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.
Must Be Catchin'
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've got it, everybody's got it!
Must be catchin', oo-ooh it's love!
Birds in the tree, man They got it!
Fish in the sea, they got it!
Must be catchin', oo-ooh it's love!
He looked at Eve, man she had him!
Must be catchin', oo-ooh it's love!
C'est la vie! Why should you doubt it?
You can't live without it!
Man I know you can't live without it!
Must be catchin', oo-ooh it's love!
When I was two, I didn't think of it,
Since I met you, oh man I love it!
Must be catchin', oo-ooh it's love!
Oo-ooh it's love!
Aa-aah it's love!
Aa-aah it's love!
Mm-mmm it's love!
The song "Must Be Catchin'" by Julie London is a classic love song that explores the universal feeling of love. The lyrics suggest that love is infectious and can spread from one person to another, just like a disease. The first few verses paint a picture of how love is all around us, and every living creature is touched by this emotion. The lyrics suggest that love is contagious, and once you have it, you cannot let it go.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the power of love and questions the need to doubt it. The last few lines of the song suggest that the singer was not aware of the power of love until she met the person she loves. The song suggests that love is the most important thing in life and that once you experience it, everything else pales in comparison.
Overall, the lyrics of "Must Be Catchin'" suggest that love is an essential part of life and something that connects us all. Love is a powerful emotion that can bring people together and create a sense of unity. The song is a classic love song that highlights the importance of love in our lives and reminds us that we cannot live without it.
Line by Line Meaning
Must be catchin', I got it!
I'm in love and it seems contagious
You've got it, everybody's got it!
Everyone is in love and feeling it
Must be catchin', oo-ooh it's love!
Love is spreading and being felt by many
Birds in the tree, man They got it!
Even animals are feeling the power of love
Fish in the sea, they got it!
Even underwater creatures feel love
Must be catchin', oo-ooh it's love!
Love is universal and all-encompassing
No need to worry, it started with Adam,
Love has been around since the beginning of time
He looked at Eve, man she had him!
Love can strike anyone and everyone
Must be catchin', oo-ooh it's love!
Love is powerful and has been around for ages
C'est la vie! Why should you doubt it?
Love is a part of life, don't question it
You can't live without it!
Love is a necessity for life
Man I know you can't live without it!
Love is essential for every human
Must be catchin', oo-ooh it's love!
Love is a fundamental element of existence
When I was two, I didn't think of it,
Love isn't present from birth or early childhood
Since I met you, oh man I love it!
Meeting someone special can change everything
Must be catchin', oo-ooh it's love!
Love has the power to transform lives
Oo-ooh it's love!
Love is exciting and powerful
Aa-aah it's love!
Love is emotional and intense
Aa-aah it's love!
Love is a feeling that can't be denied
Mm-mmm it's love!
Love is a delicious and captivating feeling
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RAY STANLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind