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.
Sway
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dance with me, make me sway
Like the lazy ocean hugs the shore
Hold me close, sway me more
Like a flower bending in the breeze
Bend with me, sway with ease
When we dance, you have a way with me
Stay with me, sway with me
Other dancers may be on the floor
Dear, but my eyes will see only you
Only you have that magic technique
When we sway, I grow weak
I can hear the violins long before it begins
Make me thrill as only you know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now
Other dancers may be on the floor
Dear, but my eyes will see only you
Only you have that magic technique
When we sway, I grow weak
I can hear the swell of violins long before it begins
Make me thrill as only you know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now
In "Sway" by Julie London, she sings of being swept away by the music and the physical embrace of her dance partner. The marimba rhythms set the tone for the dancing and the lyrics urge her partner to dance with her and make her sway. The imagery of the lazy ocean and bending flowers demonstrates the gentle fluidity of the dance and how the singer is completely absorbed in the moment. The lyrics convey a sense of vulnerability and dependence on the partner in the dance as the singer asks to be held and swayed.
The singer praises the partner's magic technique and how they make her weak with their sway. She can hear the violins long before the dance begins, anticipating the thrill of the experience. The song highlights the power of dance to transport people to another realm where they are totally wrapped up in the music and the embrace of their partner. Through the lyrics, Julie London captures the essence of the experience of dancing with someone who makes you feel alive and transported.
Line by Line Meaning
When marimba rhythms start to play
As soon as the marimba rhythms begin to play,
Dance with me, make me sway
I want to be your partner in dance, let's make the sultry music move us.
Like the lazy ocean hugs the shore
As the ocean moves lazily along the shore,
Hold me close, sway me more
Hold me close to you and move with me to the music.
Like a flower bending in the breeze
As a flower sways gently in the breeze,
Bend with me, sway with ease
Let's move together gracefully, with ease.
When we dance, you have a way with me
When we dance together, there's something special about how you move with me.
Stay with me, sway with me
Stay close to me and sway with me to the rhythm of the music.
Other dancers may be on the floor
There may be other dancers around us,
Dear, but my eyes will see only you
But you're the only one I see, dear.
Only you have that magic technique
You have a magic way of dancing with me that no one else has.
When we sway, I grow weak
When we move together to the music, I feel weak with emotion.
I can hear the violins long before it begins
The sound of the violins makes me feel romantic even before the music starts.
Make me thrill as only you know how
Make me feel excitement and pleasure as only you can do.
Sway me smooth, sway me now
Move with me smoothly and with feeling right now.
Other dancers may be on the floor
Again, there may be other dancers around us,
Dear, but my eyes will see only you
but my eyes are only for you, my love.
Only you have that magic technique
Only you can dance with me in that enchanting way.
When we sway, I grow weak
When we dance together, I start to feel weak and wonderfully overwhelmed by your presence.
I can hear the swell of violins long before it begins
Even before the music starts, I feel the stirring of the violins.
Make me thrill as only you know how
Make me feel that thrill that only you can give me.
Sway me smooth, sway me now
Move me smoothly and gracefully to the music in this moment.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Peermusic Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Richard Melville Hall
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nadzirah Shukor
SWAY
When marimba rhythms start to play
Dance with me, make me sway
Like the lazy ocean hugs the shore
Hold me close, sway me more
Like a flower bending in the breeze
Bend with me, sway with ease
When we dance, you have a way with me
Stay with me, sway with me
Other dancers may be on the floor
Dear, but my eyes will see only you
Only you have that magic technique
When we sway, I grow weak
I can hear the swell of violins long before it begins
Make me thrill as only you know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now
Other dancers may be on the floor
Dear, but my eyes will see only you
Only you have that magic technique
When we sway, I grow weak
I can hear the swell of violins long before it begins
Make me thrill as only you know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now
Domi De Longpre
I absolutely love the sound of her voice. The epitome of "Sultry"
Winston Mathew Bollockchops
She is the real Jessica rabbit
reuireuiop0
That's what my dictionary app said :
"Go listen Julie London sing"
Ascics420
Words do no justice to describe her voice...
Doppelganger
"I can hear the sound of violins long before it begins..." Always gives me chills, absolutely gorgeus rendition, as always with Julie
Sandeep Sengupta
You are right. For me too. It's this line that stands out
707
same. i can't get this line out of my head
xiane1111
Very nice version of this. The thing I'm enjoying about these videos is the fact that her versions seem to be simply lovely "straight" interpretations of the songs. We (I) forget that people heard tons of people singing these standards. Now though, it's hard to find that "straight ahead" take, everyone has to put their stamp on a song, often in a weird, bad way. Credit to Julie for letting her sultry voice and phrasing do the business! Wow.
Melissa
The softness of the instruments is how i always imagined this song to be. Most other versions have the trumpet section blowing everyone way.
p pinchera
yes y e s sway ! sway me smooth, a softness to it, a strength yes , even a tension
but not a sharpness your so right ! the big horn versions are but weak interpretation
how does anyone get overpowering horns out of "like a lazy ocean hugs the shore"
if you sing you should work up your own version, begin with nothing and start from just reading it
as a poem, slowly add the melody