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.
The Blues Is All I Ever Had
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Find the good things
Other folks get mixed up with the bad
Don't ask me what I know
About the good things
The blues is all I ever had
To some
The earth's a world of friendly faces
For those lucky few, I'm awful glad
My world's been a string of second places
The blues is all I ever had
When I first met him, I thought that maybe
He could change this lonely life I led
When he smiled and said, "I love you, baby"
Silly girl, I believed each word he said
Guess it's time for me to say goodbye now
Didn't mean to leave you feelin' sad
Since he's gone
What is there left to try now?
The blues is all I ever had
In the song "The Blues Is All I Ever Had" by Julie London, the lyrics convey a sense of resignation and acceptance of a life filled with sadness and disappointment. The singer reflects on how some people always seem to find the good things in life while others, like her, get caught up in the bad. She acknowledges that she doesn't have much knowledge or experience with the good things, as the blues is all she has ever had.
The first stanza emphasizes the stark contrast between those who find happiness and those who constantly stumble upon disappointment. It seems that the singer has always been on the losing end, describing her world as a "string of second places." The blues, with its melancholic and reflective nature, has been a constant companion for her.
The second stanza reveals a brief moment of hope when the singer meets someone who she believed could bring a change to her lonely life. However, her naivety and trust in him proved to be futile as he eventually left. The goodbye she has to say now brings her back to her familiar state of sadness, and she questions the purpose of trying anymore without him.
Overall, the lyrics paint a poignant picture of someone who has endured a lifetime of disappointment and heartache, finding solace only in the blues. It reflects a sense of resignation and a realization that sadness is all she has ever known.
Line by Line Meaning
Some folks always seem to
There are people who consistently
Find the good things
Discover positive aspects or opportunities
Other folks get mixed up with the bad
Meanwhile, others find themselves entangled in negative experiences
Don't ask me what I know
Do not inquire about my understanding
About the good things
Regarding positive aspects or opportunities
The blues is all I ever had
I have only experienced the hardships and sadness associated with the blues
To some
For certain individuals
The earth's a world of friendly faces
The world appears welcoming and filled with friendly people
For those lucky few, I'm awful glad
I feel happy for those fortunate individuals
My world's been a string of second places
My life has been a succession of coming in second best
The blues is all I ever had
Sorrow and melancholy have been my constant companions
When I first met him, I thought that maybe
Upon our initial encounter, I held a faint hope that
He could change this lonely life I led
He had the potential to transform the solitary existence I was living
When he smiled and said, "I love you, baby"
His smile accompanied by the words, 'I love you, baby'
Silly girl, I believed each word he said
I, foolishly, trusted every single utterance he made
Guess it's time for me to say goodbye now
I suppose the moment has arrived to bid farewell
Didn't mean to leave you feelin' sad
My intention was not to make you feel sorrowful
Since he's gone
Given that he has departed
What is there left to try now?
What feasible options remain for me at this point?
The blues is all I ever had
Sorrow and melancholy have been my constant companions
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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