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 Could Happen to You
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lock your dreams at night,
It could happen to you.
Don't count stars
Or you might stumble,
Someone drops a sigh
And down you tumble,
Keep an eye on spring,
It could happen to you
All I did was wonder
How your arms would be
And it happened to me
All I did was wonder
How your arms would be
And it happened to me
The lyrics of Julie London's song "It Could Happen to You" are a lyricist's ode to the unpredictable, yet tantalizing nature of love. The song's opening lines, "Hide your heart from sight, lock your dreams at night" imply a caution, urging the listener to be wary or close-off their desires. The next line, "It could happen to you" is an acknowledgement that love often comes when one least expects it. The next few lines are a continuation of the warning that life is unpredictable, urging the listener not to count their stars or get too complacent, as they may stumble when someone drops a sigh.
The second verse takes a more optimistic turn, suggesting that one should keep an eye on spring and run when church bells ring, implying that opportunities should be seized and embraced when they come. The final lines of the song, "All I did was wonder how your arms would be, and it happened to me" are a personal reflection, perhaps recalling how the singer herself was unprepared for love but found herself succumbing to its charms nonetheless. Overall, the lyrics of "It Could Happen to You" suggest that while love may be unpredictable and yield unexpected twists and turns, it is a force that should be celebrated and embraced.
Line by Line Meaning
Hide your heart from sight
Conceal your emotions and feelings to avoid heartbreak
Lock your dreams at night
Keep your aspirations and desires secret to protect them
It could happen to you
Unfortunate events could happen to anyone, including you
Don't count stars
Do not indulge in wishful thinking that may lead to disappointment
Or you might stumble
Having unrealistic expectations may result in failure
Someone drops a sigh
Others could influence your emotions and actions
And down you tumble
Following others' emotions and actions could lead to negative consequences
Keep an eye on spring
Be alert for new beginnings and opportunities
Run when church bells ring
Make the most of every opportunity, even if it requires taking risks
All I did was wonder
I simply had a moment of curiosity or interest
How your arms would be
What it would feel like to be embraced by you
And it happened to me
I unexpectedly fell in love with you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES VAN HEUSEN, JOHNNY BURKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
mid-century pop
《Let me translate the words of this song into Japanese…》
♪以下はこの曲の拙訳になりますー鑑賞の際の参考になれば幸いです。。。
その胸のうちを悟られないようにね！夜見る夢の中身は秘密にしときなさい！(でなきゃ)それって貴方にも起きちゃうかもよ
星を数えてちゃダメ！ーでないとつまづいちゃうわよ 誰かのため息を聞いて 貴方はひっくり返るの
“春” にはじゅうぶん用心して！教会の鐘が鳴ったら走りなさい！(でなきゃ)それって貴方にも起きちゃうかもよ
ただあたしが思ってたのは貴方の腕のなかってどんなだろうなってことだけーそしてそれは現実になったの…
♪1944年の映画『そして天使は歌う』に使われたバーク=ヴァン・ヒューゼン コンビの代表曲の1つだが、ワケのわからない歌詞がつけられたスタンダードの代表格でもある…ただ個人的にはひょっとしたらそれこそが作詞の Johnny Burke の狙いだったのでは？とも思うーとかなんとか第一稿には書かせて貰ったわけだが、お読みになって頂いた方には陳謝せずばなるまい…というのもその後 ”JazzStandards.com” というアチラのサイトでこの曲の歌詞に関する記述を見つけたのだが、それによるとリリックの大半を占める命令文の数々は、恋の誘惑にすぐ負けちゃいそうになる意志の弱い友人(？)への警告というか戒めの言葉だと記されていたのだ(ちなみに ”It could happen to you” の ’it’ は ’love’ を指すとのこと)！！そういやもともと使われてた映画って、イケメンのバンド・リーダーを姉妹ヴォーカル・グループのメンバーたちが取り合うハナシじゃなかったっけ？三連目の「春には気をつけて」という件は、春は恋したくなる季節だからー的な理由だろうと思うが、「教会の鐘が鳴ったら～」という件は一体何なのだろう？？とまれそんな風に相手にアドバイスする一方で、そのラストには「あたしはずっと貴方の腕のなかってどんなだろう？と思ってたけど、それはあたしに起こったの(= 貴方の抱擁を知ることができたの)」とさりげなく愛の告白をしているーつまり彼女が言わんとしていることは「恋なんかしちゃダメよーあたし以外の女性とはね」みたいなことなのだろう…ただここで問題になってくるのは、なんでつき合ってもいない彼女が「彼の腕のなかがどんなか」を知ることが出来たのか？という点だが、これはおそらくダンスで躯を寄せあってーというようなことなのかも知れない。
♪じつは件の映画のほうも YouTube にこの歌の場面の動画があがっていたので見させて戴いたのだが、ビストロみたいな場所のテーブルに陣取った主演のドロシー・ラムーアが、隣にいるフレッド・マクマレーに例のごとく艶っぽく唄いかけており、告白云々というよりは、もうすっかり “いい雰囲気の二人” とも見てとれるカンジだったー「それって貴方にだって起きるかも」というよりは既に “起きちゃってる” とでもいおうかww 然しながらこゝでのジュリーもそのセックス・アピールじゃあラムーアに負けてはいない！！お馴染みのハスキー・ヴォイスで、このロマンティックなバラードをまるで愛撫するかのようになよやかに唄いあげているーやっぱジュリーのあの声ってバッチリ曲想にハマった時の破壊力ハンパねぇわ！！
bboucharde
Wow---what a tasteful arrangement! Somehow, it reminds me of a martini-and-leisure life that I never had, like a scene in a romantic movie from about 1960, before the cultural meltdown of the late 60's.
Ted Ellis
I have been listening to a few versions of this song this evening (I don't know why) - a brilliant version by Julie London - what a voice - sigh"
John Smith
Ted, this is a great arrangement with Julie London. Have you heard the 'original' Four Freshman's version? That's pretty great, too.
Gardner Brannon
Wonderful!! Thank you so much Jack!
David Lehman
Just great!
Joe Piervincenti
The young women of today have lost touch with an amazing array of role models.
Łukasz Bonio
I am in love !
Laura Fantasia
Che voce!
kdn3249
That's nurse Dixie from the TV show Emergency. Never knew she was a singer. Thanks for the upload, Jack.
Jack Gauntt
you bet my friend!!!