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 Love You Porgy
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't let him handle me and drive me mad
If you can keep me i want to stay here
With you forever and I'll be glad
I love you, Porgy don't let him take me
Don't let him handle me with his hot hands
If you can keep me i want to stay here
With you forever i've got my man
He's gonna handle me and hold me so
It's going to be like dying, Porgy
When he calls me but when he comes, I know
I'll have to go i love you, Porgy
Don't let him take me
Don't let him handle me and drive me mad
If you can keep me i want to stay here
With you forever i've got my man
The lyrics of Julie London's song "I Love You Porgy" convey a complex emotional struggle. The singer expresses her love and devotion to Porgy while also expressing her fear of another man who wants to possess and control her. She pleads with Porgy not to let this other man take her or handle her, as he drives her mad. She longs to stay with Porgy forever and finds solace in his presence. However, she acknowledges that someday the other man will come back for her, and when he does, she will have no choice but to go with him.
These lyrics depict a love triangle and highlight themes of love, possession, and longing. The singer's love for Porgy is evident in her repeated declarations and her desire to stay with him forever. However, her fear of the other man and the inevitability of his return create a sense of uncertainty and impending heartbreak. The juxtaposition of love and fear reflects the complex emotions often experienced in relationships.
Overall, "I Love You Porgy" captures the conflicting emotions of love and fear, the desire for companionship, and the inevitability of difficult choices in relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
I love you, Porgy don't let him take me
My affection for you, Porgy, is so strong that I implore you not to allow another person to separate us.
Don't let him handle me and drive me mad
Protect me from his touch and the madness it may bring upon me.
If you can keep me i want to stay here
If you are able to ensure my safety and happiness, I desire to remain by your side.
With you forever and I'll be glad
Being with you eternally is what brings me joy and contentment.
I love you, Porgy don't let him take me
Once again, I declare my love for you, Porgy, and beseech you to prevent anyone from separating us.
Don't let him handle me with his hot hands
Shield me from his touch, which exudes passion and may lead to peril.
If you can keep me i want to stay here
Should you be capable of protecting me, I desire to remain in this place with you.
With you forever i've got my man
By committing to stay with you forever, I have found my true companion and partner.
Someday I know he's coming back to call me
I am certain that one day he will return to make his presence known and summon me.
He's gonna handle me and hold me so
He will take control of me and embrace me tightly.
It's going to be like dying, Porgy
The intensity of his return will be overwhelmingly emotional, akin to experiencing death, my dear Porgy.
When he calls me but when he comes, I know
Although he will beckon me, I am aware that, ultimately, I will be compelled to leave.
I'll have to go i love you, Porgy
I will have no choice but to depart, despite my love for you, Porgy.
Don't let him take me
Once more, I implore you to prevent him from seizing me.
Don't let him handle me and drive me mad
Protect me from his touch, which has the potential to overwhelm my sanity.
If you can keep me i want to stay here
If you can provide me with security, I long to remain in this place.
With you forever i've got my man
By committing to be with you eternally, I have found my ideal partner.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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