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.
Body and Soul
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Carrying the one that I love
Her beautiful body is still here on earth,
But her soul has been called up above
Body and soul, body and soul,
That's how she loved me, with body and soul
Her eyes were as blue as the sea,
Her lips were the color of summer's red rose,
And she promised she would always love me
Tomorrow as the sun sinks low
The shadows will cover her face
As her last sun goes down, she's laid beneath the ground
And my teardrops are falling like rain
The song "Body and Soul" by Julie London is a classic love ballad that explores the themes of love, loss, and the afterlife. In the opening verse, the singer sees a train coming, carrying the one that she loves. She then reveals that the person's body is still on earth, but their soul has been called up above, implying that they have passed away. The chorus repeats the phrase "body and soul" which references the profound connection between two people, not only physically, but also emotionally and spiritually.
The second verse describes the physical appearance of the person the singer loved, with her beautiful hair and blue eyes. The person also promised to always love the singer, indicating a deep and meaningful relationship. The final verse is a poignant reflection on the passing of time, with the shadows covering the person's face as the sun goes down. The person is then laid beneath the ground, and the singer's tears fall like rain, emphasizing the deep sadness and sorrow of losing a loved one.
Overall, "Body and Soul" is a powerful expression of love and loss, and the enduring nature of the soul beyond the physical body. The song's haunting melody and emotional lyrics have made it a timeless classic, inspiring countless artists over the years.
Line by Line Meaning
See that train coming round the bend,
I see that train coming which will bring the one that I love.
Carrying the one that I love
The train is carrying the person that I love dearly.
Her beautiful body is still here on earth,
The physical body of my love is still present on this world.
But her soul has been called up above
However, her soul has passed away and ascended into the afterlife.
Body and soul, body and soul,
My love loved me with her entire physical and emotional being.
That's how she loved me, with body and soul
My love expressed her love for me with everything that she had.
Her beautiful hair was the purest of gold,
My love's hair was a beautiful shade of gold, pure and bright.
Her eyes were as blue as the sea,
The color of my love's eyes were reminiscent of the vast ocean.
Her lips were the color of summer's red rose,
The color of my love's lips were as bright and vibrant as a red rose in summer's prime.
And she promised she would always love me
My love pledged to always love me, no matter what.
Tomorrow as the sun sinks low
As the sun sets low on the horizon tomorrow,
The shadows will cover her face
The shadows will obscure the face of my love as the sun goes down.
As her last sun goes down, she's laid beneath the ground
As the sun sets one last time for my love, her body is buried beneath the earth.
And my teardrops are falling like rain
I am crying uncontrollably, my tears falling like a rainstorm.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Paul Michael Barry, Phil Simpson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind