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.
It's Nice to Be With You
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Showing me the sun
And now it's shining through
It's nice to be with you
Hey, I like the things you say
And I like the way you do the things you do
It's nice to be with you
Each time that I give my heart to someone new
They just turn it blue
But this time is my time
And my time is all the time I have
To be with you
Please, never go away
Say you're going to stay
And make my dreams come true
It's nice to be with you
Please, never go away
Say you're going to stay
And make my dreams come true
It's so nice to be with you
The lyrics of Julie London's song "It's Nice to Be With You" express a sense of gratitude and joy for the presence of someone special in the singer's life. The opening lines, "Hey, look what you have done / Showing me the sun / And now it's shining through / It's nice to be with you," convey how this person has brought light and happiness into the singer's world. The metaphor of the sun represents the warmth and positivity that this person has brought into the singer's life.
The next lines, "Hey, I like the things you say / And I like the way you do the things you do / It's nice to be with you," emphasize the admiration the singer has for this person's words and actions. The singer finds their company enjoyable and appreciates their personality and character. It's evident that being with this person brings a sense of comfort and contentment.
The following verses capture the singer's past experiences of heartbreak, where previous romantic partners have left them feeling blue. However, now they believe that this time is different, and they feel that being with this particular person is their chance at lasting happiness. They express their desire for this person to stay, saying, "Please, never go away / Say you're going to stay / And make my dreams come true / It's nice to be with you." The singer craves a future where their dreams are fulfilled through the presence and love of this person.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, look what you have done
Hey, I am amazed by the positive impact you have had on my life.
Showing me the sun
You have opened my eyes to the beauty and brightness of life.
And now it's shining through
As a result of your presence, happiness and positivity have entered my life.
It's nice to be with you
Being in your company brings me joy and contentment.
Hey, I like the things you say
I admire and enjoy the words you speak.
And I like the way you do the things you do
I appreciate your actions and the way you carry yourself.
It's nice to be with you
Being in your company continues to bring me joy and contentment.
Each time that I give my heart to someone new
In the past, whenever I opened myself up to love someone, I ended up heartbroken.
They just turn it blue
They would cause me immense sadness and despair.
But this time is my time
However, this time it is different.
And my time is all the time I have
I realize that the present moment is all I truly possess.
To be with you
I want to spend my time with you, enjoying your company and love.
Please, never go away
I sincerely hope that you will always be by my side.
Say you're going to stay
Please assure me that you have no intention of leaving.
And make my dreams come true
I believe that being with you will fulfill my deepest desires and aspirations.
It's nice to be with you
Being in your company always brings me joy and contentment.
Please, never go away
Once again, I sincerely hope that you will always be by my side.
Say you're going to stay
Please continue to assure me of your enduring presence.
And make my dreams come true
I believe that with your love and support, my dreams will become a reality.
It's so nice to be with you
Being in your company brings me immense happiness and fulfillment.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JERRY GOLDSTEIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind