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.
One for My Baby
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
{Well, you know, when they asked me to come on and
I can't believe it, the last, the last guest
The last fool Mr. Carson will have to suffer gladly
You are the wind beneath my wings
Oh, well he is}
There's no one in the place except you and me
So set 'em up, Joe
Got a little story, I think you should know
We're drinkin', my friend
To the end of a sweet episode
Make it one for my baby
And one more for the road
Got the routine
So drop another nickel in the machine
Oh, gee, I'm feelin' so bad
Wish you'd make the music so dreamy and sad
You could tell me a lot
But it's not in a gentleman's code
Let's make it one for my baby
And one more for the road
You may not know it but buddy you're a kind of poet
And you've had a lot of things to say
And when I'm gloomy, you always listen to me
Until it's talked away
Well, that's how it goes
And John I know you're getting anxious to close
So, thanks for the cheer
I hope you didn't mind me, bending your ear
For all of the years
For the laughs, for the tears
For the class that you showed
Make it one for my baby
And one more for the road
That long, long road
"Thank you, Bette, ah"
The song "One for My Baby" by Julie London is a melancholic piece about a man seeking solace in a bar after experiencing heartbreak. The first verse sets the scene, establishing it's a quarter to three, and the only people are the singer and the bartender, Joe. In the second verse, the singer begins to share his story with Joe, requesting that he makes the music "dreamy and sad." The chorus highlights his desire to drown his sorrows, requesting one for his baby and one more for the road, implying that he intends this to be his final drink before leaving for good.
The final verse addresses Joe, thanking him for all the years, for the laughs and tears, and for the comfort he provides in being a willing listener. The song's emotional weight comes from the singer's acknowledgment that he is on the brink of a profound change, and he is seeking to find closure in a lonely, dimly-lit room. The song's slow tempo, along with London's soft, haunting voice, adds to the sense of despair and longing conveyed in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Quarter to three
It's late in the night when most people are already in bed.
There's no one in the place except you and me
The place is empty, and we are the only ones here.
So set 'em up, Joe
Provide more drinks, Joe.
Got a little story, I think you should know
I want to tell you a story, my friend. Please listen.
We're drinkin', my friend
We are having drinks together.
To the end of a sweet episode
Let's drink to the end of a good moment.
Make it one for my baby
This drink is for me and my troubles.
And one more for the road
One more drink before I go.
Got the routine
I know what to do.
So drop another nickel in the machine
Put more money in the jukebox to play another song.
Oh, gee, I'm feelin' so bad
I'm feeling very sad.
Wish you'd make the music so dreamy and sad
I want the music to match my sad mood.
You could tell me a lot
I know you have a lot to say.
But it's not in a gentleman's code
It wouldn't be proper to say it aloud.
Let's make it one for my baby
Let's have another drink for me and my troubles.
And one more for the road
One more drink before I leave.
You may not know it but buddy you're a kind of poet
You have a way with words, my friend.
And you've had a lot of things to say
You've shared a lot with me before.
And when I'm gloomy, you always listen to me
You are always there to listen when I'm feeling sad.
Until it's talked away
Talking helps make the sadness go away.
Well, that's how it goes
That's how life works.
And John I know you're getting anxious to close
I know you want to close up soon, John.
So, thanks for the cheer
Thank you for the fun times.
I hope you didn't mind me, bending your ear
I hope you didn't mind me talking your ear off.
For all of the years
For all of the good times we've had.
For the laughs, for the tears
For all the happy and sad moments we've shared.
For the class that you showed
Thank you for being the epitome of class.
Make it one for my baby
Again, one more drink for me and my troubles.
And one more for the road,
One last drink before I go on my way.
That long, long road
That road of life that goes on and on.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind