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.
Say Wonderful Things
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I think you're wonderful too!
Say wonderful things to me, Especially
"I love you!"
They say I was living before we met
All of my yesterdays I forget
Now you are the one that I'm
Living for, and each day I love you moreSo you must say wonderful things to me
I think you're wonderful too!
Say wonderful things to me, Especially
"I love you!" the more that I see you
The more it seems People should
Always believe in dreams
Now all of my dreams I'm dreaming of
You, and someday they'll all come true
So you must say wonderful things to me
I think you're wonderful too!
Say wonderful things to me, Especially
"I love you!" (I love you)
In Julie London's song "Say Wonderful Things," the lyrics express a deep affection and adoration between two people. The singer is requesting for their partner to speak words of love and praise to them, acknowledging that they also find their partner wonderful. The phrase "Say wonderful things to me" emphasizes the importance of verbal expressions of love and appreciation.
The song suggests that the singer's life changed significantly after meeting their partner. They claim to have forgotten their past and now live solely for their loved one. Each day, their love for their partner grows stronger, emphasizing the intense and passionate connection they share.
The lyrics also convey a sense of hope and optimism. The singer believes in the power of dreams, and the more they see their partner, the more they are convinced that dreams can come true. They express a longing for all their dreams to revolve around their partner and have faith that these dreams will eventually materialize.
Overall, the lyrics of "Say Wonderful Things" depict a deep and intense love between two individuals, highlighting the importance of verbal affection, the transformative power of love, and the belief in the realization of dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
Say wonderful things to me
Express beautiful and uplifting sentiments to me
I think you're wonderful too!
I also hold you in high regard and admiration
Especially 'I love you!'
In particular, convey the deep affection you have for me
They say I was living before we met
People claim that my existence existed prior to our encounter
All of my yesterdays I forget
I have completely let go of all my past experiences
Now you are the one that I'm living for
Presently, you are the sole reason for my existence
And each day I love you more
Each day my affection towards you grows stronger
So you must say wonderful things to me
Therefore, it is imperative for you to express positive sentiments to me
The more that I see you
As I spend more time in your presence
The more it seems people should always believe in dreams
It becomes increasingly apparent that individuals should always have faith in their aspirations
Now all of my dreams I'm dreaming of you
Currently, all my aspirations revolve around you
And someday they'll all come true
Eventually, all my dreams will be realized
So you must say wonderful things to me
Hence, it is crucial for you to express affirmative sentiments to me
I think you're wonderful too!
I also hold you in high regard and admiration
Say wonderful things to me, Especially 'I love you!'
Convey beautiful sentiments to me, particularly expressing 'I love you!'
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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