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 Trolley Song
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And my hair piled high upon my head
I went to lose a jolly hour on the trolley
And lost my heart instead
With his light brown derby and his bright green tie
He was quite the handsomest of men
I started to yen so I counted to ten
Then I counted to ten again
Clang, clang, clang went the trolley
Ding, ding, ding went the bell
Zing, zing, zing went my heart strings
From the moment I saw him I fell
Chug, chug, chug went the motor
Bump, bump, bump went the brake
Thump, thump, thump went my heart strings
When he smiled I could feel the car shake
He tipped his hat, and took a seat
He said he hoped he hadn't stepped upon my feet
He asked my name, I held my breath
I couldn't speak because he scared me half to death
Buzz, buzz, buzz went the buzzer
Plop, plop, plop went the wheels
Stop, stop, stop went my heart strings
As he started to go then I started to know how it feels
When the universe reels
The day was bright, the air was sweet
The smell of honeysuckle charmed you off your feet
You tried to sing, but couldn't squeak
In fact you loved him so you couldn't even speak
Buzz, buzz, buzz went the buzzer
Plop, plop, plop went the wheels
Stop, stop, stop went my heart strings
As he started to leave
I took hold of his sleeve with my hand
And as if it were planned
He stayed on with me and it was grand just to stand
With his hand holding mine to the end of the line
The Trolley Song, famously performed by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis, depicts a chance encounter that leads to love during a trolley ride. The carnival-like energy of the song is mirrored in the bright green tie and light brown derby worn by the man who catches Garland's eye; as they ride together, her heart pounds in time with the clangs and bangs of the trolley, and she finds herself so enamored that she can hardly speak.
The lyrics of the song, written by Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin, effectively capture the excitement, confusion, and possibility of an unplanned romantic encounter. At the beginning of the song, Garland's character is simply trying to pass the time on the trolley, but by the end, she is holding hands with the man she has fallen for, delighted to find that "it was grand just to stand" next to him. The song underscores the idea that sometimes love can be found in unexpected places, and that even the most mundane activities can turn into magical, life-changing experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
With my high starched-collar and my high-topped shoes
She dressed up in her finest clothes
And my hair piled high upon my head
She styled her hair in an elaborate way
I went to lose a jolly hour on the trolley
She went for a fun ride on the trolley
And lost my heart instead
She fell in love
With his light brown derby and his bright green tie
He was a well-dressed and attractive man
He was quite the handsomest of men
He was very good-looking
I started to yen so I counted to ten
She tried to control her feelings by counting to ten
Then I counted to ten again
She tried again to control her feelings
Clang, clang, clang went the trolley
The trolley made a loud noise
Ding, ding, ding went the bell
The bell on the trolley rang
Zing, zing, zing went my heart strings
She fell deeply in love
From the moment I saw him I fell
She fell in love at first sight
Chug, chug, chug went the motor
The motor of the trolley made a noise
Bump, bump, bump went the brake
The brakes made a noise
Thump, thump, thump went my heart strings
Her heart was beating fast with love
When he smiled I could feel the car shake
She was so in love that everything felt different
He tipped his hat, and took a seat
He greeted her and sat down
He said he hoped he hadn't stepped upon my feet
He asked politely if he had accidentally stepped on her feet
He asked my name, I held my breath
She was nervous and speechless
I couldn't speak because he scared me half to death
He was so charming that she was too shy to talk
Buzz, buzz, buzz went the buzzer
The buzzer on the trolley made a noise
Plop, plop, plop went the wheels
The wheels made a noise as they turned
Stop, stop, stop went my heart strings
Her heart felt like it stopped beating
As he started to go then I started to know how it feels
She realized what it's like to be in love
When the universe reels
When everything feels different
The day was bright, the air was sweet
It was a beautiful day outside
The smell of honeysuckle charmed you off your feet
The scent of honeysuckle was delightful
You tried to sing, but couldn't squeak
She couldn't speak clearly because of her feelings
In fact you loved him so you couldn't even speak
She loved him so much it was hard to communicate
As he started to leave
As he was about to go
I took hold of his sleeve with my hand
She grabbed his sleeve before he could leave
And as if it were planned
It was as though everything had been arranged
He stayed on with me and it was grand just to stand
He decided to stay with her and they both enjoyed it
With his hand holding mine to the end of the line
They held hands until the end of the trolley ride
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Fintage House Publishing
Written by: Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@borderlinegirl5746
Clang, clang, clang went the trolley
Ding, ding, ding went the bell
Zing, zing, zing went my heartstrings
As we started for Huntington Dell
Chug, chug, chug went the motor
Bump, bump, bump went the brakes
Thump, thump, thump went my heartstrings
As we glided by Huntington Lake
The day was bright, the air was sweet
The smell of honeysuckle charmed me off my feet
I tried to sing but couldn't squeak
In fact, I felt so good I couldn't even speak
Buzz, buzz, buzz went the buzzer
Time to all to disembark
Time to fall went my heartstrings
As we got off at Huntington Park
As we got off at Huntington Park
With my high starched collar
And my high topped shoes
And my hair
Piled high upon my head
I went to lose a jolly
Hour on the Trolley
And lost my heart instead
With his light brown derby
And his bright green tie
He was quite
The handsomest of men
I started to yen
So I counted to ten
Then I counted to ten again
Clang, clang, clang went the trolley
Ding, ding, ding went the bell
Zing, zing, zing went my heartstrings
From the moment I saw him I fell
Chug, chug, chug went the motor
Bump, bump, bump went the brake
Thump, thump, thump went my heartstrings
When he smiled I could feel the car shake
(Clang, clang, clang)
He tipped his hat
And took a seat
He said, he hoped he hadn't
Stepped upon my feet
He asked my name
I held my breath
I couldn't speak because
He scared me half to death
Chug, chug, chug went the motor
Plop, plop, plop went the wheels
Stop, stop, stop went my heartstrings
As he started to go
Then I started to know
How it feels
When the universe reels
The day was bright
The air was sweet
The smell of honeysuckle
Charmed you off your feet
You tried to sing
But couldn't squeak
In fact, you loved him
So you couldn't even speak
Buzz, buzz, buzz went the buzzer
Plop, plop, plop went the wheels
Stop, stop, stop went my heartstrings
As he started to leave
I took hold of his sleeve
With my hand
And as if it were planned
He stay on with me
And it was grand just to stand
With his hand holding mine
Till the end of the line
Clang, clang, clang went the trolley
Zing, zing, zing went my heart
@munkustrap79
(Chorus 1)
[PASSENGERS]
Clang, clang, clang went the trolley
Ding, ding, ding went the bell
Zing, zing, zing went my heartstrings
As we started for Huntington Dell
Chug, chug, chug went the motor
Bump, bump, bump went the brakes
Thump, thump, thump went my heartstrings
As we glided by Huntington Lake
The day was bright, the air was sweet
The smell of honeysuckle charmed me off my feet
I had to sing but couldn't squeak
In fact, I felt so good I couldn't even speak
Buzz, buzz, buzz went the buzzer
Time for all to disembark
Time to fall went my heartstrings
As we got off at Huntington Park
As we got off at Huntington Park
(Verse)
[ESTHER]
With my high-starched collar and my high-topped shoes
And my hair piled high upon my head
I went to lose a jolly
Hour on the trolley
And lost my heart instead
With his light brown derby and his light green tie
He was quite the handsomest of men
I started to yen
So I counted to ten
Then I counted to ten again
(Chorus 2)
[ESTHER]
Clang, clang, clang went the trolley
Ding, ding, ding went the bell
Zing, zing, zing went my heartstrings
From the moment I saw him, I fell
Chug, chug, chug went the motor
Bump, bump, bump went the brake
Thump, thump, thump went my heartstrings
When he smiled, I could feel the car shake
[PASSENGERS]
Clang! Clang! Clang!
[ESTHER]
He tipped his hat and took a seat
He said he hoped he hadn't stepped upon my feet
He asked my name, I held my breath
I couldn't speak because he scared me half to death
[CONDUCTOR]
Hiya, Johnny!
[ESTHER]
Chug, chug, chug went the motor
Pop, pop, pop went the wheels
Stop, stop, stop went my heartstrings
As he started to go
Then I started to know
How it feels
When the universe reels
[PASSENGERS]
The day was bright, the air was sweet
The smell of honeysuckle charmed you off your feet
You tried to sing but couldn't squeak
In fact, you loved him so you couldn't even speak
[ESTHER]
Buzz, buzz, buzz went the buzzer
Pop, pop, pop went the wheels
Stop, stop, stop went my heartstrings
As he started to leave
I took hold of his sleeve
With my hand
And as if it were planned
He stayed on with me and
It was grand
Just to stand
With his hand
Holding mine
To the end of the line
@elainelosee7974
Love this film, this song. Her enthusiasm is
Contagious. She truly happier when
On stage performing, and with her children.
God, how I loved
Her. She was amazingly good, great story teller,
Marvelously talented at all
She did. Thank you,
Judy Garland, for
Everything you did
For you friends,
Fans, how you
Loved your
Children.RIP
@mjwemdee
'...As he started to leave,
I took hold of his sleeve
With my hand,
And as if it were planned,
He stayed on with me, and
It was grand
Just to stand
With his hand
Holding mine - to the end of the line!!' Fantastic lyric writing by Hugh Martin. [Ralph Blane was also credited, but did not actually contribute to this song]
@tonytune4342
I read that Judy said that while making this movie was the only time she felt beautiful. So sad how her life ended after all the joy she brought to millions by way of her talent . She deserved better.
@lordalessan
Tony Tune She was also being directed by a man who was in love with her. <3
@ryangregorakos5040
I think she said that she was true first in her life she beautiful (I would have to disagree she looked beautiful in many films before and after this one), but after that she still felt beautiful. I remember reading a story about her and one day in her 30’s she broke down crying in her dressing room and said: “I’ve lost my beauty,” after looking at herself in the mirror.
@daniellacecala3858
Tony Tune unfortunately she wasn’t treated with much respect in her life
@iris5678
@@daniellacecala3858 Not many people were in that time period. We've come such a long ways
@fleurconsidine2995
It’s true she deserves better
@shoknifeman2mikado135
This song was hurriedly written to add a few extra mins to the film, it turned out to be a masterpiece
@SarahJareth
It became the crowning song of that entire film referenced in almost any form of popular media including 2 times on The Simpsons
@kerriethompson2073
And she did this song in one take!
@SarahJareth
@Acererak oh yeah definitely has