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.
Stella By Starlight
Bobby Troup Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Through years of endless springs
The murmur of a brook at eventide
That ripples by a nook where two lovers hide
A great symphonic theme
That's Stella by starlight
And not a dream
My heart and I agree
A great symphonic theme
That's Stella by starlight
And not a dream
My heart and I agree
She's everything on earth to me
Bobby Troup's song Stella By Starlight is a powerful and romantic tribute to love. The lyrics describe the various beautiful moments in nature that evoke emotions of love, and how the beautiful theme of Stella by Starlight is not just a dream, but an all-consuming reality. Troup's lyrics are poetic and vivid, capturing the essence of what it means to fall deeply and irrevocably in love.
The opening line "The song a robin sings" is a metaphor for the start of spring and the beginning of new life. The endless springs that have passed symbolize time and the endless opportunities to love. The brook that ripples by is like the passion that runs through the nook where two lovers hide. The great symphonic theme of Stella By Starlight is the ultimate representation of love, something that touches the heart and soul. The final stanza of the song confirms the everlasting nature of love, the feeling that this love is everything on earth.
Overall, Bobby Troup's Stella By Starlight is a beautiful ode to love. His lyrics expertly describe the beauty of nature and how it evokes emotions that are comparable to love. The symphonic theme of Stella By Starlight captures the essence of true love, and the song is a timeless classic that transcends time.
Line by Line Meaning
The song a robin sings
Similar to how a robin sings a joyful tune, Stella, the subject of the song brings a feeling of happiness and elation to the singer
Through years of endless springs
Despite the passage of time, the joy brought by Stella remains unchanged and just as evergreen as the spring season
The murmur of a brook at eventide
The sound of a brook at the end of the day signifies peace and tranquility, just as being with Stella brings a sense of calm and serenity to the singer
That ripples by a nook where two lovers hide
The brook flows by a hidden place where lovers can be alone with each other; similarly, Stella and the singer share a special connection with each other in their own secluded world
A great symphonic theme
Stella has a presence that is grand and inspiring, similar to a great symphonic composition
That's Stella by starlight
The reference to Stella by the light of the stars implies a sense of enchantment, as the singer is captivated by her beauty
And not a dream
The singer emphasizes the reality of his love for Stella, as opposed to it being just a fantasy or illusion
My heart and I agree
Both the singer and his heart are in unison and in agreement that Stella is the most important thing to him
She's everything on earth to me
Stella is the most essential and valuable thing to the singer, and he cannot imagine his life without her
Lyrics © Editora e Importadora Musical Fermata do Brasil Ltda., Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Ned Washington, Victor Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind