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.
You'd Be so Nice to Come Home To
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You'd be so nice by the fire
While the breeze on high sang a lullaby
You'd be all that I could desire
Under stars chilled by the winter
Under an August moon burning above
You'd be so nice, you'd be paradise
To come home to and love
Under stars chilled by the winter
Under an August moon burning above
You'd be so nice, you'd be paradise
To come home to and love
The lyrics to Julie London's song, "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," paint a picture of a homecoming that evokes feelings of comfort, warmth, and desire. The opening line sets the tone for the rest of the song, as it perfectly captures the sentiment of what it would be like to return home to a loved one. The second line specifically references being by the fire, which adds to this feeling of coziness that is further emphasized as the lyrics mention a lullaby being sung by the high breeze.
As the lyrics continue, it becomes clear that this song is not just about coming home to a physical place, but coming home to a person. This is made explicit in the line "You'd be all that I could desire." The imagery of being "under stars chilled by the winter" or "under an August moon burning above" positions this homecoming as something universal and timeless. It is not specific to one particular moment or place, but something that people can relate to and understand regardless of their individual experiences.
Overall, the lyrics to "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" communicate a longing for warmth, comfort, and love. It is a song that captures the universal experience of wanting to return to a place and a person that feels like home.
Line by Line Meaning
You'd be so nice to come home to
It would be wonderful to return home to you after a long day out
You'd be so nice by the fire
Sitting by the fireplace with you would be an amazing experience
While the breeze on high sang a lullaby
The soothing sound of the breeze would add to the peaceful atmosphere
You'd be all that I could desire
Being with you would fulfill all my wishes and satisfy me completely
Under stars chilled by the winter
In the cold winter nights, with the stars shining above us, being with you would bring warmth and comfort
Under an August moon burning above
Even on hot summer nights, with the moon shining bright, being with you would make everything perfect
You'd be so nice, you'd be paradise
Your presence would be wonderful and ideal in every way
To come home to and love
Returning home to you and loving you would be the ultimate joy and happiness
Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Sentric Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind