Born in Brooklyn, Nilsson moved to Los Angeles as a teenager to escape his family's poor financial situation. While working as a computer programmer at a bank, he grew interested in musical composition and close-harmony singing and was successful in having some of his songs recorded by various artists, such as the Monkees. In 1967, he debuted on RCA Victor with the LP Pandemonium Shadow Show, followed by a variety of releases that included a collaboration with Randy Newman (Nilsson Sings Newman, 1970) and the original children's story The Point! (1971).
He created the first remix album, Aerial Pandemonium Ballet, in 1971, and recorded the first mashup song ("You Can't Do That") in 1967. His most commercially successful album, Nilsson Schmilsson (1971), produced the international top 10 singles "Without You" and "Coconut". His other top 10 hit, "Everybody's Talkin'" (1968), was featured prominently in the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy. A version of Nilsson's "One," released by Three Dog Night in 1969, also reached the U.S. top 10.
During a 1968 press conference, The Beatles were asked what their favorite American group was and answered "Nilsson." Sometimes called "the American Beatle," he soon formed close friendships with John Lennon and Ringo Starr, joining them in the Hollywood Vampires drinking club. He and Lennon produced one collaborative album, Pussy Cats (1974). After 1977, Nilsson left RCA, and his record output diminished. In response to Lennon's 1980 murder, he took a hiatus from the music industry to campaign for gun control. For the rest of his life, he recorded only sporadically. In 1994, Nilsson died of a heart attack while in the midst of recording what became his last album, Losst and Founnd (2019).
The craft of Nilsson's songs and the defiant attitude he projected remain touchstones for later generations of indie rock musicians. Nilsson was voted No. 62 in Rolling Stone's 2015 list of the "100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time," where he was described as "a pioneer of the Los Angeles studio sound" and "a crucial bridge" between 1960s psychedelia and the 1970s singer-songwriter era. The RIAA certified Nilsson Schmilsson and Son of Schmilsson (1972) as gold records, indicating over 500,000 units sold each. He earned two Grammy Awards (for "Everybody's Talkin'" and "Without You").
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Nilsson
Discography
Spotlight on Nilsson (1966)
Pandemonium Shadow Show (1967)
Aerial Ballet (1968)
Skidoo (1968) (soundtrack)
Harry (1969)
Nilsson Sings Newman (1970)
The Point! (1970) (studio album and soundtrack)
Nilsson Schmilsson (1971)
Son of Schmilsson (1972)
A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night (1973)
Son of Dracula (1974) (soundtrack)
Pussy Cats (1974)
Duit on Mon Dei (1975)
Sandman (1976)
...That's the Way It Is (1976)
Knnillssonn (1977)
Flash Harry (1980)
Popeye (1980) (soundtrack)
Losst and Founnd (2019)
1941 (Live on BBC's
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the fans he had were younger than he and they loved to scream his name
They'd leave at the end of the third show, go home to talk of the fun
Well, isn't nice the parents would say, well isn't nice you've got someone
Someone to idolize, he must look twice his size
I think it's great you're going through a phase
And I'm awfully glad it will all be over in a couple of days
And he never grew tired of singing his song, and his fans still called his name
They'd leave at the end of the second show, go home to talk of the fun
For most of the fans were married by then, so they had to be in by one
I'm awfully glad, the husbands would say, I'm awfully glad you got someone
Someone, I realize, who used to look twice his size
I think it's great you still remember his name
And I'll bet if he knew you were there for the show
He'd be awfully glad you came
"The time has come," the Walrus said, "to speak of other things"
Like a fallen star who works in a bar where yesterday is king
The fans will stay for an hour or so, they still remember his fame
But the time has come the Walrus said, "to call your fans by name"
The song Mr. Richland’s Favorite Song by Harry Nilsson is a satire about the fleeting nature of fame, and how it changes over time. The lyrics describe a young singer who has a fan following, and how his audience evolves as he grows older. The first stanza talks about how he used to have younger fans who were devoted to him, leaving his shows with a sense of excitement and adventure. The parents of the fans took this as a passing phase that their children would grow out of. However, the second stanza shows that the singer continues to perform, and his fans have grown older and married. Despite the passing of time, they still remember him, and he remembers them. The song ends on a somber note, with the realization that even though the singer's fame may have waned and his audience may have changed, he remains the same.
Line by Line Meaning
When he was young, he sang in the band and his fans all looked the same
As a young singer, he had a homogeneous fan-base who appreciated his music.
And the fans he had were younger than he and they loved to scream his name
His fans were younger and would enthusiastically cheer for him.
They'd leave at the end of the third show, go home to talk of the fun
His fans would leave after the third show and discuss how enjoyable it was.
Well, isn't nice the parents would say, well isn't nice you've got someone
Parents viewed this phase in their child's life positively and were glad they had someone to admire.
Someone to idolize, he must look twice his size
The scale of admiration for him was high as he was idolized by his fans.
I think it's great you're going through a phase
People thought it was positive that young people had something to be enthusiastic about.
And I'm awfully glad it will all be over in a couple of days
While supportive, people knew that this was a temporary phase.
Well, the calendar changed and the pages fell off, but the singer remained the same
The singer remained unchanged, even as time passed.
And he never grew tired of singing his song, and his fans still called his name
He continued to enjoy singing and his fans remained dedicated.
They'd leave at the end of the second show, go home to talk of the fun
Fans who now had obligations would leave after the second show, still discussing how much fun they had.
For most of the fans were married by then, so they had to be in by one
Many of his fans were married and had to go home early.
I'm awfully glad, the husbands would say, I'm awfully glad you got someone
Husbands would support their wives attending the concerts as a way of reminiscing about their youthful enjoyment of the music.
Someone, I realize, who used to look twice his size
The perception of his size was previously exaggerated but he still held a special place in their hearts.
I think it's great you still remember his name
The fans still held him in high esteem and remembered him years later.
And I'll bet if he knew you were there for the show, he'd be awfully glad you came
The singer would be happy to know fans still enjoyed his music and made the effort to attend his concerts.
"The time has come," the Walrus said, "to speak of other things"
It's time to move on from being star-struck and discussing new topics.
Like a fallen star who works in a bar where yesterday is king
The metaphorical representation of a former successful singer who now works in a bar, showing the fleeting nature of fame.
The fans will stay for an hour or so, they still remember his fame
Fans would come to the bar and stay just for a short time, demonstrating their memory of his fame.
But the time has come the Walrus said, "to call your fans by name"
It's time to move on from the idea of homogenous fans and acknowledge them on an individual level.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HARRY NILSSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TheDreamMechanic
Actual music about actual life events - performed with actual emotion. Not just for a hit. Damn near a lost art in these WalMart days and times.
zyxmyk
in 68 when they asked lennon and mccartney who was their favorite band they simultaneously said, "Harry Nilsson." you can see why. genius.
mquartarone
Better than the album version - Harry unplugged!
MAMsMom97
@QuixoticWeetzie I think all the songs he featured on this program were better renditions than the album versions. Slower, more soulful. He would have been a great live performer playing to small crowds if he had given himself half a chance, but he was one who didn't like to answer to anyone and didn't like to be "on" at 8 or 9 o'clock at night. Thanks for stopping by!
Brandon Thompson
Hard agree
mics marvelous music
So underrated and amazing, the American Beatle deserves more credit
Brendan Maccatak McCartney
The man was a f###in genius! LOVE IT!
mics marvelous music
Absolute love for this man!!!
zyxquark
I remember him like it was yesterday. He's the closest we ever came to producing our very own paul mccartney. just a bit too self destructive. actually self-destruction was quite easy in the seventies. I'm not sure why any of us are still alive.
Katherine Takpannie
This song makes me cry in the best way possible