Judy Garland - 'Over The Rainbow' Live (Ultra-Rare)

Judy Garland only performed "Over The Rainbow" twice during her many television appearances, which spanned 14 years. She performed it on her first TV Special, "Ford Star Jubilee" in the episode called "The Judy Garland Special" in 1955, and sang it to her children on The Christmas Edition of her weekly TV show "The Judy Garland Show" (1963).
Here Judy is dressed up as the tramp character she played when doing a duet with Fred Astaire in the film 'Easter Parade'.
Judy sings the song so sad and mournfully here it makes me cry, and it makes Judy cry too. We can only wonder what she was thinking about that got her so upset. Perhaps she was thinking about how different her life was compared to the song's lyrics. It's very upsetting. I love you Judy.

[@izzad777]

Hollywood treated her such inhumanely you can see it here. this is more than singing. this is a life of agony.

[@susanneosterholt3770]

izzad ibrahim and even though she somehow overcame - but the price was high!

[@honkhonkhonkhonk2334]

No

[@davidcozby3657]

Probably Kixx edgelord is edgy I see...

[@user-tb9ks9wz3q]

Fuck you

[@eltacosupreme]

Probably Kixx ouch the edge

[@MrRustyspot]

I don't think she ever truly knew just how special she was.

[@AllenMQuinn]

Which is such a tragedy in itself. Her own extraordinary talents scared her.

[@g.meganruff8284]

She didn't

[@MsBlaez]

She new, the ass holes that money off her was her demise.

[@eirikastokes9652]

She knew she had a gift for entertaining, but I don't think she ever thought she as a person was worth anything when she wasn't performing. One of the most heartbreaking stories ever.

[@newguy90]

Of course she wasn't allowed to know how special she was. It makes it easier for the studios to exploit her if they constantly tear down her self-esteem. It's practically Business 101.

[@jazzmanchgo]

Liza Minnelli once told the story of a performance where Judy had laryngitis, and by the end of the show --"Over the Rainbow "was always her final number, of course -- her voice was entirely spent. So she sat down on a chair and TOLD the song to the audience, summoning all of her acting ability to transform herself into a master storyteller and make those lyrics come alive in a new, intimate way ("she told it TO them, not AT them," Liza said). Then, to cap it off, Judy then cued the orchestra and asked the audience to sing the song back to her. She sat there smiling, as the auditorium filled with music, and the voices of her adoring fans washed over her. Liza said it might just have been the most memorable version of that song she ever heard.

[@hellonow4232]

and her lousy manager had guards making sure she smoked 80 cigarettes a day as a part of her diet. thats not gonna be good on the vocals

[@planetzanzibar9059]

David Whiteis ... What a load of crap. Of course Liza Minnelli would say that the best version of her mother's signature tune was "that time when she had to speak it." Pull my left leg ... it's got bells on. The same, toneless, caterwauling Liza Minnelli who butchered ever song she ever sang and had ONE hit movie and a slew of forgettable Broadway flops. (But, for heaven's sake, let's pretend she didn't stink, because she's Judy Garland's daughter, after all. Let's just throw tons and tons of accolades at her because, well ... JUDY. DAUGHTER.) Yeah, shower the tone-deaf daughter with the guilt-ridden kudos that the industry refused to render during Judy's life. One of the greatest indications of the entertainment industry's dysfunctional approach. At any rate, your comment sucks large, salty balls, and Liza Minnelli should only dream that she could sing like her mother, much less accomplish the wide-range of multimedia successes her mother accomplished. LIZA: One hit movie ... one hit TV special. And then a supporting comic role to Dudley Moore. And David Gest. .

[@jazzmanchgo]

Well, it was Liza's comment, not mine -- I was just reporting it, so there's no need to attack me personally. I've heard enough gifted singers who've found ways to compensate for "shot" voices (Billie Holiday and Bobby "Blue" Bland, to cite only two examples of many) to believe that something like that could very well have happened. Judy was a masterful actress, of course, as well as a singer, so it's not surprising she could mesmerize an audience with her storytelling ability.

[@MGustave]

Planet Zanzibar Either you are a troll, or a very sad and embittered person. I'm sorry you have to speak with such venom to strangers on the internet who did you no wrong.

[@itseemedtoher4223]

Thank you so much for sharing this story. I didn't think anyone could possibly add to this performance but you did.

[@Steelbuckeye521]

Still a glimmer of hope in her eyes, but she barely even believes in the rainbow at this point. So sad that someone so talented and full of potential could get used and abused like Judy did in old Hollywood. A true shame

[@jadezee6316]

this is a performance..it is not about your imagination that judy garland was living her life to the words of a song......the truth is...no matter how she appeared while singing....the acting stopped the minute she walked off stage....try reading a few books instead of making stuff up......judy was a performer...first and always

[@emilypresleysee]

@@jadezee6316 did you know Ms. Garland personally? Why do you seem so offended?

[@xadielbenejan8274]

@@jadezee6316 but it's true, she was very abused in the industry

[@borninthewrongtime6449]

@@jadezee6316 Judy Garland said in many interviews that this song represented her life.. But unlike "those happy little bluebirds"...Judy could NEVER find the Rainbow nor fly over it. She lived the sadness of that song everytime she sang it. That's why, when she did sing it..It was the last song b4 she left the stage. She wasn't acting the pain in that song, she wasn't pretending to fight back tears. She lived it, every time she sang it.

[@akrenwinkle]

@@jadezee6316 If you think anyone on this, or any Judy board, is going to read a book all the way through, you're an optimist. Of course, 99% of the abuse-victim stories is hogwash, but it's entertaining to make up things, swap stories. My favorite is the one about drunken munchkins goosing Judy up her Dorothy dress.

[@leafnlore2712]

This footage guts me. I'm so thankful I found it here- preserved for the world.

[@SkyWayMan90]

Judy Garland was enslaved and manipulated by Hollywood and, even worse, her own mother. She was forced to work 72 hours at a time, being force fed amphetamines and pills to stay awake and barbiturates to fall asleep. Before her death, she was quoted as saying “I tried my damnedest to believe in that rainbow that I tried to get over and I couldn’t. I just couldn’t.” If that isn't horrifying and sad, then I don't know what is. RIP Judy Garland, 1922-1969

[@yanlee2567]

If only she knew how much her fans luv her!!

[@jmacjr101]

Hollywood did NOT deserve her.

[@stevesmith8155]

I think she is there now.

[@kinkajou777]

From the rainbow, she is watching her fans from all generations. I’m among her fans born after her earthly departure in 1969.

[@itsyaboiherman]

Damn......that's so terribly heartbreaking 😢😢😢😢😢

[@thunderdrummerdude]

This was so heartbreaking to watch. The look on her face while she was singing broke me down. When she hit that high note, it really made me cry. I didn't know until now that she tried to kill herself the night before this performance. Knowing that makes this even harder to watch. Just seeing the pain in her eyes really kills me and I'm a 37 year old man. I really feel for her in my heart. For all the pain and heartache you suffered Mrs. Garland, I hope you are forever in your place over the rainbow. God bless you.

[@TheBrokenWagon]

If the voice over in the intro is to be believed then this is in 1955, a few years before her attempted suicide in 1963. Still a heartbreaking performance though.

[@SSsmith24]

Beautifully said TY

[@mauhuff]

Gorgeous comments

[@katiejo6066]

Very well said.

[@ayshasharma176]

So touching. Power of love.

[@Grizzlied555]

She was almost crying here.

[@oogabooga2337]

she was

[@claraesfie]

"Birds fly over the rainbow... why? then, oh.. why can't I". Heartbreaking :'(

[@angelitoincrisis]

Made me disappointed she was treated like garbage May her rest in peace..

[@XBLGR]

you can see that line totally broke her but she held it together long enough to finish the song. incredible

[@raze1462]

Often in life some of the greatest songs ever recorded is when that artist is having and going through their horrible hell in life.

[@michellemahone1291]

True

[@tydusrain4476]

there's almost an "I Dreamed a Dream" quality to this rendition. she was forced to accept that there just is no rainbow for her. props to the orchestra too for never getting ahead of her. this was her time to tell the story on her terms. rest easy Judy. you truly were too beautiful for this world.

[@brianfrost7376]

Of course, it all flooded in, because a singer listens to themselves. She lost it big. Thank God she kept hold! God Bless you Judy! I’ll always think of you!

[@MirandaIsTired]

I think a lot of people mistake this song. Somewhere Over The Rainbow isn't a place. It's a feeling. To me, it's the imagination of a life without my depression, PTSD and anxiety. What that might look like if a place actually existed with me happy in it. "If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why oh why can't I?"

[@peppie0521]

Follow the yellow brick road.

[@nonyabusiness2510]

It's nice that this is your interpretation of that lyric. However that doesn't mean people who don't see that connection are mistaking anything.

[@2Hearts3]

Her signature song, her life...

[@TheKpugh]

If she only knew how much we would miss her today

[@petemcbennett6039]

It is plainly visible that she was truly struggling (emotionally) to get through this song. So sad and beautiful.

[@FLBoy46]

She acted this song so well that she did not like anyone to see her performance more than once so they wouldn't think she was "acting" the song (which, in reality, she was -- and perfectly so).

[@sionnadehr3313]

I think she might have been struggling physically as well. If this was post suicide attempt it certainly could be the case.

[@mariontimmons2670]

I love that song brings bacck many memories

[@WilliamSilva-ml5nw]

@@FLBoy46 You can't act like that without the emotional background to bring that performance out.

[@marcosmith2501]

Why was she performing in this hobo persona?

[@alanacastillo4777]

you can tell she was crying. like wholeheartedly crying and singing because her whole life she was mistreated. called names shoved drugs down her throat molested and touched by men twice her age. had a diet of chicken soup black coffee and 80 cigarettes a day AT 16 YEARS OLD and she had people spy on her to make sure she was on that diet or else her mother or the director would call her names or hit her. this song was her cry for help in hopes she would find it. yes the wizard of Oz is one of my favorite movies but the darkness behind the scenes makes it very difficult to love..

[@kareyannefoster]

Wizard of Oz is my favorite movie of all time. Alas, it is difficult to love knowing that they treated the beloved Judy Garland like a piece of property instead of like a human being. If everybody treated their property like MGM and especially Louis B. Meyer did, said property would be run down and worthless. Judy Garland was a rare and beautiful gem like that of which we will never see again she deserved so much better than that.

[@oldnewbie47]

She reportedly said this song was the "story of my life". She could never get over that rainbow no matter how hard she worked... fabulous talent but probably the saddest story of mistreatment in old Hollywood history.

[@mindpower2824]

I don't think she was truly crying... she was a performer, a show woman, a great actress. Look how she moves her lips. She over acts... It's like she was forcing it. Perhaps it was just another show. When she apparently sang that song in the movie, she was actually lip syncing. All the songs were recorded in a studio. In this case, I think even though she went through many things... She was strong enough so as not to let those emotions take over on stage. I mean, she hid them. Look how she's dressed. She was performing as a sad, lonely beggar. So, maybe this sentimental act was part of the show.

[@amandak06]

Mel Rodes she said many times how much this song meant to her... she would only perform it on very special occasions. Although she was an actor and a fantastic one at that. I believe the emotion in this performance is real. Check out lornas book about her. It gives a good insight to her life.

[@richonfen]

I guess you have no heart Mel Rodes

[@cscottzimnamaste]

The depth of emotion in this performance is astounding. She bares her soul here, and we are treated to an extremely intimate moment. This song is hers. It was written for her voice. Never has there been a more perfect marriage of singer and song.

[@VintageRose75]

Amen! She poured her entire being and soul into this particular performance...like it was last ounce of hope she had left in the world.

[@kelsiejean3669]

She attempted suicide the night before this performance and they forced her to do it....

[@firstlast-qe9sx]

Never has there been a more perfect marriage of comment and cringe

[@usualdosage7287]

@@firstlast-qe9sx hope you burn in hell

[@eddieg2828]

@@firstlast-qe9sx dang bro who hurt you?

[@TheElfishGene]

This is one of the most beautiful yet saddest things I think I have ever seen.

[@DanFrechette]

THIS is the ultimate version of this song.

[@cresenteayo3638]

Absolutely correct. No other version Judy was the original.

[@BabsCurran]

Nobody can begin to come close to this performance by this legend.

[@CASSIDYRN2024]

Judy Garland was absolutely brilliant! This song always makes me cry. No matter how she sings it, however the mistakes she makes, to me she sounds beautiful ❤️

[@vincentmancini6279]

There are no mistakes here it's Judy singing her song.

[@DarthSinistris]

They way she turned around and walked backstage was really heartbreaking

[@sancraft1]

It's hard to watch. Her emotions were so raw. I'm an empath and the was so much pain, yet hope on her at that time. She felt she could slay her dragons. I hope she finally found the peace and love that she was seeking here on earth.

[@kinkajou777]

They say that the good die young. Sadly, Judy Garland was among the good that died young. Drugs and alcohol never made her a bad person. I will continue saying good words about her. We can never forget her. I know that she is a wonderful Angel in Heaven!!

[@Dan-ky5es]

Funny, Judy Garland always sung about the rainbow with such yearning not realising that she was indeed the rainbow, that little strip of colour in an often black and white world!

[@pamelaibethvera6648]

Yes Dan24, you said it all!

[@ecb1979]

This comment made me cry 😭

[@lorrainechandler7864]

💙

[@yanlee2567]

Wat you said is so true.

[@HazelYellowbird]

Thats beautiful.

[@darwynwolfe3772]

Judy Garland was my Dad's favorite actress. He died in 1991. I am 50 years old now and finally know why thanks to this song.

[@justjay926]

From the age of 9 to almost 70 I've loved this hauntingly beautiful song & Judy singing it. No one else comes close to her. So glad both singer & song found each other. So grateful Shirley Temple "couldn't be released from Contract" This song will be played at my Funeral. 🌈😊👍💜👏👏

[@chrisgross5409]

That walk off stage at the end breaks my heart. This is the most honest performance I ever saw.

[@jms3spinoon]

This just makes my heart ache. No one else has, or ever will have, such an emotional rendition of this song. Rest in peace Judy.

[@recuerdos26]

i have heard the voice of the little mermaid Jodi Benson sing this song and is a beautiful rendition too

[@janetaeschliman3168]

Youre spot on

[@tedoyle61]

Yep, I've heard so many try. They change it, they attempt. But you just can't replace the original artist, imo!

[@emilypresleysee]

Liza comes pretty damn close

[@rtothes936]

Church

[@themangofandango]

“I tried my damnedest to believe in that rainbow that I tried to get over and I couldn’t,” she once said. “I just couldn’t.” I really hope everyone who did anything bad to her got their due. Those were insane times.

[@spike16965]

MGM went bankrupt after she left so karma got them

[@jetnight88]

She not in pain now and I hope she found her place over that rainbow 🌈 😢

[@HazelYellowbird]

They continue to suffer the karma for what they do.

[@berl2343]

It’s sad I can relate to that statement and feeling

[@baileylandry3558]

you can clearly see she didn’t get over the rainbow she wanted to get over. she was so beaten up and she didn’t deserve it. this makes me cry and i wish the best for her in heaven.

[@SpaceLemon.]

That was not her acting, I don't think. That was her, being.

[@johncullers]

Space Lemon. Causes tears

[@Malibucompany]

She sings from her soul

[@richardgallerani8817]

It's like her whole life is flashing before her eyes as she tears up and finally she breaks down seeing here life and all the hardships over all the years. This may be the saddest thing I've ever seen. RIP Judy. You were one of a kind.

[@joeterra.t]

Once you've reached and reasoned with death, you open up to her.

[@michelebartlett3921]

This was a haunting performance. She seemed so exhausted & sad

[@Susan-on3gc]

Perhaps it’s that the filming was supposed to have been very difficult, or that her life was still difficult but the song so beautiful, such talent such pain.

[@richardgallerani8817]

This song truly belonged to her. She looks so tired, emotionally spent, but she always gave her audience her very best. RIP Judy. You were the best.

[@torquey2]

Truth

[@johncroce1428]

The most iconic song in the history of film, her voice golden, her life tortured, God rest you Judy. At long last over the rainbow !

[@walwilliams5534]

".. her voice, golden; her life, tortured.." is one of the most-poetic combinations of words I've seen in this life.

[@SueDNim]

+John Croce I had just finished wiping away the tears when I read your comment, and they burst out all over again. Well played, sir.

[@jensz9360]

Hard to believe its been about 50 years since she went home. Such a wonderful soul she was, brings a tear just thinking about how enduring of a talent she is. RIP Judy Garland!

[@romanceenthusiasm7972]

She's definitely being admitted to heaven she endured a lot in mind control and I think she found her truth and was suicide program activated. 💔

[@michaelverbakel7632]

Judy Garland would have turned 100 years old in 2022. Happy 100th birthday and R.I.P Judy Garland you were one of a kind.

[@askarygarcia1]

What a heartbreaking performance

[@massagebroad]

It's so sad to watch this because it's just like, written all over her face. How tortured she must have felt as a person and the drugs, suicide attempts, etc, it's just so sad. Her eyes explain it all and in the 50s they were oblivious to serious drug addictions like that so she was basically killing herself. Ofcourse we hear about the Diva Judy but under each Diva is a scared soul.

[@sammiewatts9150]

Halle Lee i was just thinking the same thing about her eyes they held such pain in them made me tear up

[@stocker104]

Maybe cause she's a woman with a beard

[@CrayHay]

+Sammie Watts Michael Jackson has this same look in his eyes.

[@DigitalZiggurat]

+Halle Lee Well said.

[@artistphx]

+Halle Lee Not every Diva is a tortured soul. Many are but the few are just amazing people who can interpret the emotional quality of anything.

[@jeremydean6210]

You know she left the stage and balled her eyes out. So sad, way more to this story than anyone is aware of. 😢

[@MissGarland1986]

This breaks my heart. She can barely sing with so much emotion, bless her.

[@reepacheirpfirewalker8629]

Anyone who wasn't moved by her tears just aren't human.

[@Susan-on3gc]

Why is it that in the face of such a massive talent that i always feel sorry for her, shes so melancholy. Beautiful but melancholy

[@jamesfreeman2258]

My Mom saw her in LA. She said she did exactly what this video shows...Judy sat at the edge of the stage and sang . My Mom said she was so special, and I'd say Judy Garland is the G.O.A.T of all time singers.

[@borninthewrongtime6449]

That breaks my heart..You can see she is crying thru the whole song. Judy was ALWAYS looking for that place..that safe place "over the rainbow", I pray she FINALLY found it ! I hope she NOW knows how much we all love her!!

[@kinkajou777]

To me it’s obvious that she’s an angel in Heaven! I’m sure that she knows that we love her!

[@jeremyroland5175]

I heard Sir Patrick Stewart in a podcast recently say that an acting coach once told him, “the camera will film your thoughts” Without trying to make assumptions this version makes me really sad for her. She’s definitely in another place and I can only wonder if it’s from a place of hopelessness instead of the child like joy that most of us are familiar with. Regardless, this is a testament to her strength as a performer being able to take the same song with the same notes and flip it upside down on us. She was definitely one of a kind.

[@joeterra.t]

That "Sir" title is pretentious and needs to end. Just call him Patrick, he doesn't deserve more or less than you or I.

[@LifeOutward]

​@joeshmoe883 It's not arbitrary and doesn't mean he's more important, you know, right? It's an official title. A designation. Like saying "Dr." Or "Rabbi" or "Lieutenant."

[@elh305]

Oh..👀 DAMN. That was an artist - interpreting something everyone on the planet can relate to! Beautiful. . Brava! 👏🏼🙏🏼🥲

[@foggydogbreath2681]

I remember seeing an interview with Judy Garland where she was emphatic about "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" being the one song she never messes with because she knows how important it is to people who love it and are buoyed by its hopeful message

[@afterlyfevijions1078]

Very sad. I think she was actually talking to the audience and asking... Why can't I ever find that place over the rainbow. She was basically kept a prisoner by Mayer who kept her constantly doped up on uppers to perform long hours and barbiturates to help her sleep. This abuse went on for years. I felt so sorry for her. She was used by her mom and later by Mayer. I really believe she honestly was relating to her own life and begging for help in this performance.

[@wilsonmoisesdecarvalho5811]

Sim, Afterlyfe o que você diz é real sobre Judy, é o que sempre pensei.

[@angela8257]

I agree with you Afterlyfe, she is reaching out to the audience in search of an answer. She has poured her heart out in this performance.

[@lbroderick783]

That is so true. What they did to Judy was criminal! Poor Judy had a horrible mother and she let Mayer do whatever he wanted to keep Judy working. They both should have been locked up for giving drugs to a minor. And only God knows what else happened to her that we don't know about. R.I.P. Judy

[@garyb3397]

Michael Hooky And you're trapped in 1974. Look at your 'stache!

[@afterlyfevijions1078]

It's called makeup!

[@yeezus5518]

she looks like she’s about to burst into tears. i still keep on rooting for her to this day.

[@yeezus5518]

i agree. her mother was way too cruel

[@lindzs2467]

This is one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever seen.

[@annemoore3590]

Wow, this version of the song breaks my heart. So many different emotions on display; it's the most raw and open I've ever seen her perform it. A tiny window into her soul, whatever she was going through that year. It was clearly a heavy burden for her. I do hope that eventually she found that peaceful place over the rainbow.

[@migueleduardoescalante5381]

Judy Was 33 Years Old When She Sang Somewhere Over The Rainbow In Ford Star Jubilee

[@CarolAnne-wl6zu]

Judy had such passion and depth in her singing that no other singer has ever captured

[@georgiajoan83]

Makes me cry, Judy seemed so sad here. Those lyrics were made for her. Rest her beautiful soul.

[@lisa8224]

OMG this is heart wrenching. If you watch this and don't feel moved there's something wrong with you.

[@jonathankieranwriter]

You hit the nail on the head! So true, and thanks for such a heart-filled comment 🙂

[@joeterra.t]

What a ridiculous statement.

[@DandyGuy]

How can something so beautiful be so heartrendingly sad?

[@katier3381]

Depression doesn't care how beautiful you are.

[@NecromanciPottamus]

DandyGuy Late, I know, but it's because of how sad it is that her performance gets its beauty.

[@bLackmarketRadio]

DandyGuy Because beauty is pain.

[@xxkewldudexx]

^ This. The best things are both, in my opinion.

[@KyleLoughlin85]

True but most beautiful people aren't depressed.

[@cherylsHTX]

God, I love Judy. She was such a comfort to me when I was growing up. I had a tumultuous household and I always retreated to Judy, her records, her movies. I always dreamed of singing like her. (I can sing, just not as great as her). She had no idea how much she meant to people. How many people truly loved her. I recently read a memoir by Hayley Mills and she talked about a time when she met Judy and she put it very well when she said, "Here was a woman adored by millions - talented, beautiful, funny - and yet she saw no reason to value herself, because despite her success, everyone treated her like dirt in her personal life." How very sad. We love you, Judy. Always will. Rest well beyond that rainbow.

[@thelastgamer1]

I love that we get to see how Judy garland actually saw the song not as a happy song but knowing she was singing of a place she couldn’t touch or go to

[@davidcramer7724]

This may be the most heart felt moment ever captured on film. I'm 58yo now, grew up in rock roll, ride a Harley motor bike here in Texas and yell at football games. But there's a child in all of us and Judy singing this song wiped me out. I imagine God himself dropped to a knee and teared up. Creating this human-being, is more than even you could have ever imagined. Hey satin, listen to this and just maybe you may consider a knock on the door of heaven and ask if you can come back home. God bless you Judy. I don't understand some of the negative post over this. Her voice is perfect, the hobo look was perfect. Her haunting eyes are just..........pure expression. My soul cried today.

[@allengumm1157]

Beautifully expressed comments. Thank you.

[@mmv242623]

I couldn't have said it better myself! That is exactly how I describe it to friends, the most heartfelt performance ever! Her heart and soul was in this! The hobo look was from her previous performance of "couple of swells" originally done with Fred Astaire in Easter Parade! Forget the haters. They don't know true art!

[@MrYuri188]

David I'm 57 & your generation & you brought tears to my eyes with your beautiful post as well as the voice of Judy Garland bringing back great memories form a masterpiece of a film from my childhood

[@zacharydixon6284]

I get that you might be a leather guy, what with the motorcycle and all, but what did satin ever do to you?

[@Spiderman7Bob7]

+David Cramer Don't worry about the 'negative posts' David. There is a lot of confused people out there with no real thought of what this is all about. That's what I don't like most of the crap most people post. I don't read them as a real, but I read everything on the great Judy Garland. I saw her do this song in her concert here in Chicago at Orchestra Hall. She bought the house down. She was a very special STAR.

[@phoenixwings6441]

Our childhood is what we fall back on for hope when times get tough. Without a childhood she had nothing good to look back on. She landed Dorothy at age 16. I remember when I was 16 I was still in school climbing trees, making friends,running through parks, joining sports.. etc. she gave all of that up for us to have this song. I think that's why this song is so powerful, because she gave one of the biggest sacrifices in art. She gave her childhood spirit to Dorothy.Rest In Peace Judy Garland...

[@Scottsteaux63]

:'( RIP Judy. There never was and there never will be another like you.

[@teateraxxontmet8839]

This stumbling is so beautiful

[@jonathankieranwriter]

Well, there are still many talented people in our world, but you won't see performing talent like this again, onstage, up-close, raw and pure. Judy is a legend for very good reasons.

[@creamithmanning2632]

There are numerous instances of these sorts of performances. Look up Kanye West's performance of Hey Mama which took place shortly after his mother's death. Vanessa Hudgens's Grease solo number which she performed after she found out about her dad's passing mere hours before. The list goes on. Everybody has it tough in one way or another, though very few had it as bad as Garland.

[@josiecorrao5788]

crying all over again. every dang time. love Judy

[@cheyrae7101]

this is so heart breaking. holy cow, I just read how bad she was treated and this breaks my heart. she needed the place somewhere over the Rainbow.

[@TheKpugh]

Only one other person can sing this song and sadly he’s not here either

[@kac56]

Judy Garland was a very talented, troubled person, but from watching this you can see she was a human being who had feelings, deep feelings...

[@andymann1667]

I started crying at the first note!

[@critchley3819]

I was born in 51 so have heard this many times, yesterday I heard it on the radio & I cried...

[@kareyannefoster]

God knows me too!!! :'(

[@johncullers]

Andy Mann same here breaks my heart

[@AliSakurai]

Sometimes I wish Judy left Hollywood after oz. They destroyed her.

[@AliSakurai]

misternormL she was beaten and pressured to look her best. She was forced to eat nothing but soup and smoke 41 cigarettes a day. She was only a sixteen year old little girl and they destroyed her. That's why I wish she left after oz.

[@reepacheirpfirewalker8629]

how they destroyed such an amazing talent. I loved any Jack Paar show that had her on it, because she4 was real, as real as one can get whose living the Hollywood Babylon G-d knows what she endured in order to be allowed to bring us her precious talent. Like Norma Jean, another angel. I wonder if today's actresses and singers are willing to go through such horrendous things. I had a friend named Don who had been a Anglican priest and had been is key to him. Anyhow his daughter wrote to Ann B Davis who she loved on Brady Bunch asking her advice to become a star. Ann told her, if your father is a Christian minister you should have nothing to do with Hollywood or Broadway it will do nothing but destroy you in all it's way's.

[@clarissaariel]

AliSakurai im sorry but why did they force her to smoke CIGARETTES? didnt they know that they are dangerous as hell .-.

[@watchman1178]

Claaaraa Qiuu They forced her to smoke cigarettes to suppress her appetite. Just one more act of child abuse, even though the dangers of cigarette smoking weren't as well-known at that time. Actually, there are pictures of Judy as "Dorothy," and you can see a pocket on one side of her dress. That's where she kept her cigarettes.

[@clarissaariel]

WATCHMAN 117 Thank you so much for the explanation! have a nice day👍🏻

[@RYMAN1321]

This song had a completely different meaning in 1955 because she was going through real life struggles.

[@eirikastokes9652]

This performance utterly breaks my heart. She got such a raw fucking deal in this world and it's so, SO unfair. You can just feel her hurt right in your chest as she's singing, like a knot. We love you, Judy. My god, we love you so much.

[@tx898]

one of the greatest performances ever recorded. what a legend.

[@Ann12681]

I remember watching this and crying like a baby

[@kimbradley9595]

She was so special 😢😢😢😢

[@brandoncamarillomusic]

You can tell by her reactions to the lyrics she really believes what she's singing. Such beautiful lyrics.

[@InconvientNecessity]

Every blink, every nod, every turn of her head...i don't think there's been a more talented performer in history

[@Hvnly777]

Wow, how heart wrenching! I cried along with her...........

[@jetnight88]

Hvnly777 it’s just sad no one took action on setting her free from the pain 😭

[@cheyennehummingbird676]

The greatest female singer of All TIME...need a cry, this is it! RIP darling Judy!

[@terrygrant3467]

Greatest SINGER OF ALL-TIME PERIOD!!

[@izzymeadows1748]

Her eyes! Absolute chills. I wish you’d known how truly beautiful and amazing and LOVED you were and still are. I adore you.

[@5squiddles]

Haunting, Beautiful, Legendary. Only Judy could and will ever be able to sing her song like that.

[@sleepymisty9667]

Aussie High ~ Yep, it's like that song was written just for her. Truly amazing!! ❤

[@normanmonroe3522]

"Hollywood's a place where they'll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss but fifty cents for your soul" Marilyn Monroe😔... This is true I was a inspired actor for a few years I gave up fame for life they don't care about you in Hollywood your a "THING" to them not even human just a product etc I love you Judy garland😢 well your over the rainbow and they will pay because karma is reality...

[@molblargio]

This video is so much. That song means the world to so many people, and is so remembered, and is so loved. Judy was treated unfairly her entire life. She was born and shoved onto the stage, and later into MGM. Her mother wanted her to be a star. And then, at MGM, they told her she was too fat and not pretty enough and they put her on medications and they mistreated her completely. They caused her to get hooked on drugs and skyrocket into depression. And she was just a little girl when it all started. You can tell she's singing in hopes of finding a better place, where ever that may be.

[@jonathankieranwriter]

True. And the amazing thing: she was not only amazingly talented, but she was a pretty young lady, too. And, when adjusted for inflation, Judy made MGM billions of $$$. She was in fact the first true "multimedia" star -- hugely successful movies, hugely successful recordings, hugely successful stage/Broadway, television, radio. She is, in many respects, the star of all stars.

[@VintageRose75]

So very true

[@VintageRose75]

+kagurawinddemon How awful!! I didn't know that! That is infuriating...even though it was so long ago.

[@maggiemconnor]

it's so true. As a young girl I was simply transfixed by her. I loved her so for all she gave us.

[@kareyannefoster]

+kentuckycountrygirl Sadly, yes, I've read many books about Judy Garland. She had a very tragic life. check out Judy Garland books on Amazon. God bless.

[@Anjuli50]

In response to all the mentions of her costume during this number -- in her stage show, Judy always performed the "We're a Couple of Swells" number from "Easter Parade" (1948 with Fred Astaire) just before the end of her concert. She did it dressed in a costume similar to the one she wore in the movie -- the tramp costume. After that song, she simply sat on the apron of the stage in the same costume and did "Over the Rainbow," then walked offstage in silhouette. It was incredibly moving. That's why she did it that way in this clip, and why she is dressed as she is. No one could put more sheer, raw emotion into a performance than Garland -- she lived each word of each song, and it was only about 30% technique -- most of it was simply genuine feeling. She was probably the finest untrained Method actress of hers or any other generation. There is no one working today who can touch her: She was an accomplished untrained dancer who could hold her own with Astaire and Kelly; a natural singer with a voice that could melt iron; a richly skilled comedienne, a dramatic actress of range and fire -- you name it, she could do it. But the raw emotion on which she drew, and which made her such a consummate performer also burned her out at a very early age. She is unequaled in entertainment history, and we can only be thankful that, unlike Bernhardt or Adams, we have her on film forever.

[@Sharebear50]

you said it all. She was and is the best there is and ever will be. She was before my time but I watched her as a child in reruns of The Wizard of Oz and fell in love with her voice and style and everything. Nobody else in history will ever be able to touch her talent. The feeling she sings with is amazing.

[@SueDNim]

I keep coming back to this video just to read the heartfelt and profound comments, like this one.

[@sleepymisty9667]

Anjuli McDonald ~ Well said! No one will ever come close to the talent and heart this LADY had. ❤❤❤

[@terrygrant3467]

I do believe that's the same costume she wore in the movie Easter Parade. She took it when she left M.G.M.. I think that costume was wore by Wallace Berry in one of his movies.

[@LisaMitchellGD]

Thank you! I was wondering

[@alisciamurawski2251]

I can't imagine what she went through along with A LOT of other Hollywood stars😢

[@Aramanth]

No singer today cries during an emotional performance. And no singer today can make others cry with them. Judy did. And she did it with grace and great talent and a powerful voice!

[@HazelYellowbird]

I agree

[@youlleatamuffinandlikeit4596]

Plenty of singers cry when performing songs that are meaningful to them. Park Hyo Shin keeps his eyes closed during performances of Wildflower because it's the only way for him to avoid breaking down. Kim Jonghyun was never able to get through a performance of Skeleton Flower without crying. Dimash once started crying so hard he had to step offstage to collect himself during a performance of SOS. Singers today are just as human as singers from days gone by- to claim otherwise is utterly ridiculous.

[@BradYaeger]

I've shared this with new singer/performers I've coached as the top example of somebody inhabiting the lyrics and absolutely baring their soul in front of a live audience . You can see her facing the horrible truth of what they did to her as a child . She isn't acting this out like its a 4 week run in a theater and this is the " sad part". She is living it right there, right then. Any performer that can even come CLOSE to being that vulnerable onstage is going to be something special .

[@CassieJazz96]

I'm legit tearing up right now, what a legend.

[@spensermichaels218]

CassieJazz96 likewise...so amazing and heartfelt emotion.

[@spike16965]

I just want to jump through the screen and give her a big hug, and then transport her to our generation.

[@JobSalazar]

I felt that in my skin like it was mine ... sweet Judy ♥

[@Gregory-xm3jm]

All heart, gifted talent, and a professional. One of a kind.

[@hmfrias]

the thing about this specific performance..is that you can feel her pain, her sadness and desperation. all this while still being able to admire her as a one of a kind talent. a true class act. the kind that honored us with her presence, even if we never officially met. once Judy entered your heart, she became family ♥️

[@yoga4angels]

OMG what a performance!!! She is actually crying and not just golds it together but takes it to another level. Amazing

[@MetalPharoah]

I am uncertain if you are aware the difficulty it is singing while crying. Such an incredible challenge.

[@clairecanale4310]

This cuts deep.

[@Snailman3516]

I'm so glad the internet has preserved this touching moment in human history

[@gioPHL]

There will never be anything close to this amazing talent. When I think of the term "star"... Judy's voice is what I hear.

[@John-nz5vd]

One of the saddest, most heart wrenching things I ever seen & heard.

[@joeterra.t]

Wait until you see a loved one die in front of you.

[@John-nz5vd]

@@joeterra.t I have , I was at her bedside , holding her hand when my amazing mother died.

[@BrettValentine]

I watch this and I am 9 years old again! Some are calling it simply a "performance." Would that it were, and she had lived a long and happy life into her 80's, but that was not the case. That she had so much pain to draw on means that this performance was filled with a deep subtext. Even as a small child at the time, I/we all knew her life was filled with tragedy and pain. She was something special, and this "9 year old heart" belonged. . . belongs to her!

[@annabellethedoll3764]

I agreed. I was born in the 20th century so I didn't know. but she saying the pain of me, of being a transgender. i'm a friend of Dorothy.

[@gilbertpadilla4797]

I was captivated by Ms. Garland's magic since I first heard her as a very young boy here in New Mexico.... Thank you Ms. Garland. You're magic will live on

[@CarolaThurin]

This made me cry. I saw the true emotion behind those eyes and that voice. She went through a real rough life and its as if that song resonated something in her; something she only knew. Rest in peace, Frances Ethel Gumm.