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).
The Boy Next Door
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I knew he was just my style
My only regret is we've never met
Though I dream of him all the while
But he doesn't know I exist
No matter how I may persist
So it's clear to see there's no hope for me
And he lives at fifty-one-thirty-three
How can I ignore the boy next door
I love him more than I can say
Doesn't try to please me
Doesn't even tease me
And he never sees me glance his way
And though I'm heart-sore, the boy next door
Affection for me won't display
I just adore him
So I can't ignore him
The boy next door
I just adore him
So I can't ignore him
The boy next door
The song "The Boy Next Door" by Judy Garland is a classic ode to a young girl's unrequited love for the boy who lives next door. The lyrics tell the story of how the girl is enamoured with the boy's smile and style, but feels hopeless because he doesn't even know she exists, despite living just two doors down from her. She laments that he doesn't try to please her or even tease her, and that he never sees her glancing his way. Despite her heartache and the fact that he doesn't show any affection for her, she just can't ignore him because she adores him.
Line by Line Meaning
The moment I saw him smile
I was attracted to him as soon as I saw him smile
I knew he was just my style
I instantly knew he was exactly what I was looking for
My only regret is we've never met
I am disappointed that we haven't had a chance to meet
Though I dream of him all the while
I frequently have thoughts and dreams about him
But he doesn't know I exist
He is unaware of my presence
No matter how I may persist
I try to get his attention, but it doesn't work
So it's clear to see there's no hope for me
It's obvious that there is no chance for us
Though I live at fifty-one-thirty-five Kensington Avenue
I live very close to him
And he lives at fifty-one-thirty-three
He lives just two houses down from me
How can I ignore the boy next door
It's impossible for me to ignore him
I love him more than I can say
I have strong feelings of love for him
Doesn't try to please me
He doesn't make any effort to impress me
Doesn't even tease me
He doesn't joke around with me
And he never sees me glance his way
He doesn't notice me looking at him
And though I'm heart-sore, the boy next door
Even though I'm heartbroken, I still love him
Affection for me won't display
He doesn't show any signs of having feelings for me
I just adore him
I have a deep affection for him
So I can't ignore him
I can't stop thinking about him
The boy next door
The man who lives just next door to me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@shangelalaquifawarrior7810
The moment I saw him smile
I knew he was just my style
My only regret is we've never met
Though I dream of him all the while
But he doesn't know I exist
No matter how I may persist
So it's clear to see there's no hope for me
Though I live at fifty-one-thirty-five Kensington Avenue
And he lives at fifty-one-thirty-three
How can I ignore the boy next door
I love him more than I can say
Doesn't try to please me
Doesn't even tease me
And he never sees me glance his way
And though I'm heart-sore, the boy next door
Affection for me won't display
I just adore him
So I can't ignore him
The boy next door
I just adore him
So I can't ignore him
The boy next door
@allengumm1157
My God, she has such a presence here! Hard to believe this segment is almost eighty years old; not because anything made today could even come close to it, but because it seems just utterly timeless.
@xoangeles7251
One of the most beautiful songs
One of the most beautiful dresses
One of the most beautiful voices
One of the most beautiful women
One of the most beautiful souls
Of all time.
@richardstarkey2224
I’d say the dress is pretty hideous, but other than that spot on.
@jadaallen3646
I listen to this song whenever I have a serious crush. Judy Garland always knew how to tap into your inner most emotions and thoughts. I always loved her acting abilities and singing voice. Judy Garland was the ultimate and literal girl next door. With a face of a beauty queen and the voice of an angel.
Rest In Peace, Judy Garland.
💛💜💛💜
@dylanwashington2419
This is just heavenly!!!!!Only to sit in the movie theaters in 1944, world's away from Hitler, the war, and hear this over the loud speakers must of been like floating on clouds towards heaven. God Bless Judy Garland!!!!!!!!!
@taylormaddux8433
Beautiful description!
@patrickryan1515
How about a Judy Garland filmfest at your local Landmark theater! 10/2019
@mickeymouse2able
I saw it in the theater at 16. Wasn't around in the 40s but still in the 90s this was pretty freakin beautiful
@jaytaylor7740
Her presence seems to float off from the screen and right into your heart.
@NinaSofia_
Jay Taylor 💞