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 Meaning of the Blues
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Till my lover left me
Blue was just a bluebird in a tree
Till he said, "Forget me"
Blue always made me think of summer
Cloudless summer skies, so fresh and warm
But now the blue I see is more like winter
Blue was just the color of his eyes
Till he said, "Goodbye, love"
Blue was just a ribbon for first prize
Till he said, "Don't cry, love"
And blues were only chart songs
Fashioned for impulsive ingénues
But now I know, too well I know
Too well I know the meaning of the blues
Blue was just the color of his eyes
The lyrics of Julie London's "The Meaning Of The Blues" highlight the emotions of loneliness and heartbreak. The first verse poses two questions that ask if the listener is familiar with the feeling of being alone, having no one to turn to, and not having anyone to share good news with. This line particularly reveals that the absence of someone special to share with has initially led to the feelings of loneliness. The second stanza takes the listeners on the rollercoaster of emotions experienced during heartbreak. The lyrics talk about crying alone and wanting to be loved, although the person in question is not available to be owned. The last line again reinforces the theme of loneliness, highlighting the feelings of being alone and empty, notwithstanding others' presence.
Overall, the lyrics of "The Meaning Of The Blues" are emotional and thought-provoking, emphasizing the impact of loneliness and heartbreak on an individual's life. In essence, this song challenges the listeners to evaluate their relationships and cherish the people they have around them.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you know what it means to walk alone?
Do you know how it feels to have nobody around when you walk?
And what it means to be, be by yourself?
Do you understand the feeling of being without anyone by your side?
Do you know what it means when there's no one to bring you good news?
Have you ever experienced a situation when there is nobody to give you encouraging news or hope?
Then you know, you know the meaning of the blues
If you have encountered such situations, you understand the essence of the blues
Do you know what it means to cry alone?
Do you understand the emotions that come with shedding tears while being alone?
And what it means to cry by yourself?
Do you comprehend the loneliness that comes with crying in solitude?
Do you know what it means to love a woman you can't own?
Have you ever been in love with someone who cannot be yours?
If you do, then you know the meaning of the blues
If you have experienced such emotions, then you are familiar with the true essence of the blues
I've been weeping and weeping,
I have been crying ceaselessly
Moaning and moaning,
Expressing my grief through groans and wails
Crying and sighing all the day
I have been crying and sighing all day long
I've been hiding my tears
I have been concealing my tears from others
Feel like dying
I feel like my life is coming to an end
Wishing love would come to stay
Expressing my longing for a relationship that will last
And do you know what it means when the lord is taken away?
Have you ever felt the pain of losing someone you looked up to or depended on?
I cry, oh I cry
I am overwhelmed with emotions and in tears
Oh I cry everyday
I cry every day due to my pain and struggles
Yes I know what it means to walk alone
I understand the emotional turmoil of being alone
And how it feels to walk by myself
And the sensations that come with the experience of walking alone
Yes I know what it means to love a woman you can?t own
I have firsthand experience of loving someone I cannot have
Yes I do, I know the meaning of the blues
Because of these difficult situations I have faced, I truly know and understand the nature of the blues
Woo-hoo
Exclamation of intense emotion, often associated with the blues genre
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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