Julie London (née Peck; September 26,1926 — October 18, 2000) was an Ameri… Read Full Bio ↴Julie London (née Peck; September 26,1926 — October 18, 2000) was an American jazz and pop singer and actress. She was noted for her smoky, sensual voice and languid demeanor. She released 32 albums of pop and jazz standards during the 1950s and 1960s, with her signature song being the classic "Cry Me a River," which she introduced in 1955.

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.

Nobody's Heart
Julie London Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Nobody's heart belongs to me
Heigh ho, who cares?
Nobody writes his songs for me
No one belongs to me
That's the least of my cares

I may be sad at times
And disinclined to play

But it's not bad at times
To go your own sweet way
Nobody's arms belong to me
No arms feel strong to me

I admire the moon as a moon, just a moon
Nobody's heart belongs to me today

Overall Meaning

In Julie London's song "Nobody's Heart," the lyrics express a sense of independence and detachment from emotional attachments. The singer acknowledges that nobody's heart belongs to them, highlighting a lack of intimacy or romantic involvement with anyone. The phrase "Heigh ho, who cares?" suggests a nonchalant attitude towards this situation. The lyrics continue to emphasize the absence of someone who writes songs for the singer or belongs to them, implying a sense of isolation and solitude.

The lyrics also convey a certain contentment with this state of affairs. The singer states that nobody's arms belong to them and that no arms feel strong to them. This might signify a lack of need for physical affection or reliance on others for support. Instead, the singer appreciates the freedom to go their own way and admires the moon simply for being a moon, without any sentimental attachment. Overall, "Nobody's Heart" captures a sense of independence, self-reliance, and emotional detachment.

Line by Line Meaning

Nobody's heart belongs to me
No one loves and emotionally invests in me

Heigh ho, who cares?
I don't mind or worry about it

Nobody writes his songs for me
Nobody composes or dedicates meaningful music to me

No one belongs to me
I don't possess or have exclusive ownership over anyone

That's the least of my cares
It's of minimal concern or importance to me

I may be sad at times
Occasionally, I might experience sadness

And disinclined to play
Not feeling inclined or motivated to engage in activities

But it's not bad at times
However, it's not necessarily negative or unfavorable

To go your own sweet way
To pursue one's own desired path or choices

Nobody's arms belong to me
I don't have anyone's embrace or comfort

No arms feel strong to me
There are no arms that provide a sense of strength or security for me