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).
Tom
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it couldn't stop
Now it's number one,
Thanks to Tom the piper's Son.
Tom, Tom, the piper's Son
Stole a tune and away he run
And away run he
Tom was hot, the tune was sweet
But he revamped it with a new off-beat
And the classic thing,
Got a shot of swing
Mr. Brahms cried och!
So did Mozart and Bach
And to hear them rave
Paginini tumbled over in his grave
And now that tune, that no one played
Has stepped right up and hit the hit parade
It was growing pop
And it couldn't, STOP!
Now it's number one thanks to Tom the piper's son.
(Chorus with swing ;)
Tom was hot, the tune was sweet
But he vamped it with a boogie beat
And the classic thing,
Got a shot of swing
Beethoven turned gray
So did Debussy and Bose
It was such a stew
Tchaikovsky said "I'm gonna sue!"
And now that tune, that no one played
Has stepped right up and hit the hit parade
It was growing pop and it couldn't, stop...
Now it's number one thanks to Tom the piper's son.
Every Little Movement
Every little movement,
Has a meaning of it's own
Every thought and feeling,
By some posture can be shown.
And every love thought
That comes a stealing
All your being Must be revealing
All it's sweetness In some appealing little gesture
All of it's own.
In this song, Judy Garland sings about Tom, the piper's son, who stole a tune and made it into a number one hit. It all started with a classic melody that no one played until Tom revamped it with a new off-beat and boogie rhythm. As a result, the tune got a shot of swing, which drove Mr. Brahms, Mozart, Bach, and Paginini's spirits crazy! Even Beethoven, Debussy, and Bose turned grey from the shock of hearing their famed classical compositions turned into pop music. Tchaikovsky threatened to sue Tom for stealing his melody, and yet, the tune that no one played has stepped right up and hit the hit parade. This song is a witty commentary on how a simple tune can become a classic hit through the use of contemporary arrangements and beats.
The second half of the song is a 1930s Broadway tune called "Every Little Movement," written by Karl Hoschna and Otto Harbach. The lyrics relate to the tune's melody and vice versa. The song speaks to how every little movement has its meaning, and every thought or feeling can be communicated through physical expressions. The song's playful lyrics speak to the idea of courtship and how a person's every little movement can reveal their feelings and emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
It was going pop
The song was becoming increasingly popular
And it couldn't stop
And it showed no sign of losing momentum
Now it's number one,
Now it has reached the top of the charts
Thanks to Tom the piper's Son.
All thanks to Tom who stole the tune
Tom, Tom, the piper's Son
Calling out to Tom, the guy who stole the tune
Stole a tune and away he run
Tom stole the tune and ran away with it
And away run he
He ran away quickly
With that melody
With the catchy tune he stole
Tom was hot, the tune was sweet
The combination of the stolen tune and Tom's updates made it a great song
But he revamped it with a new off-beat
Tom updated the tune with a new rhythm
And the classic thing,
The original tune, a classic piece of music
Got a shot of swing
But now it has been given a modern 'swing'
Mr. Brahms cried och!
The great composer Brahms was shocked and disappointed with the changes
So did Mozart and Bach
Other classical music greats like Mozart and Bach also disapproved of the changes
And to hear them rave
To hear them express their frustration
Paginini tumbled over in his grave
Even the deceased composer Paganini would have been upset by the changes
And now that tune, that no one played
The tune that no one listened to before
Has stepped right up and hit the hit parade
Has become an instant hit
Tom was hot, the tune was sweet
Repeating the earlier sentiment about Tom and the tune
But he vamped it with a boogie beat
Tom updated the tune again with a new boogie beat
Beethoven turned gray
Even the legendary Beethoven could not believe the changes
So did Debussy and Bose
Other great musicians also disapproved of the changes, including Debussy and Bose
It was such a stew
The song became a mix of different styles and influences
Tchaikovsky said 'I'm gonna sue!'
Even Tchaikovsky was upset and threatened legal action
Every little movement,
Shifting the focus of the song to the meaning behind physical movements
Has a meaning of it's own
Each movement has its own intended message
Every thought and feeling,
The song is talking about how different actions represent different emotions
By some posture can be shown.
These emotions can be conveyed through a person's pose or body language
And every love thought
The song explores the idea of love
That comes a stealing
When someone falls in love unexpectedly
All your being must be revealing
They must reveal all their emotions
All it's sweetness in some appealing little gesture
Showing their love through tiny, charming actions
All of it's own.
Unique to each person and situation
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BURTON LANE, E.Y. HARBURG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind