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.
These Foolish Things
Bobby Troup Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh! Will you never set me free?
The ties that bound us
Are still around us
There's no escape that I can see
And still those little things remain
That bring me happiness or pain
An airline ticket to romantic places
And still my heart has wings
These foolish things remind me of you
A tinkling piano in the next apartment
Those stumbling words that told you what my heart meant
A fair ground's painted swings
These foolish things remind me of you
You came you saw you conquer'd me
When you did that to me
I knew somehow this had to be
The winds of March that make my heart a dancer
A telephone that rings but who's to answer?
Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
These foolish things remind me of you
First daffodils and long excited cables
And candle lights on little corner tables
And still my heart has wings
These foolish things remind me of you
The park at evening when the bell has sounded
The "Ile de France" with all the gulls around it
The beauty that is Spring's
These foolish things remind me of you
How strange how sweet to find you still
These things are dear to me
They seem to bring you near to me
The sigh of midnight trains in empty stations
Silk stockings thrown aside dance invitations
Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
These foolish things remind me of you
Gardenia perfume ling'ring on a pillow
Wild strawb'ries only seven francs a kilo
And still my heart has wings
These foolish things remind me of you
The smile of Garbo and the scent of roses
The waiters whistling as the last bar closes
The song that Crosby sings
These foolish things remind me of you
How strange how sweet to find you still
These things are dear to me
They seem to bring you near to me
The scent of smould'ring leaves, the wail of steamers
Two lovers on the street who walk like dreamers
Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
These foolish things remind me of you
These lyrics describe the difficulty the singer has in forgetting their past love. Although they may have tried to move on and let go, they are still haunted by reminders of their past relationship in everyday moments, such as the traces of lipstick on a cigarette or the sound of a piano playing in the next apartment. These small things bring both happiness and pain, but ultimately they serve as a reminder of the person they once loved. The singer acknowledges the strange sweetness of realizing that they still hold onto these things and how it brings them closer to their former partner. The final verse describes a variety of different sensory experiences that all remind the singer of their lost love, from the scent of gardenia perfume to the sound of a distant train.
Overall, the song captures the bittersweet memories of a past relationship and the challenge in moving on. It is a testament to the power our senses have to conjure memories and feelings, and how even the smallest things can hold great significance.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh! Will you never let me be?
I'm asking if you'll give me a break and stop haunting me with memories of our relationship.
Oh! Will you never set me free?
I'm desperate to move on from this relationship, but I can't seem to escape the memories of you.
The ties that bound us
The emotional connection and memories we shared are still holding me back.
Are still around us
They're still present in my mind and heart.
There's no escape that I can see
I don't know how to rid myself of these memories and move on.
And still those little things remain
Even the smallest things remind me of you and our past.
That bring me happiness or pain
The memories of our relationship can bring both joy and sorrow.
A cigarette that bears a lipstick's traces
Even seeing a cigarette with traces of lipstick on it reminds me of you and our intimate moments.
An airline ticket to romantic places
The thought of traveling with you to romantic destinations still lingers in my mind.
And still my heart has wings
Despite my efforts to forget you, my heart is still hopeful and longing for our past romance.
These foolish things remind me of you
Every little thing that reminds me of you seems silly and trivial, but they still hold a lot of emotional weight for me.
A tinkling piano in the next apartment
Hearing a piano playing next door reminds me of the music we shared and the intimate moments we had together.
Those stumbling words that told you what my heart meant
I still remember the words I used to express my love for you, even though they may have been awkward or stumbling.
A fairground's painted swings
The image of painted swings at a fairground reminds me of the playful, carefree moments we shared.
You came you saw you conquer'd me
You had me under your spell from the moment we met and I was powerless to resist your charms.
When you did that to me
When you captured my heart and soul, it was a moment of both joy and sadness.
I knew somehow this had to be
Despite the emotional turmoil I knew would come from our relationship, I couldn't help but fall for you.
The winds of March that make my heart a dancer
Even the wind in March, which should be ordinary, makes me feel alive and hopeful, as if I'm dancing with you.
A telephone that rings but who's to answer?
Every time the phone rings, I hope it's you on the other end, but I know deep down it probably won't be.
The park at evening when the bell has sounded
The sound of the bell in the park at night reminds me of walking with you during similar moments.
The "Ile de France" with all the gulls around it
The sight of the ship 'Ile de France' with all the seagulls gathered around it reminds me of a romantic day we spent together.
The beauty that is Spring's
The beauty of Spring reminds me of the beauty of our relationship and the hope for new beginnings.
How strange how sweet to find you still
It's strange how every little thing reminds me of you, but it's also sweet and comforting to feel your presence in everything around me.
These things are dear to me
Even though they might seem trivial to others, these memories are incredibly valuable and special to me.
They seem to bring you near to me
Every time I encounter a memory of you, it's as if you're right beside me once again.
The sigh of midnight trains in empty stations
The sound of a train in the middle of the night reminds me of lonely moments we shared, even though they were together.
Silk stockings thrown aside dance invitations
The sight of silk stockings thrown aside reminds me of passionate moments we shared and the invitation for more.
Gardenia perfume ling'ring on a pillow
Even the scent of gardenia perfume lingering on a pillow brings back memories of our intimate moments together.
Wild strawb'ries only seven francs a kilo
The image of wild strawberries for only seven francs reminds me of a sweet moment we shared together in the past.
The smile of Garbo and the scent of roses
The sight of Garbo's smile reminds me of your beautiful smile, and the scent of roses reminds me of our first date.
The waiters whistling as the last bar closes
The sound of whistling waiters at the end of the night reminds me of late nights we shared together.
The song that Crosby sings
Hearing Bing Crosby sing a song reminds me of times we shared listening to music together.
The scent of smould'ring leaves, the wail of steamers
Even the smallest sounds, like the scent of smouldering leaves or the sound of a steamer, can trigger memories of our relationship.
Two lovers on the street who walk like dreamers
The sight of two lovers walking on the street is a reminder of what we once had and the dreams we shared together.
Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
The memory of you is haunting me and I can't seem to escape it.
These foolish things remind me of you
No matter how small or insignificant they might seem, everything around me reminds me of you and our past relationship.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Harry Link, Holt Marvell, Jack Strachey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind