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.
That Darn Cat
Bobby Troup Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just surveyin' his domain
He roams around like he owns the town
He's the King, he makes that plain
He knows ev'ry trick, doesn't miss a lick
When it comes to keepin' track
Some city slicker, no one is quicker than
Ev'ry nook and cranny and garbage canny
He inspects so thoroughly
When he's on his rounds, nothin's out of bounds
To his curiosity
He can smile and purr at a pretty her
Till she don't know where she's at
Nose like a diner, oh, what a tiger is
That darn cat
He's a sly old codger, an artful dodger
A scrounger unsurpassed
A ball of fire, a nine live wire
Who just can't be outclassed
Yeah, this midnight rover, he lives in clover
It's an art he's got down pat
Never was a greater smooth operator than
That um darn, that darn cat
That darn cat
That darn cat
Um um
That darn cat
Um um um um um um
That darn cat
Now our cat's been paid ev'ry accolade
And he's earned all his acclaim
In a blaze of glory, he ends our story
In the Feline Hall of Fame
But the way life goes, in a year who knows,
From the fam'ly he begat
You may wind up with one of, maybe the son of
That darn cat
The lyrics of Bobby Troup's "That Darn Cat" describe the adventures of a bold and mischievous feline who claims the city as his kingdom. The song paints a vivid picture of the cat's nightly escapades, as he prowls around the town, inspecting every nook and cranny, and charming any pretty female he comes across. The cat is portrayed as a smooth operator, a sly old codger, an artful dodger, and a ball of fire all rolled into one. He moves confidently and purposefully through the city, undaunted by any challenge, and unfazed by any danger. In short, he is the quintessential cool cat.
The song showcases the cat's exceptional skills as a tracker and explorer. He knows every trick in the book and can navigate even the most challenging terrain with ease. The lyrics also suggest that the cat is a bit of a ladies' man, using his charm and purring skills to woo the ladies. The song ends on a wistful note, speculating on the cat's future and the possibility that he may one day sire a son who is just as mischievous and daring as him.
Line by Line Meaning
While the city sleeps, ev'ry night he creeps
This cat prowls at night while everyone else is sleeping.
Just surveyin' his domain
The cat thinks he owns the city and surveys everything.
He roams around like he owns the town
This cat roams the city as if he is the king.
He's the King, he makes that plain
The cat knows he is royalty and wants everyone else to know it too.
He knows ev'ry trick, doesn't miss a lick
This cat is knowledgeable and does not make any mistakes.
When it comes to keepin' track
The cat knows how to track everything.
Some city slicker, no one is quicker than
The cat is faster and more clever than anyone else in town.
That darn cat
The cat is both amazing and frustrating.
Ev'ry nook and cranny and garbage canny
The cat searches every corner and garbage can in the city.
He inspects so thoroughly
The cat is very thorough and does not miss anything.
When he's on his rounds, nothin's out of bounds
The cat explores everything and nothing is off-limits.
To his curiosity
The cat is very curious and wants to know everything.
He can smile and purr at a pretty her
The cat can charm and impress anyone he wants.
Till she don't know where she's at
The cat can be so charming that people lose their senses.
Nose like a diner, oh, what a tiger is
The cat has a great sense of smell and is very strong and fierce like a tiger.
He's a sly old codger, an artful dodger
The cat is sneaky and cunning.
A scrounger unsurpassed
The cat is able to find anything he needs to survive.
A ball of fire, a nine live wire
The cat is very energetic and has many lives.
Who just can't be outclassed
The cat is unbeatable and cannot be beat by anyone else.
Yeah, this midnight rover, he lives in clover
The cat lives a carefree life and is always happy.
It's an art he's got down pat
The cat has mastered the art of living life to the fullest.
Never was a greater smooth operator than
The cat is very smooth and charming.
That um darn, that darn cat
The cat is both amazing and frustrating.
Now our cat's been paid ev'ry accolade
The cat has received all the praise he deserves.
And he's earned all his acclaim
The cat has earned all the respect he has received.
In a blaze of glory, he ends our story
The cat has lived an amazing life and ends his story in a very memorable way.
In the Feline Hall of Fame
The cat will be remembered forever and is now in the Feline Hall of Fame.
But the way life goes, in a year who knows,
Even with all his success, things can change quickly in life.
From the fam'ly he begat
The cat's family may not be as amazing as he is.
You may wind up with one of, maybe the son of
The cat's offspring may not live up to his legacy.
That darn cat
The cat is both amazing and frustrating.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: RICHARD M. SHERMAN, ROBERT B. SHERMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Josh Boisclairb
LOVE IT
andrew zaltman
❤❤❤love it
Valentina Garcia
Best song ever