Julie London (née Peck; September 26,1926 — October 18, 2000) was an Ameri… Read Full Bio ↴Julie London (née Peck; September 26,1926 — October 18, 2000) was an American jazz and pop singer and actress. She was noted for her smoky, sensual voice and languid demeanor. She released 32 albums of pop and jazz standards during the 1950s and 1960s, with her signature song being the classic "Cry Me a River," which she introduced in 1955.

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.

Tired
Julie London Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Tired of the life I lead
Tired of the blues I breed
Tired of the things I need
Gonna cut out wide and that's the truth
Get a brand new guy while I got my youth!
Tired of the clothes I wear
Tired of the patches there
Tired of the crows I scare

Gonna move down town and spread my moo
Get a short fam shoe and a new guy too!
Cleanin' an' a-moppin'
Dustin' an' a-shoppin'
Sure leaves your ego low!
Washin' an' a-scrubbin'
Starchin' an' a-sockin'
Don't make you look like no Marilyn Monroe!
Tired of the tears I shed
Tired of livin' in the red
Tired of the same old bed
Gonna dress up fine like Cindy Lou
Gonna do the things I know she'd do
'Cause I'm tired, mighty tired of you!
Sure leaves your ego low!
Don't make you look like Marilyn Monroe!
Tired of the tears I shed
Tired of livin' in the red
Tired of the same old bed
Gonna dress up fine like Cindy Lou

Gonna do the things I know she'd do
'Cause I'm tired, mighty tired of you!

Overall Meaning

In Julie London's song "Tired," the lyrics portray a sense of weariness and dissatisfaction with various aspects of life. The singer expresses exhaustion with the life they lead, the constant presence of the blues, and the never-ending desire for things. This dissatisfaction prompts them to make a change and cut out wide from their current situation, in search of something new and exciting. They mention getting a brand new guy while they still have their youth, implying a desire for a fresh start in a romantic relationship.

The lyrics also touch upon the singer's weariness with their appearance and social standing. They express tiredness with the clothes they wear, the patches on them, and even the crows they scare. This dissatisfaction prompts them to move downtown, seeking a change in environment and hoping to elevate their social status. They mention wanting to spread their moo, perhaps indicating a desire for a more carefree and enjoyable lifestyle. Additionally, the lyrics mention the desire for a short fam shoe, symbolizing a desire for a new and stylish pair of shoes that reflects their desired transformation.

The second half of the song highlights the monotonous tasks and activities that contribute to the singer's unhappiness. The lyrics mention cleaning, mopping, dusting, shopping, washing, scrubbing, and socking, all of which leave their ego low. These mundane activities don't make the singer feel glamorous or desirable like Marilyn Monroe, whom they reference. It emphasizes their longing for a more glamorous and exciting life.

Line by Line Meaning

Tired of the life I lead
Exhausted from the way I live

Tired of the blues I breed
Weary of the sadness I create

Tired of the things I need
Fatigued by my constant desires

Gonna cut out wide and that's the truth
Going to make a big change and it's genuine

Get a brand new guy while I got my youth!
Find a fresh man while I still have my youth!

Tired of the clothes I wear
Worn out from the garments I put on

Tired of the patches there
Exhausted by the repairs I make

Tired of the crows I scare
Fed up with the birds I startle away

Gonna move down town and spread my moo
Planning to relocate to the city and make my mark

Get a short fam shoe and a new guy too!
Obtain a stylish fashionable shoe and also a different man!

Cleanin' an' a-moppin'
Scrubbing and mopping the floor