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.
Yours
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yours till the birds fail to sing
Yours to the end of life's story
This pledge to you dear
I bring
Yours in the grey of December
Here on unfar distant shores
The way I love you
How could I
When I was born to be
Just yours
(Yours in the grey of December)
(Here on unfar distant shores)
I've never loved anyone
The way I love you
How could I
When I was born to be
Just yours
(Yours till the stars lose their glory)
The song "Yours" by Julie London is a sweet and romantic love song that expresses a deep commitment and devotion to the person the singer loves. The lyrics of the song evoke images of endless love and loyalty, with the singer pledging to be "yours" for all eternity.
In the first verse, the singer declares that they will be "yours till the stars lose their glory" and "yours till the birds fail to sing". This is a powerful statement that suggests a love that will remain steadfast and unwavering, even in the face of adversity and challenges.
The second verse continues this theme, with the singer proclaiming that they have never loved anyone the way they love their partner, and that they were "born to be just yours". This line is particularly poignant, as it suggests a sense of destiny or fate that has brought the two lovers together.
Overall, the lyrics of "Yours" are simple but heartfelt, and they perfectly capture the timeless essence of true love and dedication.
Line by Line Meaning
Yours till the stars lose their glory
I will be devoted to you forever, even when all things lose their brightness and luster.
Yours till the birds fail to sing
My commitment to you will never wane, even if all the natural joys of the world disappear.
Yours to the end of life's story
I vow to be with you until the end of our lives, through every joy and sorrow that comes our way.
This pledge to you dear
I offer this sincere promise to you, my beloved.
Yours in the grey of December
Even during the bleak and desolate times, I will remain by your side.
Here on unfar distant shores
No matter where I may find myself, I am still yours.
I've never loved anyone
I have never had feelings like this for anyone else.
The way I love you
My affection for you is unique and unparalleled.
How could I
It is impossible for me to love anyone as much as I love you.
When I was born to be
My destiny has always been to belong to you.
Just yours
I am yours and only yours, forever.
Writer(s): G. Roig, J. Sherr, A. Gamse
Contributed by Lincoln P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.