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 See You In My Dreams
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And then I'll hold you in my dreams
Someone took you right out of my arms
Still I feel the thrill of your charms
Lips that once were mine
Tender eyes that shine
They will light my way tonight
I'll see you in my dreams
Yes I will... See you in my dreams
You know i'll... Hold you in my dreams
I know that... Someone took you right out of my arms
But... Still I feel the thrill of your charms
I dream of... Lips that once were mine
And those... Tender eyes that shine
I know... They'll light my way tonight
When i... See you in my dreams
Yes they will... Light my way tonight
Because i'll... See you in my d
The lyrics of Julie London's "I'll See You in My Dreams" describe a sense of longing and nostalgia for a lost love. Despite the fact that someone has taken the object of the singer's affection away from them, the singer still feels the power of their charms and longs for their presence. The opening line "I'll see you in my dreams" sets the tone for the song, highlighting the idea that while the singer may not be able to physically be with their loved one, they can still conjure their image in their mind and feel their presence in their dreams.
The second line "And then I'll hold you in my dreams" takes this idea even further, suggesting that in the singer's dreams they are able to be reunited with their loved one and hold them once again. The nostalgic tone continues with the lines "lips that once were mine" and "tender eyes that shine", hinting at a past relationship and the powerful memories that linger. The final verse "They will light my way tonight/I'll see you in my dreams" reinforces the idea that even in the darkness of the night, the singer can find comfort and solace in their dreams of their lost love.
Overall, the lyrics of "I'll See You in My Dreams" evoke a strong sense of longing and lost love, emphasizing the power of memories and the role that dreams can play in helping us to hold on to those we have loved and lost.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll see you in my dreams
The singer longs to see their loved one again, even if only in their dreams
And then I'll hold you in my dreams
The singer imagines embracing their beloved in their dreams, giving them a sense of comfort
Someone took you right out of my arms
The singer has lost their loved one to another person, presumably a romantic rival or someone who separated them
Still I feel the thrill of your charms
Despite losing their loved one, the singer still feels the strong attraction and passion they once shared
Lips that once were mine
The singer reminisces about the intimate moments they shared with their beloved, particularly kissing
Tender eyes that shine
The singer remembers the gentle and loving gaze of their beloved, and how it made them feel special and important
They will light my way tonight
The singer believes that the memory of their beloved will guide them through their loneliness and darkness
I'll see you in my dreams
The singer repeats their desire to see their loved one again in their dreams
Yes I will... See you in my dreams
The singer emphasizes their determination to keep their love alive in their dreams, even though they cannot be together in reality
You know i'll... Hold you in my dreams
The singer reassures their beloved that they will always cherish their love in their dreams, providing a sense of comfort and security
I know that... Someone took you right out of my arms
The singer acknowledges the painful truth that their beloved is no longer with them, taken away by another person
But... Still I feel the thrill of your charms
Despite their heartache, the singer still feels the magnetic pull and allure of their beloved
I dream of... Lips that once were mine
The singer reveals their deepest desires and fantasies of being reunited with their beloved, particularly kissing and intimacy
And those... Tender eyes that shine
The singer vividly remembers and imagines the beautiful and loving gaze of their beloved, reinforcing their desperate longing for them
I know... They'll light my way tonight
The singer remains optimistic that the memory of their beloved will provide guidance and comfort during their lonely nights
When i... See you in my dreams
The singer reminds themselves that they will see their beloved in their dreams, providing a source of hope and comfort
Yes they will... Light my way tonight
The singer reaffirms their belief that the memory of their beloved will give them strength and comfort during their loneliness
Because i'll... See you in my dreams
The singer asserts that they will continue to hold on to the hope and love they shared with their beloved in their dreams, providing a sense of comfort and warmth
Writer(s): Unknown
Contributed by Jayce A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.