Julie London (née Peck; September 26,1926 — October 18, 2000) was an Ameri… Read Full Bio ↴Julie London (née Peck; September 26,1926 — October 18, 2000) was an American jazz and pop singer and actress. She was noted for her smoky, sensual voice and languid demeanor. She released 32 albums of pop and jazz standards during the 1950s and 1960s, with her signature song being the classic "Cry Me a River," which she introduced in 1955.

London's 35-year acting career began in films in 1944 and included playing opposite Gary Cooper in Man of the West (1958) and Robert Mitchum in The Wonderful Country (1959). She achieved continuing success in the TV medical drama Emergency! (1972–1979), co-starring her real-life husband, Bobby Troup, and produced by her ex-husband, Jack Webb, in which London played the female lead role of nurse Dixie McCall. She and Randolph Mantooth, who played one-half of her medical students, a paramedic, in the series, were very close to her family, until her death in 2000.

Born in Santa Rosa, California, she was the daughter of Jack and Josephine Peck, who were a vaudeville song-and-dance team. When she was fourteen the family moved to Los Angeles. Shortly after that, she began appearing in movies. She graduated from the Hollywood Professional High School in 1945.

London began singing under the name Gayle Peck in public in her teens before appearing in a film. She was discovered by talent agent Sue Carol (wife of actor Alan Ladd), while working as an elevator operator. Her early film career, however, did not include any singing roles.
London recorded 32 albums in a career that began in 1955 with a live performance at the 881 Club in Los Angeles. Billboard named her the most popular female vocalist for 1955, 1956, and 1957. She was the subject of a 1957 Life cover article in which she was quoted as saying, "It's only a thimbleful of a voice, and I have to use it close to the microphone. But it is a kind of oversmoked voice, and it automatically sounds intimate."
London's debut recordings were for the Bethlehem Records label. While shopping for a record deal, she recorded four tracks that would later be included on the compilation album Bethlehem's Girlfriends in 1955. Bobby Troup backed London on the album, for which London recorded the standards "Don't Worry About Me", "Motherless Child", "A Foggy Day", and "You're Blasé".
London's most famous single, "Cry Me a River", was written by her high-school classmate Arthur Hamilton and produced by Troup. The recording became a million-seller after its release in December 1955 and also sold on reissue in April 1983 from the attention brought by a Mari Wilson cover. London performed the song in the film The Girl Can't Help It (1956), and her recording gained later attention in the films Passion of Mind (2000) and V for Vendetta (2006). The song "Yummy Yummy Yummy" was featured on the HBO television series Six Feet Under and appears on its soundtrack album. London's "Must Be Catchin'" was featured in the 2011 premiere episode of the ABC series Pan Am. Her last recording was "My Funny Valentine" for the soundtrack of the Burt Reynolds film Sharky's Machine (1981).
Other popular singles include "Hot Toddy", "Daddy", and "Desafinado". Recordings such as "Go Slow" epitomized her career style: her voice is slow, smoky, and playfully sensual.

She was married to Jack Webb, of Dragnet fame. Her obvious beauty and self-poise (she was a pinup girl prized by GIs during World War II) contrasted with his pedestrian appearance and stiff-as-a-board acting technique (much parodied by impersonators). This unlikely pairing arose from his and her love for jazz; their marriage lasted from July 1947 to November 1953. They had two daughters, one who was killed in a traffic accident in the 1990s and one who survived London. In 1954, having become somewhat reclusive after her divorce from Jack Webb, she met jazz composer and musician Bobby Troup at a club on La Brea Blvd. They married on December 31, 1959 and remained married until Troup's death in February 1999. Together, they had one daughter and twin sons.

London suffered a stroke in 1995, and was in poor health until her death in Encino, California, at the age of seventy-four, survived by four of her five children. She died on18th October 2000, and was buried in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles.

All the Way
Julie London Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When somebody loves you
It's no good unless he loves you, all the way
Happy to be near you
When you need someone to cheer you, all the way

Taller than the tallest tree is
That's how it's got to feel
Deeper than the deep blue see is

That's how deep it goes, if its real

When somebody needs you
It's no good unless he needs you, all the way
Through the good or lean years
And for all the in between years, come what may

Who know where the road will lead us
Only a fool would say
But if you'll let me love you

It's for sure I'm gonna love you, all the way
All the way

Overall Meaning

The song "All the Way" by Julie London speaks about the depth of love that someone can give and receive. The first verse speaks about how when someone loves you, it is not enough if they only love you partially, it needs to be all the way. The enjoyment of proximity to the person one loves is heightened when they are always there to offer support and encouragement. The second verse tries to depict the depth of the love as something that should be more profound than the tallest tree and wider than the deepest sea. When somebody truly loves you it shows, and it’s deeper than just words, only actions can tell.

The chorus reiterates that when someone needs you, it can't be partial or conditional, it should be all-encompassing, enduring and not based on their preferences or circumstances. The line "Through the good or lean years, and for all the in-between years, come what may" speaks of the commitment one is making despite the ups and downs of life. The third verse acknowledges that there is no telling how the future will unfold, but if the person is willing to let the other love them, then it's a surety that the love will be given all the way.

In conclusion, the underlying message of "All the Way" is that true love is about being there for someone wholeheartedly, through good and bad times, with no limits and no selfish motives. The song champions an all-encompassing kind of love that goes beyond lust and passion, a love that is unconditional and sacrifice-driven.

Line by Line Meaning

When somebody loves you
If someone truly loves you

It's no good unless he loves you, all the way
it's not enough if they only love you partially; they must love you completely and unconditionally.

Happy to be near you
Being near you brings me happiness

When you need someone to cheer you, all the way
I'll be there for you whenever you need someone to make you feel better

Taller than the tallest tree is
The intensity of this love is immense

That's how it's got to feel
This is how true love should feel

Deeper than the deep blue see is
The depth of my love is unfathomable

That's how deep it goes, if its real
This is how profound love is if it's genuine

When somebody needs you
When someone truly needs you

It's no good unless he needs you, all the way
It's not enough if they only need you partially; they must need you completely and unconditionally.

Through the good or lean years
Throughout the happy or difficult times