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 Party's Over
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They've burst your pretty balloon
And taken the moon away
It's time to wind up the masquerade
Just make your mind up
The piper must be paid
The party's over, the candles flicker and dim
It seemed to be right just being with him
Now you must wake up, all dreams must end
Take off your makeup, the party's over
It's all over, my friend
The party's over, it's time to call it a day
They've burst your pretty balloon
And taken the moon away
Now you must wake up, all dreams must end
Take off your makeup, the party's over
It's all over, my friend
It's all over, my friend
The song The Party's Over by Judy Garland is a melancholic ballad that deals with the end of something that was once beautiful and exciting. The lyrics suggest that the party is over and it is time to let go of the dreams and illusions that once made life seem worth living. The opening line "The party's over, it's time to call it a day" sets the tone for the rest of the song.
The second line "They've burst your pretty balloon and taken the moon away" is a metaphor for the end of a relationship or a fleeting moment of happiness. Garland sings about the end of the masquerade and the need to "make your mind up" and face reality. The line "The piper must be paid" suggests that there is a price to be paid for having too much fun and indulging too much.
The rest of the song deals with the sadness and realization that comes with the end of a relationship or a moment of happiness. The candles flicker and dim, symbolizing the loss of the flame that once burned bright. The dream once seemed right just being with him, but now it is time to awaken and face the reality that the dream is over. The song ends on a melancholic note with the repeated line "It's all over, my friend".
Line by Line Meaning
The party's over, it's time to call it a day
The celebration has ended, it's time to go home
They've burst your pretty balloon
And taken the moon away
Your hopes and fantasies have been shattered and everything seems bleak
It's time to wind up the masquerade
Just make your mind up
The piper must be paid
It's time to drop the pretense and face reality, you have to deal with the consequences of your actions
The candles flicker and dim
You danced and dreamed through the night
It seemed to be right just being with him
The romantic atmosphere has faded away and it's time to confront the reality of the situation. You indulged in fantasies all night and now it's time to deal with the fact that it may not have been genuine
Now you must wake up, all dreams must end
Take off your makeup, the party's over
It's all over, my friend
It's time to snap out of the illusion, remove the façade and face the harsh reality that the fun has ended and it's time to move on
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ADOLPH GREEN, BETTY COMDEN, JULE STYNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
lamb83
Tonight a local radio station that plays standards aired a version of ''The Party's Over'' sung by another artist. I immediately thought of Judy's rendition and how superior I felt it was--I just had to log on to youtube and hear it (I remembered that you had uploaded it a few months ago). While listening, tears sprang to my eyes as I thought about how some people are simply the best at what they do and how irreplaceable they are--Judy is most certainly one of them. Many thanks to sites like yours that celebrate her incomparable legacy.
DisWldFrk90
She was so professional. So many singers cancel due to voice issues or lip sync. She kept right on going. Even when doctors thought she'd never perform again she kept going. What a strong woman.
Saxon C
There aren’t enough adjectives to describe The Great Judy Garland! Still unmatched even 50 years after her passing! Thank you Judy! The world misses you, darling!
BHW722
Thanks so much for this. I had never heard the conversation before between Judy and the audience. This concert always amazed me. Just knowing Barbra Streisand and Marilyn Monroe were in the audience makes it quite historical.
bradly2007
Edge to Judy's magical vocal makes for a hypnotic mesmerizing "The Party's Over", nobody but Judy...
Matt Deans
I just listened to this back to back with Peggy Lee's version. I was wowed with PL but when I heard the pure raw vulnerable intense emotion in Judy's version, it was like Filet Mignon compared to hamberger. I am so greatful I was able to see JG live. I'll brag about that till I die.
Elizabeth Dacosta
Matt: As well you should! I have said before, and still feel this way—-I would gladly have given a year of my life to have heard her live; two years if it could have been Carnegie Hall. I was once asked if I would have given the year to her—that’s a complicated question. As much as I grieve her death at such a young age, the condition she was in for several months before her death could not have been reversed, she was what is called “actively dying”, and I would NOT have wanted her to have a slow agonizing death, nor would I have wanted her children, others who loved her, or her devoted fans to have gone through it either. She died while she was still able (often) to thrill an audience, touch people like no one else ever has, and still very much aware that she could do so. But I will forever regret that I didn’t get to see her live.
Felix the Cat
this version sounds a lot like the melody of It's a New World she sang in "A Star is Born"
Russell Candy
The party that is the legendary Judy Garland will never be over!!! Love You Judy!! Thanks for posting!! Great Job!!!
Joey Moore
Unfreakin'believable. JUDY. 1st in our Hearts. Always & Forever...