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.
Diamonds Are A Girl
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They delight in fighting duels
But I prefer a man who lives
And gives expensive jewels
A kiss on the hand may be quite continental
But diamonds are a girls best friend.
A kiss may be grand but it won't pay the rental
On your humble flat
Men grow cold as girls grow old
And we all lose our charms in the end.
But square-cut or pear-shaped
Those rocks don't lose their shape.
Diamonds are a girls best friend.
There may come a time when a lass needs a lawyer
But diamonds are a girls best friend.
There may come a time when a hard-boiled employer
Thinks you're awful nice
But get that ice or else no dice.
He's your guy when stocks are high
But beware when they start to descend.
Its then that those louses
Go back to their spouses.
Diamonds are a girls best friend.
The song, Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend, by Julie London, is a classic example of a woman's preference for the high life. It talks about love, money, and expensive jewels, and highlights the importance of possessing material things over romantic ideals. In the first verse of the song, the singer points out that while the French are known for their romantic and chivalrous tendencies, she would rather have a man who can buy her expensive jewelry. She implies that only these expensive jewelry pieces are worth the attention of a woman.
The second verse emphasizes the importance of these expensive jewels and the transience of relationships. The singer explains that while a kiss may be romantic, it won't help pay for rent or other bills. She points out that men grow cold as women grow old, and beauty eventually fades away - this is where expensive diamonds come in as they can last forever. Moreover, she emphasizes how a woman needs to rely on herself and her expensive jewels as a need may arise in the future, and there's no one who can help.
Overall, the song shows how materialistic possessions hold more importance than love and emotions.
Interesting Facts about "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend"
Line by Line Meaning
The French are glad to die for love
French people are willing to sacrifice their lives for love
They delight in fighting duels
Fighting duels brings them pleasure
But I prefer a man who lives
I prefer a man who is alive
And gives expensive jewels
And gives me expensive jewelry
A kiss on the hand may be quite continental
A kiss on hand can be romantic and charming
But diamonds are a girls best friend.
But diamonds are more valuable to women than romantic gestures
A kiss may be grand but it won't pay the rental
A kiss may feel great, but it won't help pay the rent
On your humble flat
On your small and modest apartment
Or help you at the automat.
Or provide for you at a vending machine restaurant
Men grow cold as girls grow old
Men can become emotionally distant as women age
And we all lose our charms in the end.
And eventually, we all lose our physical attractiveness
But square-cut or pear-shaped
But whether they're a square or pear shape
Those rocks don't lose their shape.
Diamonds retain their shape and value
Diamonds are a girls best friend.
Diamonds remain one of the most valuable possessions for women
There may come a time when a lass needs a lawyer
There may come a time when a woman needs a lawyer
But diamonds are a girls best friend.
But diamonds can be the solution to her problems
There may come a time when a hard-boiled employer
There may come a time when a tough employer
Thinks you're awful nice
Thinks you're a good employee
But get that ice or else no dice.
But you'll need to have diamonds to proceed further
He's your guy when stocks are high
He's loyal and dependable when everything is going well
But beware when they start to descend.
But be cautious when stocks begin to decline
Its then that those louses
It's then that those disloyal men
Go back to their spouses.
Go back to their wives or girlfriends
Diamonds are a girls best friend.
Diamonds can be the key to financial security and independence for women
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Jule Styne, Leo Robin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind