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.
Somebody Loves Me
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wonder who he can be
Somebody loves me, I wish I knew
Who can he be worries me
For every boy who passes me, I shout 'Hey, maybe'
You were meant to be my loving baby, baby, oh
Somebody loves me, I wonder who Maybe it's you
For every boy who passes me, I shout 'Hey, maybe'
You were meant to be my loving baby, baby
Somebody loves me, I wonder who
Maybe, it's
Baby, it's
Maybe, baby, that somebody is you
In Julie London's, "Somebody Loves Me," the singer expresses their yearning for someone who loves them. The singer is uncertain who this person is, which weighs heavily on their mind. The singer wishes they knew who it is that loves them. They continually ponder about who this potential romantic love could be. The singer's desperation becomes visible with each passing boy as they shout 'Hey, maybe, you were meant to be my loving baby.' The lyrics show the singer's hopeful and despondent disposition, suggesting that the singer may be willing to leap headfirst into a newfound love or relationship.
The song's emotionally charged lyrics are compounded by the composer's ability to use music to further accentuate the singer's internal feelings. The melody, composed by George Gershwin with lyrics written by Buddy DeSylva and Ballard MacDonald, reflects the love song genre with its slow and gentle tempo. The song begins with a short introductory section, such as a bridge, that sets the stage for the lyrics to follow. With its soaring and expressive melody, the song's chorus delivers a melodic punch that punctuates the lyrics' emotional depth. The song's last line leaves the listener to wonder if perhaps the person they have been seeking is already present.
Line by Line Meaning
Somebody loves me, I wonder who
There is someone out there who loves me, but I don't know who that person is.
I wonder who he can be
I am curious about the identity of the person who loves me.
Somebody loves me, I wish I knew
Although I know there is someone who loves me, I really want to know who that person is.
Who can he be worries me
I am worried about who the person is that loves me.
For every boy who passes me, I shout 'Hey, maybe'
Whenever a boy passes by, I wonder if he could be the one who loves me and I call out to him.
You were meant to be my loving baby, baby, oh
I feel like fate has brought me to this moment to meet my true love, and I'm calling out to him to let him know.
Somebody loves me, I wonder who
There is someone out there who loves me, but I don't know who that person is.
Maybe it's you
I have a feeling that you could be the one who loves me.
Somebody loves me, I wonder who
There is someone out there who loves me, but I don't know who that person is.
Maybe, it's
I'm still unsure, but there's a chance that the person who loves me is...
Baby, it's
I'm calling out to my potential lover with a term of endearment, letting them know how much I care.
Maybe, baby, that somebody is you
I'm still unsure, but I have a good feeling that the one who loves me is you, my sweet baby.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Buddy DeSylva, Ballard MacDonald, George Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind