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.
Wives and Lovers
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Em7 A7 G/B A7
Soon he will open the door.
F#m7 B7 F#m7 B7
Don't think because you've a ring on your finger
You needn't try anymore,
Bm7-5 E7 Bm7-5 E7
For wives should always be lovers, too;
C#m7-5 F#7 C#m7-5 F#7
Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you,
Bm7-5 FM7 E7 E7 alt G/B A7
I'm warn - ing you...
Em7 A7 G/B A7
Day after day, there are girls at the office,
Em7 A7 G/B A7
And men will always be men;
F#m7 B7 F#m7 B7
Don't send him off with your hair still in curlers --
F#m7 B7 F#m7 B7
You may not see him again.
Bm7-5 E7 Bm7-5 E7
For wives should always be lovers, too,
C#m7-5 F#7 C#m7-5 F#7
Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you;
Bm7-5 FM7 E7 E7 alt G/B A7
He's al - most here.
Em7 A7 G/B A7
Hey, little girl, better wear something pretty,
Em7 A7 G/B A7
Something you'd wear to go to the city,
F#m7 B7 F#m7 B7
And dim all the lights, pour the wine, start the music,
Em7 A7 D D6
Time to get ready for love,
Em7 A7 F#m7 B7
Time to get ready, time to get ready,
Em7 A7 D D alt - D6
Time to get ready for love.
The song "Wives and Lovers" by Julie London was a popular hit when it was released in the early 1960s. The song is addressed to a young woman who is married and is being given advice on how to keep her husband happy. The lyrics suggest that in order to keep her husband's love, she needs to always be ready and attractive for him. The song reinforces the traditional gender roles of the time, where it was the woman's responsibility to keep the man happy and satisfied. The singer tells the woman that it doesn't matter that she has a wedding ring on her finger, she still needs to try to keep her man's interest. The song also warns the woman of the competition she faces from other women, particularly those at her husband's office.
The song's lyrics can be interpreted as sexist and outdated by today's standards, but they do provide insight into the gender roles that were prevalent at the time the song was written. The song also highlights the pressure that women felt to maintain their appearance and attractiveness for their husbands, and it can be seen as a commentary on the societal expectations that women faced.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, little girl, comb your hair, fix your makeup --
Prepare yourself, as your husband is about to arrive home.
Soon he will open the door.
Your husband will be arriving home shortly.
Don't think because you've a ring on your finger
Just because you're already married, it doesn't mean you can stop trying.
You needn't try anymore,
You still need to put in the effort to maintain your relationship.
For wives should always be lovers, too;
Women should not forget to keep the romance alive in their marriage.
Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you,
As soon as your husband arrives home, you should show him love and affection.
I'm warn - ing you...
This is a warning for married women to not forget to be romantic.
Day after day, there are girls at the office,
Every day, your husband will interact with other women at his job.
And men will always be men;
Men will always be attracted to women.
Don't send him off with your hair still in curlers --
Don't let your husband leave when you're not at your best.
You may not see him again.
You never know what could happen, so always make the most of your time together.
Hey, little girl, better wear something pretty,
Get dressed up to show your husband that you care about your appearance for him.
Something you'd wear to go to the city,
Dress up as if you're going out for a special night on the town.
And dim all the lights, pour the wine, start the music,
Set a romantic ambiance to prepare for an intimate evening with your husband.
Time to get ready for love,
It's time to prepare for a romantic evening with your husband.
Time to get ready, time to get ready,
Don't waste any time and start getting ready for a romantic evening right away.
Time to get ready for love.
Get ready for a loving and romantic night with your partner.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BURT BACHARACH, HAL DAVID
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind