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)
Ambush
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is a light from yesterday
The drum which leads the way
Is a sound from yesterday
The road is filled with shadows
Of a million, living leaves
Darkness all around us
We sang a song together
To help us through the night
The song was sung with spirit
But soft, and like a choir
And as the others sang along
Our voices lifted higher
We sang until we reached the bridge
We crossed, then saw the wire
But by the time we stopped the song
The enemy had opened fire
Now, we ain't gonna sing that song no more
Ain't gonna sing that song no more
Just don't pay to sing no more
Especially when you're in a war. A war
Now, this time through
We want everybody to listen to the punchline
All right. All right. All right! All right!
The song was sung with spirit
But soft and like a choir
But by the time we stopped the song
The enemy had opened fire
Now, we ain't gonna sing that song no more
Ain't gonna sing that song no more
Just don't pay to sing no more
Especially when you're in a war
The lyrics of Harry Nilsson's song "Ambush" express the futility of war and the power of music to bring people together. The first verse sets the tone with the image of an outdated light and drum, representing the past and the traditions that have led them to this point. The road is described as dark and friendless, with only the comfort of song to guide them. The second verse highlights the power of song to provide a sense of community and hope in the face of danger.
However, the song takes a sudden turn in the final verse when the group is ambushed and forced to abandon their song. The repeated refrain, "We ain't gonna sing that song no more," is a defiant statement against the violence and destruction of war. The final line, "Especially when you're in a war," underscores the fact that war changes everything and makes even the most meaningful traditions and rituals impossible.
Overall, "Ambush" is a powerful statement against war and a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit.
Line by Line Meaning
The lamp that lights the way
The guiding force we trusted may have been outdated or irrelevant
Is a light from yesterday
It's a reminder that we can't rely solely on past experiences to navigate current challenges
The drum which leads the way
The rhythm that sets the pace may be unpredictable or unreliable
Is a sound from yesterday
It's a warning that old patterns can't always be relied on for guidance
The road is filled with shadows
The path ahead is unclear and full of unknowns and obstacles
Of a million, living leaves
The shifting landscape is alive and constantly changing
Darkness all around us
The situation feels hopeless and uncertain
And not a friend in sight
We feel alone and unsupported in our struggle
We sang a song together
We found solace and strength in coming together
To help us through the night
We sought comfort and companionship in difficult times
The song was sung with spirit
We sang with enthusiasm and hope
But soft, and like a choir
We sang gently and harmoniously, seeking to uplift one another
And as the others sang along
We joined together in solidarity
Our voices lifted higher
Our collective effort gave us strength and momentum
We sang until we reached the bridge
We kept going until we reached a significant turning point
We crossed, then saw the wire
We realized we had been ambushed
But by the time we stopped the song
We were too late to react
The enemy had opened fire
We were caught off guard and under attack
Now, we ain't gonna sing that song no more
We've learned our lesson and won't make the same mistake again
Ain't gonna sing that song no more
We're moving forward and adapting to the new reality
Just don't pay to sing no more
We recognize that certain actions and behaviors come with a cost
Especially when you're in a war
The stakes are high and the consequences are serious
Now, this time through
We're starting fresh and taking a new approach
We want everybody to listen to the punchline
We have an important message to share
All right. All right. All right! All right!
We're ready to move forward and face whatever comes our way
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: HARRY NILSSON, HARRY EDWARD NILSSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@donalddixon6541
One of my favorite Nilsson songs. It needs to be more well known......Everybody share!
@provost50
Placing this song in its proper historical perspective - it is an anti-war song and reflects the spirit prevalent among us during the Vietnam era. Good for you, Harry.
@darrellkastin6738
Been saying that for many years. The song should be better known. Harry too, of course.
@mark1952able
Harry could play any Genre ...blues, love songs, spirituals, rock, you name it.....he did it. POW!
@randal_gibbons
My father introduced me to Harry in 1977. I was 14 and this is the album he had me listen to. Done deal, I was a fan.
@martinm3474
This is one of the roughest, hardest songs I have ever heard. Over all these years this still tears me up. Such Power.!.
@flyspeckcafe
One of my absolute favorites.
@garrettmiles1877
I love harry it's a shame he's so underated
@gogoyubari366
What makes you believe he's underrated?
@johnscialfa7391
i think u might mean not as popular as he should have been