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.
Day in Day Out
Bobby Troup Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The same old hoodoo follows me about
The same old pounding in my heart whenever I think of you
And, darling, I think of you
Day in and day out
Day out, day in
I needn't tell you how my days begin
One possibility in view
That possibility of maybe seeing you
Come rain, come shine
I meet you and to me the day is fine
Then I kiss your lips
And the pounding becomes
The ocean's roar
A thousand drums
Can't you see it's love
Can there be any doubt
When there it is
Day in, day out
In Bobby Troup's song "Day in, Day Out," the singer expresses the inescapable persistence of their feelings for a significant other. The lyrics reflect the idea that no matter what occurs in life, the same unyielding attachment remains in place. The line "The same old hoodoo follows me about" suggests that the singer cannot rid themselves of their affection and crush. Additionally, the "pounding in my heart" whenever the singer thinks of their lover illustrates the exhilaration they feel when pondering their beloved.
The second verse solidifies the idea that the singer cannot shake their infatuation. The lyrics convey the daily routine of thinking about their lover when they wake up, and the tingle of excitement they experience when they consider the possibility of seeing them. The line "That possibility of maybe seeing you" highlights the anticipation the singer feels for the chance of rekindling their romance.
The final verse focuses on the incredible joy the singer experiences when reunited with their lover. The lyrics emphasize the pounding in their heart, describing it as the "ocean's roar" and the pounding of a thousand drums. It's clear from the lyrics that the singer is tremendously in love with their partner, stating "Can't you see it's love? Can there be any doubt?" In "Day in, Day Out," Bobby Troup creates a timeless anthem to staying power of love despite daily struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
Day in, day out
Every single day, without fail
The same old hoodoo follows me about
I can't escape from this curse or bad luck that's been plaguing me
The same old pounding in my heart whenever I think of you
My heart races and thumps uncontrollably whenever you come to mind
And, darling, I think of you
You're constantly on my mind and I can't stop thinking about you
Day in and day out
Every day, non-stop
Day out, day in
Same as 'Day in, day out'
I needn't tell you how my days begin
You already know how important you are to me and how much I think of you from the moment I wake up each morning
When I awake, I awaken with a tingle
I feel a spark of excitement and hope every time I wake up, knowing there's a chance I might get to see you today
One possibility in view
All I can think about is the chance of seeing you and spending time with you
That possibility of maybe seeing you
The chance to see you is what drives me forward every day
Come rain, come shine
Regardless of the weather or any other obstacle, nothing will stop me from wanting to see you
I meet you and to me the day is fine
Just being near you makes everything so much better, and I feel content and happy
Then I kiss your lips
When we kiss, all my senses come alive and nothing else in the world matters in that moment
And the pounding becomes the ocean's roar
My heart beats so fast and hard that it feels like a loud, crashing wave on the shore
A thousand drums
My heart is pounding like the beat of a thousand drums
Can't you see it's love
It's so obvious that what I feel for you is genuine, sincere love
Can there be any doubt
No one could ever question the strength and depth of my feelings for you
When there it is
My love for you is right there, plain as day, and impossible to ignore or forget
Day in, day out
Same as before - every single day, without fail
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johnny Mercer, Rube Bloom
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind