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.
When the Red Red Robin Comes a Bob Bobobbin' Along
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin' along, along
There'll be no more sobbin' when he starts throbbin' his old sweet song
Wake up, wake up you sleepy head
Get up, get out of your bed
Cheer up, cheer up the sun is red
Live, love, laugh and be happy What if I were blue, now I'm walking through, walking through the fields of flowers
Rain may glisten but still I listen for hours and hours
I'm just a kid again doing what I did again, singing a song
When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin' along
When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin'
When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin' along
There'll be no more sobbin' when he starts throbbin'
There'll be no more sobbin' when he starts a throbbin' his old sweet song
Wake up, wake up you sleepy head
Why don't you get up, get up, get out of bed, cheer up
Live, love, laugh and be happy
What if I were blue, now I'm walking through fields of flowers
Rain may glisten but still I listen for hours and hours
I'm just a kid again, doing what I did again, singing a song
When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin'
When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin' along
Along, along, along, along, along.
The song "When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob-Bob Bobbin' Along" by Julie London is a joyful and uplifting tune. The lyrics describe the arrival of the red robin and the happiness it brings. The robin's "old sweet song" is so infectious that it prompts the singer to wake up, cheer up and "live, love, laugh, and be happy". Even the rain cannot dampen the singer's spirits, as they continue to listen to the robin's song for hours on end.
The lyrics can be interpreted to mean that no matter what challenges one may face in life, there will always be moments of happiness and joy to look forward to. The arrival of the red robin symbolizes these moments of happiness, and the song encourages the listener to embrace them and enjoy life to the fullest.
Overall, "When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob-Bob Bobbin' Along" is a simple yet profound song about finding joy in the midst of life's ups and downs.
Line by Line Meaning
When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin' along
When the little red bird with a bouncy hop comes along
There'll be no more sobbin' when he starts throbbin' his old sweet song
No more crying when he sings his cheerful tune
Wake up, wake up you sleepy head
Get up, sleepy person
Get up, get out of your bed
Leave your bed
Cheer up, cheer up the sun is red
Be happy, the sun is shining
Live, love, laugh and be happy
Enjoy life and have fun
What if I were blue, now I'm walking through, walking through the fields of flowers
Even if I were sad, now I am strolling through a beautiful field of flowers
Rain may glisten but still I listen for hours and hours
Even if it's raining, I can still enjoy the sound of birds singing for hours
I'm just a kid again doing what I did again, singing a song
I feel young again and am singing a happy tune like I used to
When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin'
When the little red bird with a bouncy hop comes along
When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin' along
When the little red bird with a bouncy hop comes along
There'll be no more sobbin' when he starts throbbin'
No more crying when he sings his cheerful tune
There'll be no more sobbin' when he starts a throbbin' his old sweet song
No more crying when he sings his cheerful tune
Wake up, wake up you sleepy head
Get up, sleepy person
Why don't you get up, get up, get out of bed, cheer up
Why don't you leave your bed and be happy?
Live, love, laugh and be happy
Enjoy life and have fun
What if I were blue, now I'm walking through fields of flowers
Even if I were sad, now I am strolling through a beautiful field of flowers
Rain may glisten but still I listen for hours and hours
Even if it's raining, I can still enjoy the sound of birds singing for hours
I'm just a kid again, doing what I did again, singing a song
I feel young again and am singing a happy tune like I used to
When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin'
When the little red bird with a bouncy hop comes along
When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin' along
When the little red bird with a bouncy hop comes along
Along, along, along, along, along.
With a bouncy hop, bouncy hop, bouncy hop, bouncy hop, bouncy hop.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind