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.
Never On Sunday
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A Monday, a Monday is very, very good
Or you can kiss me on a Tuesday
A Tuesday, a Tuesday, in fact I wish you would
Or you can kiss me on a Wednesday
A Thursday, a Friday and Saturday is best
But never, never on a Sunday
A Sunday, a Sunday, 'cause that's my day of rest
Most any day you can be my guest
Any day you say, but my day of rest
Just name the day that you like the best
Only stay away on my day of rest
Oh, you can kiss me on a cool day, a hot day
A wet day, which everyone you choose
Or try to kiss me on a gray day, a May day
A pay day, and see if I refuse
And if you make it on a bleak day
A freak day, a week day, why you can be my guest
But never, never on a Sunday
Julie London's "Never on Sunday" is a sweet and witty song about a woman who is willing to be kissed any day of the week except on Sunday, which is her day of rest. The song begins with the singer inviting her lover to kiss her on any of the weekdays, ranging from Monday to Saturday, and expressing her preference for being kissed on Tuesday. However, she immediately asserts that Sunday is the day when she wants to be left alone to rest and recharge her batteries. She goes on to emphasize that she is perfectly happy to be kissed on any other day, be it hot or cold, wet or dry, bleak or freaky, and that her guest is always welcome.
The song's lyrics can be interpreted in different ways, depending on one's perspective. Some may see it as a playful and lighthearted tune that celebrates the joys of being kissed and loved, while others may read it as a statement of personal boundaries and autonomy, where the singer asserts her right to have a day of rest and solitude that is not to be intruded upon by any external demands or pressures. The song's melody and rhythm are pleasant and catchy, with a jazzy vibe that reflects London's signature style as a torch singer.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, you can kiss me on a Monday
I wouldn't mind if you kiss me on any given day, even on a Monday
A Monday, a Monday is very, very good
Mondays are just as good as any other day to be kissed on
Or you can kiss me on a Tuesday
You have multiple options to choose from, including Tuesdays
A Tuesday, a Tuesday, in fact I wish you would
I want to be kissed on a Tuesday
Or you can kiss me on a Wednesday
You have the freedom to choose which day you want to kiss me on
A Thursday, a Friday and Saturday is best
These days are ideal to be kissed, and preferable to Sunday
But never, never on a Sunday
The only day I do not want to be kissed on is Sunday, that's my day of rest
A Sunday, a Sunday, 'cause that's my day of rest
Sunday is a no-go for kissing because I need it to be a day of relaxation
Most any day you can be my guest
On any other day of the week, feel free to kiss me
Any day you say, but my day of rest
Every other day works for me, besides Sunday
Just name the day that you like the best
Choose the day that suits you, except for Sundays
Only stay away on my day of rest
Please don't attempt to kiss me on Sundays
Oh, you can kiss me on a cool day, a hot day
In case you're wondering what kind of day to kiss me on, any day is fine
A wet day, which everyone you choose
I don't discriminate – you can even kiss me on rainy days
Or try to kiss me on a gray day, a May day
Feel free to give it a shot on any day of the month, whether sunny or not
A pay day, and see if I refuse
If it's payday and you’re in the mood, try kissing me and see what happens
And if you make it on a bleak day
Even on dreary days, I’ll take a kiss
A freak day, a week day, why you can be my guest
On any non-Sunday day with any unpredictable events, I'm happy to be kissed
But never, never on a Sunday
One rule remains constant – no kissing on Sundays
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Manos Hadjidakis, Billy Towne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind