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.

Come Closer to Me
Julie London Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Come closer to me so I can see
Heaven in your eyes
Come closer to me so I can be
Close to paradise thrill me with your kisses
Let me learn what bliss is
Kiss me once and then
We'll kiss and kiss again
And life will be divine

Come closer my dear so I can hear
Music in my heart
I've waited so long to hear
The song that your love will start
Darling I adore you
Live my life just for you all I ask is this
Please give me one more kiss
And whisper "you'll be mine"
Darling I adore you
Live my life just for you all I ask is this

Please give me one more kiss
And whisper "you'll be mine"

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Julie London's song "Come Closer to Me" evoke a sense of longing and desire for a deep connection with a loved one. The singer pleads for their partner to come closer, so they can see heaven in their eyes and be close to paradise. The mention of kisses represents the physical expression of love and passion, as well as a desire to experience the ultimate bliss. The repetition of the phrase "kiss me once and then we'll kiss and kiss again" emphasizes the intensity and infinite nature of their affection. By being close and intimate, the singer believes that life will become divine, suggesting that their love has the power to elevate and transform their existence.

As the song progresses, the singer continues to express their adoration and devotion for their partner. They long to hear the music in their own heart, which symbolizes the joy and happiness that their love brings. The wait for this love song to start indicates that the singer has been longing for this particular person and this particular connection for a long time. They declare that they adore their partner and are willing to live their life solely for them. All they ask for is one more kiss, which represents the ongoing need for intimacy and reassurance. The final line, "whisper 'you'll be mine'," reaffirms their desire for a committed and exclusive relationship with their beloved.

Line by Line Meaning

Come closer to me so I can see
Move nearer to me so that I can observe

Heaven in your eyes
The feeling of immense pleasure in your eyes

Come closer to me so I can be
Approach me closely to experience

Close to paradise thrill me with your kisses
Near to a state of perfect bliss, excite me with every touch of your lips

Let me learn what bliss is
Allow me to discover the true meaning of happiness

Kiss me once and then
Give me a single passionate kiss and then

We'll kiss and kiss again
We will continue to exchange kisses repeatedly

And life will be divine
And existence will be heavenly

Come closer my dear so I can hear
Draw nearer, my beloved, so that I can listen

Music in my heart
The melody that resonates within my heart

I've waited so long to hear
I have been patient for a considerable time to perceive