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 Boy From Ipanema
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The boy from Ipanema goes walking
And when he passes,
Each time he passes goes - ah
When he walks, he′s like a samba
That swings so cool and sways so gently
That when he passes,
Each time he passes goes, aah
But he watches so sadly,
How can he tell him he loves him,
Yes I would give my heart gladly,
But instead when he walks to the sea,
He looks straight ahead not at me
Tall and tan and young and handsome,
The boy from Ipanema goes walking
And when he passes, I smiles
But he doesn't see
Ooh
But I want him so madly
How canI tell him he loves him
Yes I would give him heart gladly,
But each day, when he walks to the sea
He looks straight ahead, not at me
Tall and tan and young and handsome,
The boy from Ipanema goes walking
And when he passes, I smiles
But he doesn′t see
He doesn't see
He doesn't see
What′s wrong with him?
(End)
Julie London's song "The Boy from Ipanema" tells the story of a young girl who is deeply infatuated with a charming boy from Ipanema. The first verse describes the boy's physical attributes - tall, tan, young, and handsome - and how he walks with a swagger that resembles the rhythm of samba music. The girl admits that every time the boy walks by, she can't help but be affected by his presence.
Despite her affection for the boy, the girl is aware that he only has eyes for someone else. The second verse reveals that the boy walks to the sea every day, and though the girl wants to tell him how she feels, he never looks at her. She watches him longingly but realizes that he is watching someone else with sadness in his eyes.
The final verse brings the girl's frustration to the forefront as she wonders why the boy is so blind to her affections towards him. She is left feeling hopeless in her desire to be seen and loved by the boy from Ipanema.
Overall, the song is a poignant tale of unrequited love and the pain of desiring someone who seems unattainable.
Line by Line Meaning
Tall and tan and young and handsome,
The boy from Ipanema is attractive and looks fit and healthy.
The boy from Ipanema goes walking
He walks confidently down the street.
And when he passes,
Each time he walks by her.
Each time he passes goes - ah
She feels a strong attraction towards him and sighs.
When he walks, he′s like a samba
He walks gracefully and sways his hips like someone who dances the samba.
That swings so cool and sways so gently
His movements are very smooth and confident.
That when he passes,
Whenever he walks by her.
Each time he passes goes, aah
She can't help but sigh again.
But he watches so sadly,
He looks at her with a sad expression.
How can he tell him he loves him,
He wants to confess his love for the boy, but he's afraid of how he might react.
Yes I would give my heart gladly,
He is willing to give his heart to the boy and love him fully.
But instead when he walks to the sea,
However, when the boy walks towards the sea.
He looks straight ahead not at me
He doesn't pay attention to him and walks past without acknowledging him.
And when he passes, I smiles
Although he feels heartbroken, he still smiles when the boy walks by to hide his true feelings.
But he doesn't see
But the boy doesn't notice his sadness.
Ooh
An expression of longing and desire.
But I want him so madly
He desires the boy so much that it makes him feel crazy.
How canI tell him he loves him
He struggles with finding the courage to confess his love for the boy.
Yes I would give him heart gladly,
He is willing to give his heart to the boy despite the risk of rejection.
But each day, when he walks to the sea
However, every day when the boy walks towards the sea.
He looks straight ahead, not at me
He doesn't pay attention to him and walks past without acknowledging him.
He doesn't see
The boy doesn't notice his true feelings.
What′s wrong with him?
He wonders why the boy doesn't notice his love and feels confused and hurt.
Writer(s): Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Contributed by Hailey J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
gerryrich1
Tall and tan and young and handsome
The boy from Ipanema goes walking
And when he passes, each girl he passes goes, ah
When he walks he's like a samba
That swings so cool and sways so gentle
That when he passes each girl, he passes goes, ah
Oh, but I watch him so sadly
How can I tell him I love him?
Yes, I would give my heart gladly
But each day when he walks to the sea
He looks straight ahead, not at me
Tall, and tan, and young and handsome
The boy from Ipanema goes walking
And when he passes I smile but he doesn't see
No, he doesn't see, he doesn't see me
Oh, but I watch him so sadly
How can I tell him I love him?
Yes, I would give my heart gladly
But each day when he walks to the sea
He looks straight ahead, not at me
Tall, and tan, and young and handsome
The boy from Ipanema goes walking
And when he passes I smile but he doesn't see
He just doesn't see, he just doesn't see
David Moss
Elegance .... which we need so much in 2020 !!
gerryrich1
Tall and tan and young and handsome
The boy from Ipanema goes walking
And when he passes, each girl he passes goes, ah
When he walks he's like a samba
That swings so cool and sways so gentle
That when he passes each girl, he passes goes, ah
Oh, but I watch him so sadly
How can I tell him I love him?
Yes, I would give my heart gladly
But each day when he walks to the sea
He looks straight ahead, not at me
Tall, and tan, and young and handsome
The boy from Ipanema goes walking
And when he passes I smile but he doesn't see
No, he doesn't see, he doesn't see me
Oh, but I watch him so sadly
How can I tell him I love him?
Yes, I would give my heart gladly
But each day when he walks to the sea
He looks straight ahead, not at me
Tall, and tan, and young and handsome
The boy from Ipanema goes walking
And when he passes I smile but he doesn't see
He just doesn't see, he just doesn't see
Damián !
Thank you so much for the lyrics
Diog Papafundior
gerryrich1 - correction please. GAROTA DE IPANEMA. BRASIL.
lucky9381
There is an error on literally the first line!
Merella Curtis
+gerryrich1 thanks
blanca roca
I listen to so much amazing music with internet and late night tv full of varied talent.. Really there are billions of people missing out on this classic stuff.
David del Carmen Aibar
Magnífica versión, Julie London su voz agradablemente tan única y sensual.
Meirivam Costa
Eu sou brasileira... Amo essa música. Julie cantou bem.
Angie Sangre
shes gonna give me a heartattack, so talented, sexy, and that voice!!!