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.
King of the Road
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No phone, no pool, no pets, I ain't got no cigarettes
Ah but two hours of pushin' broom
Buys a eight by twelve four-bit room
I'm a man of means by no means,
King of the road
Third boxcar midnight train, destination Bangor, Maine
I smoke old stogies I have found,
Short but not too big around
I'm a man of means by no means,
King of the road
I know every engineer on every train
All of their children and all of their names
And every handout in every town
And every lock that ain't locked when no-one's around
I sing
Trailer for sale or rent, rooms to let fifty cents
No phone, no pool, no pets, I ain't got no cigarettes
Ah but two hours of pushin' broom
Buys a eight by twelve four-bit room
I'm a man of means by no means,
King of the road
The lyrics of "King of the Road" by Julie London paints a picture of a wanderlust man who lives on the road without any luxurious possessions. The titular line "King of the Road" is ironic to the rest of the lyrics as the singer mentions various things he does not have, like no phone, no pool, pets, and cigarettes. Yet, he's a "man of means" which means he's self-sufficient with what he has. He isn't bothered by the lack of objects because he has the freedom to roam around with no encumbrances. The next line "Two hours of pushin' broom, buys a eight by twelve four-bit room" shows the singer is a laborer who does odd jobs to get by. The way he phrases it reflects how he's content with such a small space and how he's not looking to acquire a bigger one as he enjoys his nomadic lifestyle.
The second verse portrays the singer as someone who rides on the train, and he's a vagrant who doesn't stick to one place for too long. His personal appearance is shabby and frayed, but his non-union status makes him different from his peers. The line "I smoke old stogies I have found, short but not too big around" highlights that he has found cigar stumps and makes the best of it. The repetition of "I'm a man of means by no means, King of the road" emphasizes that this vagabond lives his life on his terms and doesn't take aid from others. Lastly, the singer knows the ins and outs of each place he goes to, with the reference to every train engineer and their children. It denotes he's well acquainted with almost everyone he comes across.
Line by Line Meaning
Trailer for sale or rent, rooms to let fifty cents
I am advertising my trailer, which is for sale or rent, and some rooms that are available for rent. They cost only fifty cents.
No phone, no pool, no pets, I ain't got no cigarettes
Unfortunately, my humble abode has no phone, pool or pets, also I am out of cigarettes at this time.
Ah but two hours of pushin' broom
Buys a eight by twelve four-bit room
Although my current financial situation is not great, after working hard for two hours sweeping with a broom, I can purchase a small room of eight by twelve dimensions using a four-bit coin.
I'm a man of means by no means,
King of the road
I may not be financially well off, but I am still the ruler of this road.
Third boxcar midnight train, destination Bangor, Maine
I am currently traveling on a midnight train in the third boxcar headed to Bangor, Maine.
Old worn out suit and shoes, I don't pay no union dues
My attire is not in the best shape, and I do not pay any fees to be a part of any union.
I smoke old stogies I have found,
Short but not too big around
I like to smoke old, short stogies that I found, not too thick in size.
I know every engineer on every train
All of their children and all of their names
And every handout in every town
And every lock that ain't locked when no-one's around
I know all of the drivers of every train, including their kids and their names. I also know about all of the free things given out in each town, and every lock that is not actually locked when people aren't around.
I sing
I am currently singing
Trailer for sale or rent, rooms to let fifty cents
No phone, no pool, no pets, I ain't got no cigarettes
Ah but two hours of pushin' broom
Buys a eight by twelve four-bit room
I'm a man of means by no means,
King of the road
I am repeating my earlier advertisement, and stating that I am a man of little means, but am still the king of this road.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Roger Miller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind