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)
Best Friend
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's a warm hearted person who'll love me 'til the end
People let me tell you bout my best friend
He's a one boy cuddly toy, my up, my down, my pride and joy
People let me tell you 'bout him he's so much fun
Whether we're talkin' man to man or whether we're talking son to son
'Cause he's my best friend
The lyrics to Harry Nilsson's song "Best Friend" celebrate the powerful bond of friendship between two individuals. The singer introduces us to his best friend, whom he describes as someone who is warmhearted and who will love him until the end. This person seems to have a significant impact on the singer's life as he is described as his up, his down, his pride, and joy. The singer emphasizes the fact that his best friend is someone he can talk to whether they are having a man-to-man conversation or a father and son conversation.
While the lyrics are simple, they evoke a sense of warmth and affection between these two friends. The song seems to suggest that friendship is a powerful and essential part of life, something that can help sustain us through ups and downs. It is also interesting to note that the song's lyrics seem to be in the second person, making the song feel like an invitation from the singer to the listener to celebrate the power of friendship.
Line by Line Meaning
People let me tell you 'bout my best friend
Let me introduce you to my closest companion
He's a warm hearted person who'll love me 'til the end
He is a compassionate individual who will remain loyal to me till the last breath
People let me tell you bout my best friend
Let me reiterate how important this person is to me
He's a one boy cuddly toy, my up, my down, my pride and joy
He is like a soft, lovable toy that is always there for me through thick and thin, and brings me immense happiness
People let me tell you 'bout him he's so much fun
Let me share with you how delightful and entertaining he is
Whether we're talkin' man to man or whether we're talking son to son
Regardless of whether we converse as adults or like father and son, we share a strong bond
'Cause he's my best friend
Simply because he is the most important person in my life
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harry Nilsson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pbnjay5504
[Verse 1]
People, let me tell you 'bout my best friend
He's a warm hearted person who'll love me till the end
People, let me tell you bout my best friend
He's a one boy cuddly toy, my up, my down, my pride and joy
[Verse 2]
People, let me tell you 'bout him he's so much fun
Whether we're talkin' man to man or whether we're talking son to son
'Cause he's my best friend
Yes he's my best friend
[Outro]
La-la
Pa-da-da-da-yah
Pa-da-da-da-yah
Pa-da-da-da-yah
Pa-bom-pa-bom, wah-wah
Ru-ba-da-bee-pee
Bo-bo-pee-ba
Ru-ba-da-bee-pee
Bo-bo-pee-ba
Ru-ba-duh-buh-bee
Bo-bo-pee-ba
Whoops
@LoopyWolf
For full version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40nKkWPQG6A
@threeleggedman
The Eddies Father version is much better.
@dawnstafford6182
No
@ericb7776
Girlfriend not best
@rheteriq
this is a different version, not the full version
@dano2668
My dad used to sing this to me when I was a kid. RIP dad I miss you
@kelli_with_an_I
Awe I sing this to my baby boy as well he loves it, R.I.P to your dad ❤
@SmokyMountainStarlight
omg you mustve had a wonderful Dad. 😌
@anonamous936
My dad used to sing me this song. He died of liver failure a year ago. Wasn't around whole lot but when he was he was always good to me. Love you dad.
@speshalkmf9273
You are very sad noe