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 Wizard Of Oz: If I Were King Of The Forest
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My regal robes of the forest would be satin, not cotton, not chintz.
I'd command each thing, be it fish or fowl,with a woof and a woof, and a royal
growl.
As I'd click my heel all the trees would kneel and the mountains bow and the
bulls kowtow
And the sparrows would take wing, if I were king.
The song If I Were King of the Forest is a playful and whimsical number performed by Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, and Bert Lahr in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. The song is a manifestation of the Cowardly Lion’s desires to be courageous and regal, yet it is also a satire of the concept of royalty and power.
The lyrics evoke a sense of grandeur and control, with the singer expressing his desire to rule over all living beings in the forest, be it fish or fowl, with a commanding woof and growl. The choice of material for regal robes, satin instead of cotton or chintz, further highlights the luxurious expectations of royalty. The visual image of clicking one’s heels and having trees kneel and mountains bow, as well as the bulls kowtowing and the sparrows taking wing, showcases the extent of his power and control. However, the chorus reveals the humor of the song, with the singer’s realization that all he really wants is courage, not power or luxury.
Overall, the song’s playful lyrics and lively tune add to the whimsical and magical atmosphere of the movie, while also providing social commentary on the concept of royalty and power.
Line by Line Meaning
If I Were King Of The Forest not queen,not duke, not prince.
I would be the ultimate ruler of the forest, disregarding any other titles or positions.
My regal robes of the forest would be satin, not cotton, not chintz.
As the king of the forest, I would only wear the most luxurious fabrics, such as satin.
I'd command each thing, be it fish or fowl,with a woof and a woof, and a royal growl.
As king, I would possess the power to communicate with and control every creature in the forest, using commanding vocalizations.
As I'd click my heel all the trees would kneel and the mountains bow and the bulls kowtow
I would have such immense power and authority that even the forces of nature would bow down to me, with the simple click of my heel.
And the sparrows would take wing, if I were king.
Even the smallest and most insignificant creatures, like the sparrows, would be affected and obedient to my rule as king of the forest.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: E HARBURG, E.Y. HARBURG, HAROLD ARLEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MaskedMan66
Prosperity. Hm. You do realize that the Great Depression was still present for many at this time in America's history, don't you?
What you say smacks of chronological snobbery, the notion that we in the present have it all over them in the past because they were so stupid and ignorant. Never mind that most of humankind's greatest achievements in the areas of art, architecture, religion, science, philosophy, poetry, theater, literature, and music lie in the past and that everything we do with those things now is just variations on themes.
As for Oz:
"The Witch of the North seemed to think for a time, with her head bowed and her eyes upon the ground. Then she looked up and said, 'I do not know where Kansas is, for I have never heard that country mentioned before. But tell me, is it a civilized country?'
"'Oh, yes,' replied Dorothy.
"'Then that accounts for it. In the civilized countries I believe there are no witches left, nor wizards, nor sorceresses, nor magicians. But, you see, the Land of Oz has never been civilized, for we are cut off from all the rest of the world. Therefore we still have witches and wizards amongst us.'"
-- "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," Chapter 2, "The Council with the Munchkins"
@KBAFourthtime
"Not even a rhinocerous?"
"Impocerous!"
"Well, how about a hippopotamus?"
"Why I'd trash him from top to bottamus!"
"Supposin' you met an elephant."
"Why I'd wrap him up in cellophant."
ME: Well, what about a giraffe?!
@kingdom7770
My father would do this act when I younger. RIP, pops.
@ericsantana1184
CBFROMDC He must have been very talented
@angeld3654
Aww i bet ur dad is the best dad ever! My dad used to do this all the time too when i was little to cheer me up: being the cowardly lion!
@aquablue1252
:(
@putonahappyface5510
Your dad was the lion in the final cut omg ? Rip your dad great vibrato 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
@joankain6193
LOL***
@aquablue1252
His exaggerated vibrato is clearly meant to make the lion seem ferocious, it’s so cute and so freakin funny at the same time
@themr_wilson
His exaggerated vibrato is fun. The exaggerated vibrato prevalent in the time in a serious manner was ridiculous (Millie from "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" always comes to mind)
@roninjoey
@@themr_wilsongood movie
@MaskedMan66
Not to make him ferocious, just to be silly, a talent at which Mr. Lahr excelled.