagicful
Nice upload! Great picture of Judy too:)