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.
How Come You Do Me Like You Do
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How come you do me like you do?
Why do you try to make me feel so blue?
I've done nothing to you.
Do me right or else just let me be.
'Cause I can beat you doing what you're doing to me.
How come you do me like you do do do?
How come you do me like you do?
Julie London's "How Come You Do Me Like You Do" is a soulful plea from a woman who is tired of being mistreated by her partner. The repetition of "do do do" in the opening line implies the singer's confusion and inability to understand why her lover treats her poorly. She questions why he tries to make her feel sad when she has done nothing wrong. This indicates that the singer is innocent and doesn't deserve the harsh treatment she is receiving from her partner.
The phrase, "Do me right or else just let me be," is a reflection of the singer's power struggle with her partner. She is demanding that he treats her with respect, and if he can't, then she would rather be alone. The line, "Cause I can beat you doing what you're doing to me," shows that the singer is aware that her partner's actions are hurtful, and she is ready to take control of the situation.
Overall, "How Come You Do Me Like You Do" portrays a woman's vulnerability and desire for love and respect from her partner. The repetitiveness of the lyrics and the slow, soulful melody reflect the singer's desperation for answers.
Line by Line Meaning
How come you do me like you do do do?
Why do you treat me in such a negative way?
How come you do me like you do?
Why do you behave in such an unkind manner towards me?
Why do you try to make me feel so blue?
What motivates you to intentionally cause me such emotional distress?
I've done nothing to you.
I have not provoked or caused any harm to you, so why do you treat me badly?
Do me right or else just let me be.
Either treat me properly or leave me alone.
'Cause I can beat you doing what you're doing to me.
I am capable of retaliating against your hurtful actions if necessary.
How come you do me like you do do do?
Once again, why do you insist on treating me poorly?
How come you do me like you do?
Why do you behave in such a hurtful manner towards me?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GENE AUSTIN, ROY BERGERE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind