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.
Love for Sale
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Appretizing young love for sale
Love that's fresh and still unspoiled
Love that's only slightly soiled
Love for sale
Who will buy?
Who would like to sample my supply?
Who's prepared to pay the price
For a trip to paradise?
Love for sale
Let the poets pipe of love
In their childish way
I know every type of love
Better far than they
If you want the thrill of love
I've been through the mill of love
Old love, new love
Every love but true love
Love for sale
Appretizing young love for sale
If you want to buy my wares
Follow me and climb the stairs
Love for sale
Love for sale
The song Love for Sale is a powerful and evocative tune that leaves nothing to the imagination. Julie London presents a stark and dark reality that love, usually thought of as pure and genuine, is now openly sold and bought like any other commodity. The lyrics describe the nature of love for sale as "young," "fresh," "slightly soiled," indicating that it is anything but genuine or pure. In a world where everything can be commodified and sold, love has become just another item on the shelf.
London captures the grim reality of the situation with lines like "who's prepared to pay the price for a trip to paradise?" which highlights the sad truth that people are willing to trade their precious love for material things. They are also willing to pay a heavy price to experience a fleeting moment of happiness.
The song's title and lyrics were inspired by the frequent occurrence of prostitution in the red-light districts of major cities. The song was written by Cole Porter in 1930, and it caused a stir when it was first performed due to its controversial subject matter.
Line by Line Meaning
Love for sale
The sale of love is being advertised.
Appretizing young love for sale
Young love that is being described as pleasing and appealing is for sale.
Love that's fresh and still unspoiled
Love that has not been tainted or ruined is available for purchase.
Love that's only slightly soiled
Love that has been slightly corrupted is also being sold.
Love for sale
The sale of love is being advertised again.
Who will buy?
The seller is asking who is willing to purchase their love.
Who would like to sample my supply?
The seller is inquiring as to who might want to try their love offerings.
Who's prepared to pay the price
The seller is asking who is willing to pay the cost for this love.
For a trip to paradise?
The seller is advertising that their love can take the buyer to a place of pure bliss.
Love for sale
The seller is advertising the sale of love once again.
Let the poets pipe of love
The seller is saying that poets can write of love all they want, but the seller knows more about love than they do.
In their childish way
The seller believes that poets write about love in a naive manner.
I know every type of love
The seller believes that they have experienced all different types and variations of love.
Better far than they
The seller thinks that they know more about love than poets do.
If you want the thrill of love
The seller is advertising that their love can give buyers an exciting and thrilling experience.
I've been through the mill of love
The seller has experienced love many times, both good and bad.
Old love, new love
The seller has experienced both long-term and short-term love.
Every love but true love
The seller has not experienced a true form of love, only variations of it.
Love for sale
The seller is advertising the sale of love once again.
Appretizing young love for sale
Young love offerings that are pleasing and desirable are still available for purchase.
If you want to buy my wares
The seller is inviting buyers to purchase their love offerings.
Follow me and climb the stairs
The seller is leading potential buyers to a location where the love can be purchased.
Love for sale
The seller is advertising the sale of love one final time.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, Spirit Music Group, Unison Rights S.L., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind