Bobby Troup was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He graduated from The Hill School, a preparatory school in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, in 1937. He went on to graduate Phi Beta Kappa from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in economics. He was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (ΣΑΕ) fraternity and the Mask and Wig Club.
His earliest musical success came with the song "Daddy" which was a regional hit in 1941. Sammy Kaye and His Orchestra recorded "Daddy", which was number one for 8 weeks on the Billboard Best Seller chart and the number five record of 1941. Glenn Miller and His Orchestra performed "Daddy" on their radio broadcasts, and The Andrews Sisters also recorded the song. In the same year, Troup's song "Snootie Little Cutie" was recorded by Frank Sinatra and Connie Haines with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and the Pied Pipers.
Upon graduating from college in 1941 he enlisted in the US Marines, but did not receive orders until January 1942. After completing officer training, he was assigned as one of two dozen white officers to direct recruit training at Montford Point, recruit depot for the first African-American Marines. By spring of 1943 he became recreation officer, in which capacity he was able to spearhead improvements to the facilities at Montford, including building a recreation hall, basketball court, and outdoor boxing ring. He was even able to get a friend to install a miniature golf course. During this time he composed the song "Take Me Away From Jacksonville" which was to become an anthem of sorts for the Marines at Montford Point, even extending to other areas of Camp Lejeune. By numerous accounts Troup was the most popular officer among the Montford recruits. In October 1944 he was promoted to Captain, given command of a depot company, and eventually deployed to Saipan where he served to the end of the war.
Bobby Troup's first marriage was to Cynthia Hare. They were married in May 1942 and had two daughters, Cynnie Troup (b. 1943) and Ronne Troup (b. 1945), both of whom had careers in the entertainment industry.
In 1946, Nat King Cole had a hit with Troup's best known song "(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66". It became a popular standard recorded by many artists, including Chuck Berry (1961) and The Rolling Stones (1964). In 1987, Depeche Mode combined the tune with their own composition, "Behind the Wheel", released it as the B-side of "Behind the Wheel" and it became a radio hit on KROQ 106.7 FM in Los Angeles. In 2006, "Route 66" was featured in the animated movie Cars, and the movie RV with Robin Williams.
Troup met his second wife, torch singer Julie London, at the Celebrity Room, where he was singing. It was Troup who encouraged London to pursue her singing career, and in 1955 he produced her million selling hit record "Cry Me a River". London, previously married to actor Jack Webb (1947 to 1953), married Troup in 1959. They remained married until Troup's death in 1999.
Troup's own recordings in the 1950s and 1960s were not commercially successful. He made recordings for Liberty Records and Capitol Records, many with musicians from the West Coast jazz scene.
Troup also wrote the title song (sung by Little Richard) in the classic 1950s rock and roll movie The Girl Can't Help It. An instrumental rendition of his song "The Meaning of the Blues" appeared on the landmark Miles Davis album, Miles Ahead. Troup's hipster interpretation of the fairy tale "The Three Bears" is often erroneously credited to "anonymous" and re-titled "Three Bears Rap", "Three Bears with a Beat", etc. This song was first recorded by the Page Cavanaugh Trio and later by Western Swing bandleader Leon McAuliffe.
Circa 1969 Troup collaborated with entertainer Tommy Leonetti, penning the lyrics for Leonetti's song "My City of Sydney". Leonetti's original recording was used for many years in the close-down sequence for TV station ATN-7 in Sydney, and was also covered by Sydney punk band XL Capris.
In February 1999, Troup died at UCLA Medical Center of a massive heart attack; he was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills. His wife, Julie London died the following year, and her cremated remains were placed in the columbarium (Columbarium of Providence) niche, next to his.
In the mid-1950s, Troup was one of three regular panelists (along with Mel Blanc and Johnny Mercer) in the game show Musical Chairs, a Bill Leyden-hosted quiz program that aired locally on Los Angeles television for two years before NBC broadcast it in the summer of 1955. On the program, the viewing audience was encouraged to submit questions about music in an effort to stump the panel. The Troup Group provided much of the music in the game show. He also served as host of the ABC show Stars of Jazz featuring various jazz luminaries, particularly those working in Hollywood.
While he relied on songwriting royalties, Troup also worked as an actor, playing musician Tommy Dorsey in the film The Gene Krupa Story (1959). He played himself in the short-lived NBC television series Acapulco. Troup made three guest appearances on Perry Mason, and on two appearances, "The Case of the Jaded Joker" in 1959 and "The Case of the Missing Melody" in 1961, he showed his musical talents. In 1969 and 1970, he appeared as "Bobby" in two episodes of Mannix, where he was a lounge piano player who helped Mannix unravel cases. He again appeared as a piano player in a cameo on The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries in 1978.
In Robert Altman's 1970 film M*A*S*H he had a memorable cameo as a disgruntled staff sergeant assigned to driving Hawkeye and Trapper John around in Japan. (His only line of dialogue is a repeated exasperation, "Goddamn army!") In 1972, Jack Webb, who had previously used Troup in a 1967 episode of the television series Dragnet, cast him opposite Julie London in the US TV series Emergency!. Emergency! was created by Webb, who had recently starred in a revival of Dragnet and was producing NBC's popular Adam-12. London and Troup had remained on cordial terms with Webb, who had used Troup (and his daughter Ronne) in episodes of Adam-12 as well as the revived Dragnet. On Emergency! Troup played Dr. Joe Early, one of the two emergency room doctors featured on the series, while London played head nurse Dixie McCall.
Always
Bobby Troup Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the whole day long
I'd feel so blue
For the longest while
I'd forget to smile
Then I met you
Now that my blue days have passed,
Now that I've found you at last
I'll be loving you always
With a love that's true, always
When the things you've planned
Need a helping hand
I will understand, always
Always
Days may not be fair, always
That's when I'll be there, always
Not for just an hour
Not for just a day
Not for just a year
But always
I'll be loving you, oh always
With a love that's true, always
When the things you've planned
Need a helping hand
I will understand, always
Always
Days may not be fair, always
That's when I'll be there, always
Not for just an hour
Not for just a day
Not for just a year
But always
Not for just an hour
Not for just a day
Not for just a year
But always
The lyrics of Bobby Troup's song "Always" speak of the transformative power of love. It opens with the singer lamenting how everything has gone wrong in his life, and how he feels sad and blue all day long. He then meets someone who changes all that, and with whom he falls in love. The refrain of "always" throughout the song emphasizes the singer's steadfastness and commitment to his beloved, promising that their love will last forever, and that he will be there for them no matter what.
The chorus speaks of the strength of the love the singer feels, promising that it will always be true and supportive. The second verse highlights the difficulties life can throw at us and, once again, the singer reassures that he will always be there to offer support and understanding, no matter how trying the circumstances may be. The final repetition of the refrain cements the message of eternal devotion and commitment, emphasizing just how deep and unwavering the singer's love truly is.
Line by Line Meaning
Everything went wrong
All events in my life were negative
And the whole day long
Throughout the day, there was no relief from the negativity
I'd feel so blue
I experienced a deep sadness and melancholy
For the longest while
This feeling persisted for a considerable amount of time
I'd forget to smile
I lost the ability to find joy in anything
Then I met you
My life changed for the better when I met you
Now that my blue days have passed,
I am no longer consumed by sadness
Now that I've found you at last
You are the reason for my newfound happiness
I'll be loving you always
My love for you is constant and unchanging
With a love that's true, always
My love for you is genuine and authentic
When the things you've planned
If your plans don't go as expected
Need a helping hand
If you need assistance and support
I will understand, always
I will be there to empathize and support you through any obstacle
Days may not be fair, always
Life can be unpredictable and difficult
That's when I'll be there, always
I will be by your side during tough times
Not for just an hour
I won't leave you alone for just a brief moment
Not for just a day
I won't leave you alone for a single day
Not for just a year
I won't leave you alone for a single year
But always
I will always be here for you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Irving Berlin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@2degreewca
I was 10 years old when this first came out. I knew nothing of it of course. Now looking back I find it fascinating and, well, cool.
@misha2197
Bobby ♡♡♡
@irvinklugh8858
LOVE IT
@misspaddylee
Bobby Troup and Dorothy Malone guesting on The Rosemary Clooney Show.
@MHzToGHz
Bobby was the original cool cat.
@billgarrett4491
Dorothy Malone later won an Oscar for Best Support Actress in 1957's "Written On The Wind"
@dchern
what a cuet duet
@snackcakeman
Just heard Louis Jordan’s version. I wanted to know how wrote the song. So one thing leads me to another and here I am.
@josephcoleman3635
I'll have what he's having.
@largemarge1603
Nelson Riddle?
Pete King?