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.
I'll Be Seeing You
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That this heart of mine embraces all day through
In that small cafe, the park across the way
The children's carousel, the chestnut trees, the wishing well
I'll be seeing you in every lovely summer's day
In everything that's light and gay
I'll always think of you that way
And when the night is new
I'll be looking at the moon
But I'll be seeing you
I'll find you in the morning sun
And when the night is new
I'll be looking at the moon
But I'll be seeing you
Julie London's song "I'll Be Seeing You" is a romantic classic that depicts the deep sense of longing and nostalgia for a lover who is not present. The song paints a vivid picture of the places, memories, and elements that remind the singer of their lover, capturing the essence of the timeless power of love.
The first line of the song, "I'll be seeing you in all the old familiar places," sets the tone for the rest of the song, conveying a sense of familiarity and longing. The singer indicates that they will be reminded of their lover everywhere they go, including the small cafe, park, children's carousel, chestnut trees, and wishing well.
The second verse of the song evokes the memory of lovely summer days, everything that's light, and gay, indicating that even in moments of happiness and joy, the singer's thoughts are consumed by their lover. The chorus then repeats the lines, "I'll find you in the morning' sun and when the night is new, I'll be looking at the moon, but I'll be seeing you," emphasizing the strength of the singer's longing and their inability to escape the constant presence of their lover's memory.
Overall, Julie London's "I'll Be Seeing You" is an evocative portrayal of the power of love to transcend time and place, carrying the singer's thoughts of their lover with them always.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll be seeing you in all the old familiar places
I expect to see you in all the places that remind me of you
That this heart of mine embraces all day through
These places are special to me and my heart cherishes them all day long
In that small cafe, the park across the way
I will see you in that cozy cafe, and also in the park nearby
The children's carousel, the chestnut trees, the wishing well
The joyful carousel, the beautiful chestnut trees, and the wishing well will also remind me of you
I'll be seeing you in every lovely summer's day
Every summer day will remind me of you
In everything that's light and gay
All the happy and cheerful things in life will bring thoughts of you to my mind
I'll always think of you that way
You will always be associated with positive memories and emotions in my mind
I'll find you in the morning' sun
I will feel your presence in the warmth and light of the morning sun
And when the night is new
At the start of a new night
I'll be looking at the moon
I will look at the moon in the sky
But I'll be seeing you
But my thoughts will be of you
I'll find you in the morning sun
Once again, I will feel your presence in the warmth and light of the morning sun
And when the night is new
Once again, at the start of a new night
I'll be looking at the moon
I will look up at the moon in the sky
But I'll be seeing you
But my thoughts will be focused on you
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: IRVING KAHAL, SAMMY FAIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind