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.
Give Me The Simple Life
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why mess around with strife?
I never was cut out to step and strut out.
Give me the simple life.
Some find it pleasant dining on pheasant.
Those things roll off my knife,
Just serve me tomatoes, and mashed potatoes,
A cottage small is all I'm after,
Not one that's spacious and wide.
A house that rings with joy and laughter
And the ones you love inside.
Some like the high road, I like the low road,
Free from the care and strife.
Sounds corny and seedy, but yes, indeed-y,
Give me the simple life.
The lyrics to Julie London's song "Give Me The Simple Life" express a desire for a simple and uncomplicated life, free from the stresses and complications that can come with materialism and extravagance. London rejects the notion that one needs to accumulate wealth or flaunt status symbols to be happy, emphasizing that she prefers a simple meal of tomatoes and mashed potatoes to a fancy dish like pheasant. She also extols the virtues of a modest home filled with love and laughter, rather than a grand mansion that may feel empty or impersonal.
Through her lyrics, London champions the low road over the high road, indicating that she prefers a life that is free from concerns about what others think or social pressures to conform to certain expectations. She suggests that while some may view her preferences as corny or seedy, she is content with her simple life and the peace and contentment it brings her.
Overall, "Give Me The Simple Life" is a song that celebrates the beauty of simplicity and the joys of living in a modest, contented way. It encourages listeners to find happiness in the simple pleasures of life and to reject the notion that success is only measured by material wealth or status symbols.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't believe in frettin' and grievin',
I don't see the point in worrying and being sad all the time
Why mess around with strife?
Why bother with conflict and disagreements?
I never was cut out to step and strut out.
I'm not the type to show off or be flashy
Give me the simple life.
I just want to live a peaceful, uncomplicated life
Some find it pleasant dining on pheasant.
Some people enjoy fancy, exotic foods
Those things roll off my knife,
But I don't need that kind of luxury or extravagance
Just serve me tomatoes, and mashed potatoes,
Simple, everyday foods are all I need to be happy
Give me the simple life.
I'm content with a modest, uncomplicated lifestyle
A cottage small is all I'm after,
I don't need a big, fancy house
Not one that's spacious and wide.
All I need is a cozy, comfortable space
A house that rings with joy and laughter
As long as my home is filled with love and happiness, that's all that matters
And the ones you love inside.
Family and close friends are what make a house a home
Some like the high road, I like the low road,
Some people prefer the glamorous, exciting path, but I prefer a simpler, quieter one
Free from the care and strife.
I want a life without stress, worries, or conflict
Sounds corny and seedy, but yes, indeed-y,
Some people may think I'm cheesy or unsophisticated, but that's okay with me
Give me the simple life.
I'm happy with a modest, peaceful lifestyle
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HARRY RUBY, RUBE BLOOM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind