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)
A Thousand Miles Away
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're a thousand miles away-ay
Bu-u-t I still have your love to remember you by
Oh, my dar-ar-ar-arling, dry your eyes
Daddy's coming home soon
On my knees every day-ay
Hope you a-a-a-always want me too
Daddy's coming home soon
It may be on a Sunday morning
It may be on a Tuesday afternoon
But no matter what the day is
I'm going to make it my business to get home soon
You're (a thousand miles away)
Bu-u-ut I still have your love to remember you by
Oh, my dar-ar-ar-arling, dry your eyes
Daddy's coming ho-ome so-oo-oo-oo-oon
The song “A Thousand Miles Away” by Harry Nilsson is a poignant expression of the pain and longing a man feels for his lover who is far away from him, encapsulated in just a few stanzas. The song's speaker opens by acknowledging that he is geographically distant from his lover, but then asserts that distance doesn't diminish his love for her. He proclaims that he will always hold onto the memory of their love, reminding her to dry her eyes because he will soon be coming home to her. The singer immerses himself in daily prayer, asking for her well-being and longing for her to always want him, affirming that he will be with her soon.
The chorus of the chorus sees the singer making a pledge to his lover, promising her that he will return to her embrace, regardless of whether the day is a Tuesday or Sunday. This line conveys a sense of urgency and determination on his part, to be reunited with her as soon as possible. The singer then repeats the refrain of the opening stanza, reassuring his lover of his love, and placing himself in a position of provider and protector, as "daddy's coming home soon."
Overall, “A Thousand Miles Away” is a touching and heartfelt song that speaks volumes about the nature of love and connection, especially in challenging circumstances. The lyrics offer a powerful affirmation of the enduring force of love, even over long distances, and the importance of faith and perseverance in maintaining a strong bond.
Line by Line Meaning
You're a thousand miles away-ay
You may be physically far, but distance cannot erase the love we share
Bu-u-t I still have your love to remember you by
Despite being apart, the love we have for each other still remains strong and true
Oh, my dar-ar-ar-arling, dry your eyes
Don't worry or be sad, my love. There's no need to cry
Daddy's coming home soon
I may be away now, but I promise I'll be back with you soon
On my knees every day-ay
Every day, I pray to God for your happiness and safety
All I do is pray, baby, just for you
My only wish is for your well-being and joy, my love
Hope you a-a-a-always want me too
I hope that you still love me and want me as much as I love and want you
It may be on a Sunday morning
I may come back to you on any day of the week it may be
It may be on a Tuesday afternoon
I don't know when exactly, but I promise I'll be home sooner or later
But no matter what the day is
Regardless of what day it is, I'll come back to be with you
I'm going to make it my business to get home soon
I am determined to return home to you as soon as possible, no matter what obstacles I may face along the way
You're (a thousand miles away)
Although you're geographically distant, you're still close to me in my thoughts and heart
Bu-u-ut I still have your love to remember you by
Even though you're far, your love is enough to keep me going until we're reunited
Oh, my dar-ar-ar-arling, dry your eyes
My love, please don't cry. Remember that we're still together in our hearts
Daddy's coming ho-ome so-oo-oo-oo-oon
Daddy will be back home with you in no time. Just hold on a little longer
Contributed by Caden G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.