Minnelli's first film appearance was at the age of three in the final scene of the 1949 musical In the Good Old Summertime, starring her mother and Van Johnson. Minnelli started performing at age 16, in 1963, in an Off-Broadway revival of the musical Best Foot Forward, for which she received good notices. The next year, her mother invited Minnelli to perform with her at the London Palladium. The audience loved her, launching her musical career. She returned to Broadway at 19, and won a 1965 Tony Award for Flora the Red Menace. Minnelli would also receive Tony Awards for The Act in 1978 and a special Tony in 1974. She was nominated in 1984 for The Rink but lost to her costar, Chita Rivera.
The film The Sterile Cuckoo (1969), in which Minnelli starred as a love-seeking teenage misfit, garnered the young actress her first Academy Award nomination. In 1972, Minnelli won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Sally Bowles in the movie version of Cabaret, along with Joel Grey who won an Oscar reprising his role from the original Broadway production (that of the Emcee).
Minnelli has the distinction of being one of the few Academy Award winners whose parents are both Academy Award nominees. She has also won an Emmy Award for the 1972 TV special Liza with a Z. Minnelli received a 1990 Grammy Legend Award. She received Golden Globe Awards for Cabaret and for the TV movie A Time to Live.
Minnelli, like her mother, is known for her powerful vocal style, as in her trademark songs "Cabaret" and "Theme from New York, New York". Minnelli's original version of the latter, for the film in which she was a co-star with Robert DeNiro, preceded Frank Sinatra's successful cover version (for his Trilogy album), by two years.
After her performance as leading lady to Dudley Moore in 1981's Arthur, Minnelli made fewer, and fewer successful, film appearances.
She returned to Broadway in 1997, taking over the title role in the musical Victor/Victoria, replacing Julie Andrews. In his review, New York Times critic Ben Brantley commented, "her every stage appearance is perceived as a victory of show-business stamina over psychic frailty... She asks for love so nakedly and earnestly, it seems downright vicious not to respond."
Following her 2002 wedding to David Gest, Minnelli and Gest signed with the American cable network VH1 to star in their own reality series, but production of the series was cancelled at the last minute.
In 2004 and 2005 she appeared as a recurring guest star on the critically acclaimed TV sitcom Arrested Development as the lover of sexually and socially awkward Buster Bluth.
On January 1, 2006, she sang "New York, New York" at the second inauguration of New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. Other famous performances were at the 1978 Studio 54 party honoring New York City's revival, at which a guest was Mayor Ed Koch; the reopening of the Statue of Liberty on July 4, 1986; and at a 2001 New York Mets baseball game that was the metro area's first major sporting event after the September 11 attacks.
In 2013, she guest-starred on the NBC musical drama Smash, where she performed the number A Love Letter From the Times. She also reprised her role in the fourth season of Arrested Development.
It Was A Good Time
Liza Minnelli Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I now pronounce you man and wife
It was a good time, it was the best time
It was a party, just to be near you
It was a good time, it was the best time
And we believed that it would last forever
We would stay together and share the laughter
It was a good time, it was the best time
It seemed a short time, but such a good time
Since you're gone and won't be mine again
There are many stars that will not shine again
Except some time deep in my reverie
You return and then I remember when
It was a good time, it was the best time
It was a party, just to be near you
It was a good time, it was the best time
And we believed that it would last forever
Here we go 'round the mulberry bush
The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush
Here we go 'round the mulberry bush, early in the morning
Mama wakes up and she's alone
She's alone, she's alone
Mama wakes up and she's alone, early in the morning
Falling down. Lon. My fair lady
Yes she looks a lot like him, yes she does, but, yes
My fair lady
Baby, baby Bunting, daddy's gone a-hunting
Daddy's gone!
Dor-mei-vous, dor-mei-vous
Mama will stay near you, mama will be near you
Not your dad, that's too bad!
Good - bye - good - and I believed - ah-hah
Since you've gone and won't be mine again
There are many stars that will not shine again
Except some times deep in my reverie
You return and then I remember when
It - was - a - good - time, it was the best time
It was a party, just to be near you
It was a good time, it was the best time
It seemed a
short time, but such a good time.
The song "It Was A Good Time" by Liza Minnelli is a nostalgic reflection of a time in the past when the singer was happy and surrounded by loved ones. The song is divided into two distinct parts; the first half is a celebration of the good times, where the singer remembers being declared man and wife and how it was the best time. The singer reflects on the fact that they believed the good times would last forever, sharing laughter with never a morning after. In summary, the good times were enjoyable, and they were a party just to be near someone. However, in the second half of the song, the singer realizes that those good times had come to an end, and now they were left alone to reflect on those happy memories. They remember that, since they have gone and won't be theirs again, many stars will not shine again.
Overall, the song expresses the essence of nostalgia and the longing for what was, while recognizing that life continues and things inevitably change. The deeper meaning is that nothing lasts forever, and we must treasure the good moments and memories as they happen.
Line by Line Meaning
I now pronounce you for the rest of your life
The singer is officiating a wedding and declaring the commitment of the couple to each other for the rest of their lives.
It was a good time, it was the best time
The singer remembers a past experience with fondness, emphasizing how it was the best time of their life.
It was a party, just to be near you
The singer had a great time just being close to someone they care about and enjoying their company.
And we believed that it would last forever
The artist and their companion had hope and faith that their good times together would never end.
We would stay together and share the laughter
The artist and their companion enjoyed each other's company and had a close relationship full of happiness and joy.
With never ever a morning after
The singer and their companion never had to deal with any negative consequences or regrets, instead enjoying each moment as it came.
It seemed a short time, but such a good time
Despite the fleeting nature of the memories, the singer still cherishes the time they had with their companion and considers it to be the best time of their life.
Since you're gone and won't be mine again
The artist acknowledges that their companion is gone and they won't be able to experience that happiness with them again.
There are many stars that will not shine again
The artist feels like the loss of their companion has left a void in their life, causing many things to lose their sparkle and brightness.
Except some time deep in my reverie
Despite their loss, the artist still remembers the happy times they spent with their companion and can relive those memories in their thoughts.
Here we go 'round the mulberry bush
The singer reminisces about childhood memories, specifically playing games like 'Ring Around the Rosie' or 'Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush'.
Mama wakes up and she's alone
The artist describes a woman waking up by herself, possibly emphasizing feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Falling down. Lon. My fair lady
The singer references the musical 'My Fair Lady', possibly alluding to themes of loneliness and heartache explored in the story.
Baby, baby Bunting, daddy's gone a-hunting
The singer references a nursery rhyme about a father going hunting and leaving his child behind, possibly highlighting feelings of abandonment or loss.
Dor-mei-vous, dor-mei-vous
The singer uses French to say 'sleep, sleep', possibly evoking a lullaby or soothing words meant to calm someone down.
Mama will stay near you, mama will be near you
The artist reassures someone that they will be there for them and provide comfort and companionship.
Not your dad, that's too bad!
The artist seems to be dismissing the importance of the person's father, implying that they themselves are better equipped to provide care and support.
Good - bye - good - and I believed - ah-hah
The singer says farewell, possibly expressing regret or sadness at the thought of never seeing their companion again.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MACK DAVID, MAURICE JARRE, MIKE CURB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
V
on Ring them bells
Handsome señor