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.
Sunday Mornin'
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Words and Music by Margo Guryan
Sunday morning
Sun shining from your eyes
Smiling into mine
Sunday morning
Lots of time with nothing to do
Lots of time to spend with you
On Sunday morning
It's so quiet in the street
We can hear the sound of feet walking by
I'll put coffee on to brew
We can have a cup or two
And do what other people do
On Sunday morning
Sunday morning, Sunday morning, Sunday, Sunday
I love Sunday, Sunday morning
Come hold me in your arms
I love you
Everything's alright
Sunday morning
Everything's alright
© 1967 (renewed) DARTMOOR MUSIC
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The lyrics to Julie London's song "Sunday Mornin'" are a romantic tribute to a lazy, relaxing day spent with a loved one. The song exudes a sense of peace and contentment that can only be found on a quiet Sunday morning. The opening lines describe the warm, glowing feeling in the singer's heart as they gaze into their partner's eyes, lazily smiling into each other's faces. The image of a "sleepy face" is particularly evocative, implying a sense of intimacy and familiarity between the two lovers.
As the song continues, we learn that there is nothing scheduled for the day, leaving the lovers with endless time to spend together. The repetition of the phrase "lots of time" emphasizes the luxuriousness of this kind of day, when there is no rush or pressure to get anything done. The simplicity of the morning is captured in the line "It's so quiet in the street / We can hear the sound of feet walking by", which paints a picture of a peaceful, uneventful neighborhood on a sleepy Sunday morning.
The carefree nature of the day is emphasized with the promise of fresh coffee, which the lovers can leisurely enjoy as they engage in the kind of mundane activities that are reserved for quiet weekends. The song concludes with the seductive invitation to "come hold me in your arms", a clear indication that even though nothing exciting may be happening on this day, the love between the two partners is more than enough to keep them content.
Line by Line Meaning
Sunday morning
The beginning of a new day, the day of Sabbath.
Sun shining from your eyes
Your eyes radiating a luster, making you look bright and energetic.
Sleepy face
Looks like you are feeling drowsy and haven't had much sleep.
Smiling into mine
Your beautiful smile that instantly warms my heart.
Lots of time with nothing to do
There is an abundance of time available without any set agenda or activities planned.
Lots of time to spend with you
An opportunity to spend quality time and enjoy each other's company without any external distractions or time constraints.
On Sunday morning
During the peaceful and serene morning hours of the Sabbath day.
It's so quiet in the street
The calm and still atmosphere of the usually busy surroundings makes sounds so clear.
We can hear the sound of feet walking by
The fain sound of people walking suggests the peacefulness of the environment.
I'll put coffee on to brew
Preparing a hot, refreshing beverage to enjoy with one another.
We can have a cup or two
To make more than enough of the coffee and enjoy as much as we want, leaving enough to spare.
And do what other people do
Engage in ordinary and usual Sunday morning activities.
On Sunday morning
Emphasizing the particular time of the day the described activities are taking place.
Sunday morning, Sunday morning, Sunday, Sunday
Repeating and reinforcing how enjoyable this day is.
I love Sunday, Sunday morning
Expressing fondness and affection towards this special day.
Come hold me in your arms
A desire to feel and be held by the person you love, bringing comfort and security.
I love you
A sincere and genuine expression of love and affection for the person they are addressing.
Everything's alright
Everything is well, peaceful and problems seem to be non-existent.
Sunday morning
Final repetition of the Sabbath morning, the end of the song.
Everything's alright
Reinforces the absence of concerns or worries during that particular day.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Margo Guryan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind