She insisted on singing this in the wake of the Kennedy assassination. I mean, one of America's all-time greatest singers giving her full-power at a horrifying time for America.
Shelley Berman said in an interview that Judy was asked specifically not to sing this song, as it may have been too sensitive in the wake of Kennedy's death. But, she went up and did it anyway and everyone in attendance was caught up in the passion of Garland's performance.
The way she enunciates the lyrics of the first verse - "He has LOOSED the fateful lightning of his TERRIBLE swift sword", she invests those words with such meaning and emotion, while staying within the rhythm, no Shakespearean actor could have done better. Truly, there was nothing she could not do.
Today, June 10, 2022, is Judy's 100th birthday. Happy Birthday dear heart. You gave us so much and asked only to be loved in return. Well, we love you now and forever. I treasure the time in which I have lived because I come from the time when life made sense and the simple things had joy and meaning. You are and always will be our all encompassing joy. With love I say, "Thank you, Judy."
Before she sang this song as a tribute to her friend, President John F. Kennedy, she looked directly into the camera and said, "This is for you, Jack..." The network decided that her statement was too political and cut it from the final print that appeared on television. Ridiculous!
@@SuperWolsey LBJ was a vicious scumbag who ruined this country. The Smothers Brothers were talented and hilarious. A few years later, NBC let "Laugh In" get away with a lot. WOW.
How fitting is it now we are still battling the same evil turds that took out JFK, brother and son! If the deepstate isn’t crushed now our republic is truly lost!
@@Atomsplitter69 Please take your idiocy somewhere else. If you are stupid enough to believe in "the deep state", you need a fucking psychiatric evaluation.
You can see that she's trying to walk a fine-line, at first, because it's an immense and terribly sad tribute ... so it wasn't like she was singing one of her usual show-tunes. She knew it was a difficult interpretation. She couldn't just be immediately theatrical. But then she takes-over the lyric and she just nails all the emotions as a person: religion, politics, and cinema are left in the dust by a great human performance, a great human expression. Judy rocks.
Can't disagree but you do have to admit that the song demands that kind of crescendo. On a side note, it's impossible for the religious side to be left in the dust with these lyrics.
Jonathan Kieran I'm special forces military she was probably under extreme danger and stress She could have been also targeted politics and Hollywood celebrity's take the most risk for there profession.
Ned Thumberland Definitely. I have been in tears all day listening to Judy sing. Her music was a gift to the world. We will never forget you, Judy! RIP angel. ❤️🌈🌈
Rob Sieger I respect Madonna, but compared to acts today, she is a reigning legend. Most young kids I know have never heard of this before, or of Judy Garland for that matter.
I played this as they wheeled my Grandma out of the family home, on the way to the funeral home. She worked in the Owens Illinois glass factory during and post WWII. RIP Gram 11/2/16
Oh...my...God....I am speechless....This is the best version of anyone singing any patriotic song (or any song for that matter) that I have ever heard...Frank Sinatra once said that she was the greatest singer of all-time and, in time, everyone would be forgotten to the sands of time except for Judy, who would live on in voice eternally...I now understand why he said that...
Very true. Siantra said: "We will all be forgotten, except for Judy."And whenever she was in trouble, he stood by her side. A true gentleman and a great friend to have.
@@normadesmond6017 Frank's done pretty well in the "all will be forgotten" category. One can still hear his songs in commercials, on tv shows .... everywhere. I heard "Come Fly With Me" on the bowling alley jukebox last night.
Chim91 just a plain no. Loved Whitney, but historically, this version was too the millions upon millions who were traumatized by an actual human....a leader who had human faults but had dreams... this isn't a music contest. This song and how and why Judy sung this is historical.....not a contest.
Stunning. Almost at the half-way point, she seems distraught- you wonder if she'll even get through the song. Then, a quieter moment of reflection. Then, she overcomes. A triumphant final verse and chorus. I'm sitting here a wreck. I was not alive when Kennedy was shot in 1963, but after seeing this I have a very good understanding of what Americans were going through that terrible holiday season. Rest in Peace, Judy.
Judy had her problems, but her brilliant talent always came through. This is one of the best renditions of this song ever done. Good thing it was captured on tape. Another part of the brilliant Garland legacy.
Giving the performance of a lifetime, never has anyone come close in going to the depths of "Battle Hymn Of The Republic" like Judy does here, stormy look in her eyes say it all...
You could hear our nation's pain in her voice. She was extremely close to President Kennedy. He used to call her and have her sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by phone. Thank you Judy for giving us the gift of your beautiful and powerful voice...❤️
She didn’t change the words, but if “he died” is a reference to Kennedy I believe “make men free” is a reference to the Civil Rights Act which Kennedy had worked to pass but had not yet been passed.
@Davidjaap2130 It most certainly is not “Let us live to make men free.” That was changed later. The original lyric is “As He died to make men Holy let us die to make men free,” because the song was to inspire the men of the Union to defeat the slave-owning Confederacy and free the slaves. A task that more than 300,000 men would give their lives to achieve. So no, the TRUE lyric is and always will be “As He died to make men holy let us die to make men free.”
Simply put...the GREATEST singer who ever lived. I remember watching this with my mother as a little girl. She was crying and I didn't understand why. Now I DO. Rest in peace Mommy
I often thought my mom was silly or weak or something when she would cry like that. Of course now she is gone and I understand why. Which she always did tell me that I would understand when I'm older.
I had belonged to an Capella Choir back when Kennedy was Assassinated!! We also sung this song in a concert for the assembly! It was the same arrangement the Mormon Tabernacle Choir used! Just before we sung this song, we ALL prayed & dedicated it to Kennedy! When we finished the Last Amen, the director has us cut the last note Sharp! Not only did I feel the concrete shake on that last note, but when we stopped, you could actually hear the air move! You could hear a dime drop! When they finally started to clap, it was a Standing Ovation!! I asked a friend of mine why they didn't clap sooner, she told me, "It was so pinpointed that the ending Shocked them! They didn't know what to do!!"
She seems so nervous and awkward as she introduces the song but then she just turns her professionalism and talent on full blast and resistance is useless. Absolutely one of the greatest entertainers.
This is like FDR walking to his podium alone in song form. Immensely clumsy, and somewhat flawed in execution, but also full of power and passion. It's glaring imperfections make it more beautiful and important, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
I don't know about clumsy. If you listen she did mess up the line "Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet!", coming up with something similar. But it does not impact the rest of the song. Also, "He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat" somehow sounded like "He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never air [e'er?] retreat". Also, the following stanzas are somehow unaccountably missing (were they deleted by studio before show aired on 2 January 1964?): "I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps;
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps; I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps, His day is marching on. I have read His fiery gospel writ in rows of burnished steel! As ye deal with my condemners, so with you My grace shall deal! Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel, Since God is marching on."
Performance is such a big spectacle in Hollywood and music today. Seeing something this powerful and simple just makes me weep and I’m not an overly emotional person.
Brian Turner -- Actually I read somewhere (you can't see it here and especially not on a cell phone) that the stage was slowly lit up and down while she was singing (you can see some blinking lights) and by the time she finished the stage was lit up like a cross with her standing at the centre. I guess the electricians didn't pay attention to Aubrey.
She was so much more than just a great voice. She is the greatest deliverer of lirics of all time. I love the way she emphasized every letter and sylable. There isn't a single one of her songs that you wonder about what she said. Add to that a great voice, timing, and the ability of using her hands and gestures to capture the emotion without overdoing it. We will not see the likes of her again ever.
What annoys me so much about the last 50 years of music, is the insistence that only black performers had/have "soul." Such utter rubbish. Even the great Aretha Franklin is a devout fan of Garland and called her one of the greatest soul singers ("she defines soul").
Garyb3397 I think that you over think things. Elvis, Barbara, Celine, Adel to name a few all sing from the soul. Any black person will tell you that it's the fact that it's hard to sing empty pop garbage from the soul. So it's often interpreted that way.
You got that one right. This performance is the greatest dramatic expression delivered through music of all times. Jack Kennedy was a great friend of hers and it is amazing that she didn’t for one second lose control of her intense emotions. That was her gift.
Today on Twitter, people are trying to cancel Judy because she did black face. Luckily enough, there are enough fans of Judy Garland out there who are taking those people to task and saying, do you know how she was raised and telling what all she had to go through. I put this on Twitter as my contribution to the fray. I said if we’re gonna talk about Judy at least let’s listen to her sing. Long may she reign!
This is just such a stellar performance. It's only when you think of how scared and depressed America was that you can understand the impact it had on those who his saw it. Probably the highlight of Judy's career.
As Gene Kelly once said: "Judy is the greatest of all entertainers - there is simply nothing she cannot do". A truly GREAT interpretation of a hymn - offered so soon after a day of national desolation. As for the 43 people who don't "like" this, I imagine they'll be along shortly to turn off your life support?!
Judy Garland grew up being used and abused by others when she started in show business. And she grew up in a time when drug abuse wasn't talked about much less addressed as a problem like it is today. Very tragic circumstances- I think a lot like Marilyn Monroe who was used by those around her. Neither got the help or support which could have helped them.
@@SRP3572 well, mr. Floppy, is was the studio days. She stopped making a movie on Friday and started another one on monday. And they gave the kids "vitamines"to get them going. Pure speed, of course. It's not called show-business for nothing….. Judy was hooked before she was 18 and never got over it. Everybody made money out of her talent, exept her. One of the real tragedy's of Hollywood history.
@@georgegallucci1845 No, she didn't throw it away. It's amazing what she did achieve, regarding of what she went through. But she was pennyless when she died, completely addicted and living from day to day. And she is one of the greatest and most complete talents there ever was.
CBS told her NOT to mention she would sing it as a tribute to JFK after his assassination. Only close friends in the audience knew why she was singing it. CBS thought mentioning JFK would be to sad and depressing. Now the whole world knows why she sang it. A performance for the ages.
It was James T. Aubrey who warned her not to sing it. He was already pissed that CBS News, through their continuous coverage of the Kennedy assassination and funeral from November 22nd through the 25th, cost him millions of dollars in lost advertising revenue. He prided himself on the fact that, as the network's president, he doubled CBS' profits between 1959 and 1964 through his emphasis on entertainment programming - and didn't give a shit about news and documentaries. He declared the day after the funeral that it was going to be "business as usual" at the network, and that NOTHING was to be mentioned about Kennedy's death. Judy, who was already on shaky ground with "The Smiling Cobra" because her show was getting lousy ratings against NBC's "BONANZA" on Sunday nights, decided she was going to pay tribute to him, anyway. That cost any chances of her series lasting longer than the 26 weeks she agreed to.
That was when a standing ovation was a true badge of honor. Nowadays, people stand up when a talk show host is introduced (or for a good bowel movement). I wish we could go back to the days when a standing ovation had so much meaning.
Judy gives ultimately a career-defining performance that has caused comments from greats like Aretha Franklin who stated "Judy Garland" to be greatest Soul Singer of all time, watching this phenomenal performance totally agree with Lady Soul!
I've watched this at least a dozen times and her passion and love make me cry each time. Thank you Judy this gift to all Americans, and freedom loving souls. 2024.
A truly stellar performance. Here we have a woman singer who, though being totally devastated inside by the loss of a dear friend, has managed to uphold the highest dictate of her chosen craft: "The show MUST go on!" Bravissima.
Such a voice coming out of such a tiny body. Lord! There will never be another like Ms. Garland. She died when I was a very little kid and wondered what all the fuss was about back then. Because of YT and "classic TV," I appreciate it, finally.
I’m a Canadian , I love America and I’ll fight to keep her free if need be , brothers forever united we stand , divided we fall and we shall never fall
This reaches down through the years to touch me. May it ever be thus. What a song. What a woman. And she was gone less than six years later, and before I was born.
This is the first time I've seen this, and its beauty left me in tears. Her very soul shined through her performance and just radiated from within her out to the audience and the world. All I can say is "Wow!"
I can't think of any other performer who could pull this off this well. Honest, direct, heartfelt tribute. She was trying to make the country feel better two weeks after the assassination. Judy took us to church! Such talent and emotion. Thank you Judy.
There isn't enough adjectives to describe Judy's performance. It still brings tears to my eyes & puts goosebumps all over my body. Tremendous!!!
10 лет назад+2
Another one of Judy's wonderful traits was she LOVED the audience and LOVED that her audience LOVED her. People couldn't get enough of her. I had chills watching this and it's very emotional. She was incredible.
There can be only one Judy , her voice was exceptionally, her emotions when she sings are real , this is what you call singing, her voice her pure talent will last until the end of time !!!!😊🇬🇧🇺🇸
The saddest thing about this video is not the historical context, or the lyrics of the song, it’s when looking at her, you can’t fail to see the horrific toil Hollywood took on Judy.. how skinny and twitchy she is…and that truly she was an American tragedy….to have someone so talented end up abused and destroyed by the same thing that prompted her to fame…just heart breaking and no one talks about it
Judy Garland singing The Battle hymn of the Republic and Whitney Houston Star-Spangled banner, well those ladies galvanized those songs.... And turn them into Legends.... And just a touch of the Divine added to them
that verse at 2:38 is breathtaking. Knowing the context of this being sung as a memoriam to the late president kennedy... Judy Garland truly was a once-in-a-generation talent.
Interesting point there: a lot of modern interpretations (including the one I learned in church as a kid) change the lyrics to "let us *live* to make men free." Judy used the original Civil War-era version.
@@davidsmith1340 -- Yes but she also dropped the stanza that begins with "I have read His fiery gospel, writ in rows of burnished steel" (as apparently have most singers done for some time) -- I agree that I much prefer "live" to "die".
Too religious IMO, I'm sure even the founding fathers would agree in regards it being the national anthem. I'd say My Country Tis of Thee should be if it wasn't a rip off of the British national anthem. The star bangled banner is great, especially when not over sung.
+Rational Raven haha true ;) and I just rewatched Whitney Houston singing the star spangled banner at the super bowl and I'm hard pressed to find a better national anthem then the US, prefer it to ours (Brits)
I truly love Judy Garland and I wish I had been born earlier so I could have seen her perform live in concert she makes my whole body tingle with joy and sadness
Judy's performance of the "Battle Hymn of The Republic" is by far her greatest Showmanship of song's. The love she had for her President and Friend shines through!! My only squabble of the song (Not Judy's) is the background singer's. The singer's seem to get louder and louder as Judy gets near the end. I just wish that someone could lower their voice's. May Jack and Judy see each other in heaven and continue their friendship as nothing had happened.
My hair stud up when I heard this for the first time !!!! Life has never been the same since you have gone may you rest in peace for ever!!!! OH and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!
Counts as one of the top 5 most moving performances I've ever seen by a singer in my lifetime. In the time of Trump, it takes on additional meaning. What an artist.
@Robert Stephen Browning -- "In the time of Trump, it takes on additional meaning." -- Why? Because Trump and his family are relentlessly threatened with harm (or worse) and his supporters are assaulted by the Left and the Anti-First Amendmenters with the tacit encouragement of the mainstream media and Hollywood? The FBI and Secret Service do squat. Doesn't sound remotely like the Kennedy tragedy.
We’ll be losing freedom in the time of Biden, so I guess.. Actually it’s kinda funny come to think of it, the Battle Hymn was written during the civil war, I know it was for the Union, but I guess people on both sides thought they “will die to make men free” in their own way. I mean, some of our southern brethren don’t have the slightest desire to reinstitute slavery anymore but STILL want to get the heck out, even more so now.
@@robsieger1886 JFK was a president who wanted to make things better for all Americans. Trump the Chump only cares about himself and his grifting family.
Possibly apocryphal, but I've heard a story of a high school choir director showing this to their students, and one student asking, "Is she still around?" and another answering, "You can't sing like that and still be alive!"
Judy. Fucking. Rocks. Timeless and inspirational, and can move mountains with just her voice. I love this song, and that final verse was absolutely chilling. So glad I found it. :’)
JUDY WAS A NATIONAL TREASURE.WE NEVER REALIZE WHAT WE REALLY HAVE UNTIL THEY ARE GONE.WE LOST HER ENTIRELY TOO YOUNG.I COMPRISED A LIST OF THE GREATEST SINGERS FEMALE IN OUR HISTORY AND SHE IS ONE OF THE SIX.SHE TRULY WAS AN ANGEL WITH TERRIFIC SKILLS.THEY COME ALONG EVERY SO MANY YEARS.SHE WAS A PRODIGY.STARTED AT AGE 3 OR 4.GOD BLESS YOU JUDY.
One of the greatest performances of the 20th century. Only two people ever had any business singing this song: Judy Garland and Elvis Presley (though he mostly did it through the medley "American Trilogy"). Everybody else should forget trying.
Yes, but I think Feline Queen is correct - the way Judy emphasises "let us DIE to make men free" she's referencing JFK, no doubt. The other, original meaning still applies, it is not cancelled out. Rather, Judy adds another layer of meaning onto it. That is an illustration of her brilliance.
I don't think it's much of a stretch to call this one of the greatest performances of all time. This song, combined with Judy's soulful singing and knowing she was singing it for Jack Kennedy brings it as close to perfection as anything can ever hope to be.
On November 22, 1963 Judy was in Studio 43 when she heard the news her friend the President had been assassinated - she wanted to scrap that Sundays show and dedicate a special show to JFK but CBS said no,,,,,,,
I was born well after this was first aired in 1963 but since I discovered it on RUclips several years ago in itself now this has been easily my favorite version of this song. So good so powerful she really felt this when she sang it to John F Kennedy after his assassination
Go look at some of Judy's work when she was 15 years old. Heck, listen to her radio recordings at 13 years old, she was a child prodigy. One of the greatest female singers ever.
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She insisted on singing this in the wake of the Kennedy assassination. I mean, one of America's all-time greatest singers giving her full-power at a horrifying time for America.
Shelley Berman said in an interview that Judy was asked specifically not to sing this song, as it may have been too sensitive in the wake of Kennedy's death. But, she went up and did it anyway and everyone in attendance was caught up in the passion of Garland's performance.
The way she enunciates the lyrics of the first verse - "He has LOOSED the fateful lightning of his TERRIBLE swift sword", she invests those words with such meaning and emotion, while staying within the rhythm, no Shakespearean actor could have done better. Truly, there was nothing she could not do.
so true
Chastity. Sobriety. 11th grade Geometry. There were a few things she couldn't do. Thanks, Hollywood.
Are you going to sing for us Stacey?
Today, June 10, 2022, is Judy's 100th birthday. Happy Birthday dear heart. You gave us so much and asked only to be loved in return. Well, we love you now and forever. I treasure the time in which I have lived because I come from the time when life made sense and the simple things had joy and meaning. You are and always will be our all encompassing joy. With love I say, "Thank you, Judy."
Before she sang this song as a tribute to her friend, President John F. Kennedy, she looked directly into the camera and said, "This is for you, Jack..." The network decided that her statement was too political and cut it from the final print that appeared on television. Ridiculous!
Verbal Volley from the same network that would be in a jousting match w/ Tommy Smothers 4 years after this just to protect ol' Lyndon, no less
@@SuperWolsey LBJ was a vicious scumbag who ruined this country. The Smothers Brothers were talented and hilarious. A few years later, NBC let "Laugh In" get away with a lot. WOW.
How fitting is it now we are still battling the same evil turds that took out JFK, brother and son! If the deepstate isn’t crushed now our republic is truly lost!
@@Atomsplitter69 oh wow, the dumbassery of this comment...
@@Atomsplitter69 Please take your idiocy somewhere else. If you are stupid enough to believe in "the deep state", you need a fucking psychiatric evaluation.
You can see that she's trying to walk a fine-line, at first, because it's an immense and terribly sad tribute ... so it wasn't like she was singing one of her usual show-tunes. She knew it was a difficult interpretation. She couldn't just be immediately theatrical. But then she takes-over the lyric and she just nails all the emotions as a person: religion, politics, and cinema are left in the dust by a great human performance, a great human expression. Judy rocks.
Can't disagree but you do have to admit that the song demands that kind of crescendo. On a side note, it's impossible for the religious side to be left in the dust with these lyrics.
Too much vibratio for me...
Divine Comment! Well done for posting, you are bang on! Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!
Joseph you sound so stupid...
Jonathan Kieran I'm special forces military she was probably under extreme danger and stress She could have been also targeted politics and Hollywood celebrity's take the most risk for there profession.
To this very day, Garland's voice still brings tears to those who listen with their heart.
Ned Thumberland Definitely. I have been in tears all day listening to Judy sing. Her music was a gift to the world. We will never forget you, Judy! RIP angel. ❤️🌈🌈
ABSOLUTELY, INDEED!!!!
Why doesn't this have a trillion views? Such a stirring performance. Brings a man to tears over 50 years later...
It doesn't have a trillion views because fine art will never be for the masses. But Madonna will. What American taste has fallen to.
@@garyb3397 Even worse than Madonna. The crap that passes for music now ...
Rob Sieger I respect Madonna, but compared to acts today, she is a reigning legend. Most young kids I know have never heard of this before, or of Judy Garland for that matter.
Dark Hollywood Dark Hollywood My niece and nephews have never even seen the Wizard of Oz. 😳🙄
@@lindseysanders3656 Time to again make it an annual event like it used to be!
I played this as they wheeled my Grandma out of the family home, on the way to the funeral home. She worked in the Owens Illinois glass factory during and post WWII. RIP Gram 11/2/16
Rest in Peace.
Oh...my...God....I am speechless....This is the best version of anyone singing any patriotic song (or any song for that matter) that I have ever heard...Frank Sinatra once said that she was the greatest singer of all-time and, in time, everyone would be forgotten to the sands of time except for Judy, who would live on in voice eternally...I now understand why he said that...
Very true. Siantra said: "We will all be forgotten, except for Judy."And whenever she was in trouble, he stood by her side. A true gentleman and a great friend to have.
Yes so true that's my Baby Judy💝
@@normadesmond6017 Frank's done pretty well in the "all will be forgotten" category. One can still hear his songs in commercials, on tv shows .... everywhere. I heard "Come Fly With Me" on the bowling alley jukebox last night.
@@brendanjobe6895 I know. But that's what he said once about her.
Wow that’s so true ❤
They sang this at Judy Garland's funeral on June 27, 1969.
Really? WOW. I didn't know that. Who sang it? Liza?
This is perhaps the greatest version of this song I've EVER heard! It's enough to make a man shed a tear in pride.
Just listen to Whitney Houston's version and David Phelps
Ha, just got done listening to BOTH back to back, and then came here to revisit this great version. But yes, I agree.
Chim91 just a plain no. Loved Whitney, but historically, this version was too the millions upon millions who were traumatized by an actual human....a leader who had human faults but had dreams... this isn't a music contest. This song and how and why Judy sung this is historical.....not a contest.
Stunning. Almost at the half-way point, she seems distraught- you wonder if she'll even get through the song. Then, a quieter moment of reflection. Then, she overcomes. A triumphant final verse and chorus. I'm sitting here a wreck. I was not alive when Kennedy was shot in 1963, but after seeing this I have a very good understanding of what Americans were going through that terrible holiday season. Rest in Peace, Judy.
Technical question: you see a boom mic in the shot at one point. Yet, she's using a handheld. Why would that be?
If that doesn't put you in tears, you've probably dehydrated.
jb47vintage exactly.
Judy had her problems, but her brilliant talent always came through. This is one of the best renditions of this song ever done. Good thing it was captured on tape. Another part of the brilliant Garland legacy.
Giving the performance of a lifetime, never has anyone come close in going to the depths of "Battle Hymn Of The Republic" like Judy does here, stormy look in her eyes say it all...
You could hear our nation's pain in her voice. She was extremely close to President Kennedy. He used to call her and have her sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by phone. Thank you Judy for giving us the gift of your beautiful and powerful voice...❤️
All the more today😳
2:53. “As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free.” I FEEL YOU, JUDY!
She didn’t change the words, but if “he died” is a reference to Kennedy I believe “make men free” is a reference to the Civil Rights Act which Kennedy had worked to pass but had not yet been passed.
@@mikeg2306
You got all that from his statement? Am I missing something?
Maybe the lyrics are just what the writer intended?
Idk. Maybe. Maybe not.
@Jason...The true lyric says " Let us LIVE to make men free." 🙏💓
@Davidjaap2130 It most certainly is not “Let us live to make men free.” That was changed later.
The original lyric is “As He died to make men Holy let us die to make men free,” because the song was to inspire the men of the Union to defeat the slave-owning Confederacy and free the slaves. A task that more than 300,000 men would give their lives to achieve. So no, the TRUE lyric is and always will be “As He died to make men holy let us die to make men free.”
Simply put...the GREATEST singer who ever lived. I remember watching this with my mother as a little girl. She was crying and I didn't understand why. Now I DO. Rest in peace Mommy
I often thought my mom was silly or weak or something when she would cry like that. Of course now she is gone and I understand why. Which she always did tell me that I would understand when I'm older.
Same, I was 14.
I had belonged to an Capella Choir back when Kennedy was Assassinated!! We also sung this song in a concert for the assembly! It was the same arrangement the Mormon Tabernacle Choir used! Just before we sung this song, we ALL prayed & dedicated it to Kennedy! When we finished the Last Amen, the director has us cut the last note Sharp! Not only did I feel the concrete shake on that last note, but when we stopped, you could actually hear the air move! You could hear a dime drop! When they finally started to clap, it was a Standing Ovation!! I asked a friend of mine why they didn't clap sooner, she told me,
"It was so pinpointed that the ending Shocked them! They didn't know what to do!!"
She seems so nervous and awkward as she introduces the song but then she just turns her professionalism and talent on full blast and resistance is useless. Absolutely one of the greatest entertainers.
High as bejeezus on speed
Battling her lifetime demons. But that voice was stronger than ever that night!
That’s called speed.
@@lorihugo4814 beautiful.
She’s not awkward just tweakin out on fifty different drugs
This is like FDR walking to his podium alone in song form. Immensely clumsy, and somewhat flawed in execution, but also full of power and passion. It's glaring imperfections make it more beautiful and important, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
I don't know about clumsy.
If you listen she did mess up the line "Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet!", coming up with something similar. But it does not impact the rest of the song.
Also, "He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat" somehow sounded like "He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never air [e'er?] retreat".
Also, the following stanzas are somehow unaccountably missing (were they deleted by studio before show aired on 2 January 1964?):
"I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps;
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps,
His day is marching on.
I have read His fiery gospel writ in rows of burnished steel!
As ye deal with my condemners, so with you My grace shall deal!
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel,
Since God is marching on."
A basically empty stage is so incredibly full. It takes talent to fill it without any clutter. No clutter here.
Performance is such a big spectacle in Hollywood and music today. Seeing something this powerful and simple just makes me weep and I’m not an overly emotional person.
And she was so tiny!
Brian Turner -- Actually I read somewhere (you can't see it here and especially not on a cell phone) that the stage was slowly lit up and down while she was singing (you can see some blinking lights) and by the time she finished the stage was lit up like a cross with her standing at the centre. I guess the electricians didn't pay attention to Aubrey.
Brian Turner
No clutter in your BRAIN, eithrr! Tres cool are u!!!
💡🕯️💡👁️🗽💡🕯️🌕🕌💡🕯️👁️🦋🐾🌐🌁🕍🏛️🏛️🌑🌕🌏🌎🌍🕯️OneifbyCc:💡∆π√÷°
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She was so much more than just a great voice. She is the greatest deliverer of lirics of all time. I love the way she emphasized every letter and sylable. There isn't a single one of her songs that you wonder about what she said. Add to that a great voice, timing, and the ability of using her hands and gestures to capture the emotion without overdoing it. We will not see the likes of her again ever.
You said it. It is not just singing. All of life is somehow in there too.
What annoys me so much about the last 50 years of music, is the insistence that only black performers had/have "soul." Such utter rubbish. Even the great Aretha Franklin is a devout fan of Garland and called her one of the greatest soul singers ("she defines soul").
Garyb3397 I think that you over think things. Elvis, Barbara, Celine, Adel to name a few all sing from the soul. Any black person will tell you that it's the fact that it's hard to sing empty pop garbage from the soul. So it's often interpreted that way.
You got that one right. This performance is the greatest dramatic expression delivered through music of all times. Jack Kennedy was a great friend of hers and it is amazing that she didn’t for one second lose control of her intense emotions. That was her gift.
Today on Twitter, people are trying to cancel Judy because she did black face. Luckily enough, there are enough fans of Judy Garland out there who are taking those people to task and saying, do you know how she was raised and telling what all she had to go through. I put this on Twitter as my contribution to the fray. I said if we’re gonna talk about Judy at least let’s listen to her sing. Long may she reign!
This is just such a stellar performance. It's only when you think of how scared and depressed America was that you can understand the impact it had on those who his saw it. Probably the highlight of Judy's career.
As Gene Kelly once said: "Judy is the greatest of all entertainers - there is simply nothing she cannot do". A truly GREAT interpretation of a hymn - offered so soon after a day of national desolation. As for the 43 people who don't "like" this, I imagine they'll be along shortly to turn off your life support?!
Lord, what a talent.
too bad she had to throw that talent away on drugs
Judy Garland grew up being used and abused by others when she started in show business. And she grew up in a time when drug abuse wasn't talked about much less addressed as a problem like it is today. Very tragic circumstances- I think a lot like Marilyn Monroe who was used by those around her. Neither got the help or support which could have helped them.
MrFloppy19
Thrown away? Are you mad? Still the greatest entertainer we’ve ever had, despite all she had to overcome.
@@SRP3572 well, mr. Floppy, is was the studio days. She stopped making a movie on Friday and started another one on monday. And they gave the kids "vitamines"to get them going. Pure speed, of course. It's not called show-business for nothing….. Judy was hooked before she was 18 and never got over it. Everybody made money out of her talent, exept her. One of the real tragedy's of Hollywood history.
@@georgegallucci1845 No, she didn't throw it away. It's amazing what she did achieve, regarding of what she went through. But she was pennyless when she died, completely addicted and living from day to day. And she is one of the greatest and most complete talents there ever was.
CBS told her NOT to mention she would sing it as a tribute to JFK after his assassination. Only close friends in the audience knew why she was singing it. CBS thought mentioning JFK would be to sad and depressing. Now the whole world knows why she sang it. A performance for the ages.
It was James T. Aubrey who warned her not to sing it. He was already pissed that CBS News, through their continuous coverage of the Kennedy assassination and funeral from November 22nd through the 25th, cost him millions of dollars in lost advertising revenue. He prided himself on the fact that, as the network's president, he doubled CBS' profits between 1959 and 1964 through his emphasis on entertainment programming - and didn't give a shit about news and documentaries. He declared the day after the funeral that it was going to be "business as usual" at the network, and that NOTHING was to be mentioned about Kennedy's death. Judy, who was already on shaky ground with "The Smiling Cobra" because her show was getting lousy ratings against NBC's "BONANZA" on Sunday nights, decided she was going to pay tribute to him, anyway. That cost any chances of her series lasting longer than the 26 weeks she agreed to.
@@fromthesidelines woah what a trove of information that puts this iconic & powerful performance in even richer context. thank you!
You're VERY welcome.
Barry I. Grauman - What a lousy shit-head that man was. She didn’t mention Kennedy. She only mentioned how great the song was.
The pain and helplessness that must've been feeling that night. I could only imagined. But our country has been in pain for quite some time. Very sad.
God Bless America. From this Canadian to you you are worth fighting for
Wow!.
I'm an Australian, but, WOW!.
I teared up, fair dinkum, and I'm not embarrassed to say it.
What a stunning, from the soul and heart performance.
Love from a country ass cousin from Texas
@@TheHouseOfMahoe WTH are you talking about? Are you intentionally screwing around on this thread?
That was when a standing ovation was a true badge of honor. Nowadays, people stand up when a talk show host is introduced (or for a good bowel movement). I wish we could go back to the days when a standing ovation had so much meaning.
Gives me goosebumps and brings tears to my eyes.
Judy gives ultimately a career-defining performance that has caused comments from greats like Aretha Franklin who stated "Judy Garland" to be greatest Soul Singer of all time, watching this phenomenal performance totally agree with Lady Soul!
I've watched this at least a dozen times and her passion and love make me cry each time. Thank you Judy this gift to all Americans, and freedom loving souls. 2024.
A truly stellar performance. Here we have a woman singer who, though being totally devastated inside by the loss of a dear friend, has managed to uphold the highest dictate of her chosen craft: "The show MUST go on!" Bravissima.
Such a voice coming out of such a tiny body. Lord! There will never be another like Ms. Garland. She died when I was a very little kid and wondered what all the fuss was about back then. Because of YT and "classic TV," I appreciate it, finally.
I’m a Canadian , I love America and I’ll fight to keep her free if need be , brothers forever united we stand , divided we fall and we shall never fall
This reaches down through the years to touch me. May it ever be thus. What a song. What a woman. And she was gone less than six years later, and before I was born.
why are there only a half million hits on this? It gets me every time
This is the first time I've seen this, and its beauty left me in tears. Her very soul shined through her performance and just radiated from within her out to the audience and the world. All I can say is "Wow!"
I can't think of any other performer who could pull this off this well. Honest, direct, heartfelt tribute. She was trying to make the country feel better two weeks after the assassination. Judy took us to church! Such talent and emotion. Thank you Judy.
She puts her soul in this performance. Incredible!
I first heard this in 1963 when I was ten years old and have never forgotten it. A marvelous performance.
One of the greatest singers of the 20th century......
There isn't enough adjectives to describe Judy's performance. It still brings tears to my eyes & puts goosebumps all over my body. Tremendous!!!
Another one of Judy's wonderful traits was she LOVED the audience and LOVED that her audience LOVED her. People couldn't get enough of her.
I had chills watching this and it's very emotional. She was incredible.
50th anniversary, brings tears to my eyes...
Took my breath away. This is how it was meant to be song. Judy was a gift to the world.
The voice of a Century
She put her heart into it and brought the spirit of it out. Excellent performance !
There can be only one Judy , her voice was exceptionally, her emotions when she sings are real , this is what you call singing, her voice her pure talent will last until the end of time !!!!😊🇬🇧🇺🇸
The saddest thing about this video is not the historical context, or the lyrics of the song, it’s when looking at her, you can’t fail to see the horrific toil Hollywood took on Judy.. how skinny and twitchy she is…and that truly she was an American tragedy….to have someone so talented end up abused and destroyed by the same thing that prompted her to fame…just heart breaking and no one talks about it
Judy Garland singing The Battle hymn of the Republic and Whitney Houston Star-Spangled banner, well those ladies galvanized those songs.... And turn them into Legends.... And just a touch of the Divine added to them
To this very day, THIS IS THE BEST VERSION EVER!!!! HAPPY 4TH OF JULY 🎉❣️
Much ❤ & Ii concur ❣️
that verse at 2:38 is breathtaking. Knowing the context of this being sung as a memoriam to the late president kennedy...
Judy Garland truly was a once-in-a-generation talent.
it doesn't get better then this!
Once in a lifetime almost.
Interesting point there: a lot of modern interpretations (including the one I learned in church as a kid) change the lyrics to "let us *live* to make men free." Judy used the original Civil War-era version.
@@davidsmith1340 -- Yes but she also dropped the stanza that begins with "I have read His fiery gospel, writ in rows of burnished steel" (as apparently have most singers done for some time) -- I agree that I much prefer "live" to "die".
She has the most beautiful voice.
You should have heard her in the 1930s and 1940s. Mamma mia ...............
4ft 11ins of pure talent,
but giant of the industry
This should be our national anthem
+Carola Wingert Truth
Too religious IMO, I'm sure even the founding fathers would agree in regards it being the national anthem. I'd say My Country Tis of Thee should be if it wasn't a rip off of the British national anthem. The star bangled banner is great, especially when not over sung.
+millers3888 I have a feeling neither the Brits nor the Yanks would be too happy about sharing the same tune for their national anthem :-P
+Rational Raven haha true ;) and I just rewatched Whitney Houston singing the star spangled banner at the super bowl and I'm hard pressed to find a better national anthem then the US, prefer it to ours (Brits)
+millers3888 That must be pretty tough for you to like ours cause it's about how you didn't beat us.
I truly love Judy Garland and I wish I had been born earlier so I could have seen her perform live in concert she makes my whole body tingle with joy and sadness
She threw her failing body and her dogged determination into this rendition. Unforgettable.
THE GREAT AND UNFORGETTABLE JUDY GARLAND....GOD BLESS YOU AND THANK YOU JUDY FOR THIS SONG!
Judy's performance of the "Battle Hymn of The Republic" is by far her greatest Showmanship of song's.
The love she had for her President and Friend shines through!! My only squabble of the song (Not Judy's) is the background singer's. The singer's seem to get louder and louder as Judy gets near the end.
I just wish that someone could lower their voice's.
May Jack and Judy see each other in heaven and continue their friendship as nothing had happened.
Happy 100th birthday, legend. Thank you. ⭐️
Thank you Ms. Garland excellent version by far one of the best I've ever heard..
My thoughts exactly Tony.
This is the all-time best version of this song! Thank you, Judy.
Such a powerful song. So moving and Godly by such a moving and Godly woman
I wish I had seen her live. I love her singing!!
Singing for her friend and President!
brilliance and pure talent
So good. She could "bring tears from a rock".
I love this song so much .... the best version I've ever heard ... ever !!
thank you Jesus, and Miss Garland ... whoooohooooo !!
My hair stud up when I heard this for the first time !!!! Life has never been the same since you have gone may you rest in peace for ever!!!! OH and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!
Counts as one of the top 5 most moving performances I've ever seen by a singer in my lifetime. In the time of Trump, it takes on additional meaning. What an artist.
@Robert Stephen Browning
-- "In the time of Trump, it takes on additional meaning." -- Why? Because Trump and his family are relentlessly threatened with harm (or worse) and his supporters are assaulted by the Left and the Anti-First Amendmenters with the tacit encouragement of the mainstream media and Hollywood? The FBI and Secret Service do squat. Doesn't sound remotely like the Kennedy tragedy.
Trump has absolutely, positively nothing to do with this!!!!!!!!!
We’ll be losing freedom in the time of Biden, so I guess..
Actually it’s kinda funny come to think of it, the Battle Hymn was written during the civil war, I know it was for the Union, but I guess people on both sides thought they “will die to make men free” in their own way. I mean, some of our southern brethren don’t have the slightest desire to reinstitute slavery anymore but STILL want to get the heck out, even more so now.
@@brittybee6615 We'll be losing freedom under Biden? Is that what you're saying?
@@robsieger1886
JFK was a president who wanted to make things better for all Americans. Trump the Chump only cares about himself and his grifting family.
I just keep watching it again and again and again....
Possibly apocryphal, but I've heard a story of a high school choir director showing this to their students, and one student asking, "Is she still around?" and another answering, "You can't sing like that and still be alive!"
She put so much passion into that song she almost went spastic. Amazing.
what a iconic legend of that time and even beyond. God Bless Miss Judy Garland :)
This gives me chills. Her voice is so beautiful, and it has so much meaning and feelings in it
Simply beautiful!
Stunning! Just stunning! There will never be another Judy Garland. No one has even come close.
Totally awesome and stunning performance... Respect by 5star..
Judy. Fucking. Rocks. Timeless and inspirational, and can move mountains with just her voice. I love this song, and that final verse was absolutely chilling. So glad I found it. :’)
This is uplfting and sad at the same time
She was intense. Such a great talent.
JUDY WAS A NATIONAL TREASURE.WE NEVER REALIZE WHAT WE REALLY HAVE UNTIL THEY ARE GONE.WE LOST HER ENTIRELY TOO YOUNG.I COMPRISED A LIST OF THE GREATEST SINGERS FEMALE IN OUR HISTORY AND SHE IS ONE OF THE SIX.SHE TRULY WAS AN ANGEL WITH TERRIFIC SKILLS.THEY COME ALONG EVERY SO MANY YEARS.SHE WAS A PRODIGY.STARTED AT AGE 3 OR 4.GOD BLESS YOU JUDY.
One of the greatest performances of the 20th century. Only two people ever had any business singing this song: Judy Garland and Elvis Presley (though he mostly did it through the medley "American Trilogy"). Everybody else should forget trying.
`He died to make men holy, Let us die to make men free!!!` Wow!!!! A fitting tribute to JFK.
+Feline Queen - "As He died to make men holy" is referencing Jesus Christ ("In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea...").
Yes, but I think Feline Queen is correct - the way Judy emphasises "let us DIE to make men free" she's referencing JFK, no doubt. The other, original meaning still applies, it is not cancelled out. Rather, Judy adds another layer of meaning onto it. That is an illustration of her brilliance.
Micky Finn I agree it's a type of double entendre both are valid and referenced which is quite a brilliant thing to do.
Learn how "q is saving the world" and you will know that they murdered JFK, a real patriot.
JFK is irrelevant compared to freeing man
What a poignant performance. If anyone in showbiz deserved to be legend in their own lifetime it was Judy.
I don't think it's much of a stretch to call this one of the greatest performances of all time. This song, combined with Judy's soulful singing and knowing she was singing it for Jack Kennedy brings it as close to perfection as anything can ever hope to be.
She sang her heart out.
On November 22, 1963 Judy was in Studio 43 when she heard the news her friend the President had been assassinated - she wanted to scrap that Sundays show and dedicate a special show to JFK but CBS said no,,,,,,,
It was like she was the beacon of hope to get through what happened when kennedy died. One of the greatest singing performers of the 20 th century.
One of the best versions of this song.
I was 15 years old when I heard her live performance of this song. I have never forgotten that moment.
I was born well after this was first aired in 1963 but since I discovered it on RUclips several years ago in itself now this has been easily my favorite version of this song. So good so powerful she really felt this when she sang it to John F Kennedy after his assassination
I'm 15 but I have to say Judy was a great singer
Go look at some of Judy's work when she was 15 years old. Heck, listen to her radio recordings at 13 years old, she was a child prodigy. One of the greatest female singers ever.
millers3888 ill dig around thanks for the info
Good for you, I was the same, appreciated talent from before.
goosebumps
Always.
this must be one of the best performances in television history amazing
My favorite ❤️💙❤️ since childhood.