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).
You've Got Me Where You Want Me
Judy Garland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I hope you're satisfied
You've got me where you want me
And you hardly even tried
One single look was all I took
And then, starry-eyed
I watched my poor old heart
Go on that roller-coaster ride
But I know darn well I will
My hopes are pretty slender
And my chances almost nil
Why should I try to alibi
Anyone can see
You've got me where you want me
And it's where I wanna be
You've got me where you want me
And I hope you're satisfied
You've got me where you want me
And you never even tried
A single look was all it took
And then, starry-eyed
I watched my poor heart
Go on that roller-coaster ride
I say I won't surrender
But I know darn well you will
My hopes are pretty slender
And my chances almost nil
Why should I try to alibi
When anyone can see
You've got me where you want me
You've got me where you want me
And it's where I wanna be
And it's where I wanna be
And it's where I wanna be
The lyrics of Judy Garland's "You've Got Me Where You Want Me" express the singer's submission to the one who has captivated her heart. She opens the song admitting that she is in the exact spot that the other person desires, and even though they didn't make much of an attempt, they've enticed her nonetheless. With just a glance, she fell for the object of her affection and watched her heart "go on that roller-coaster ride."
She then goes on to admit her vulnerability, claiming that she won't put up a fight because she knows that she will ultimately surrender to the person she desires. The odds may be against her, but she would rather be where she is with them than anywhere else. The theme of surrender and submission is repeated throughout the lyrics.
The song has a light-hearted, almost flirty tone, which echoes the singer's overall willingness to concede. Even though she knows that they're in control, she sees it as an enjoyable ride, and it's the place she wants to be. The song's upbeat tempo and Garland's classic voice contribute to the overall sense of playfulness, and it's easy to imagine someone dancing along as they sing about being under someone else's control.
Line by Line Meaning
You've got me where you want me
I am powerless and under your control
And I hope you're satisfied
I hope that you are pleased with the level of control you have over me
And you hardly even tried
It didn't take much effort on your part to make me feel this way
One single look was all I took
All it took was one glance from you to make me fall under your spell
And then, starry-eyed
I was immediately smitten and in awe of you
I watched my poor old heart
My heart was completely at your mercy
Go on that roller-coaster ride
It was an emotional journey that I was not fully prepared for
I say I won't surrender
I try to resist your control, but often fail
But I know darn well I will
Deep down, I know that I will eventually give in to your control
My hopes are pretty slender
I don't have much hope of freeing myself from your control
And my chances almost nil
It seems highly unlikely that I will be able to break free from your grasp
Why should I try to alibi
There's no point in making excuses or trying to justify my feelings
Anyone can see
It is obvious to anyone who looks that you have complete control over me
And it's where I wanna be
Despite the lack of control I have, I am content to be under your spell
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., FOUR JAYS MUSIC PUB
Written by: HARRY WARREN, JOHNNY MERCER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Astoriaguy23
Thanks for posting this...It's a great song that's not heard enough these days on the vintage radio stations. Perfect blend of voices of Bing and Judy! :)
harrywarrenfan
This song was a very likely tune that was cut from the score of "The Harvey Girls," written in 1944 by Harry Warren and Johnny Mercer. Bing and Judy are singing what is known as variant 2 of this lyric. When Judy sings "I say I won't surrender, but I know darn well I will," the original words here were "I say I won't GROW TENDER, but I know darn well I will." This was changed on the plates of the sheet music at Edwin H. Morris & Co. once this recording was laid down, and the sheet music was later more widely re-released with the words Judy and Bing sang here. So sheet music collectors, there are two variants of this song sheet out there, and the covers are very slightly different, as well.
David Chernofsky
2 of the greatest singers wver
Vincent Costello
Beautiful photos 📷 of Judy ...wonderful 🇺🇸