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)
Blanket for a Sail
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Far beyond the seven seas
There's a tiny little boat
Faith is keeping her afloat
And a tiny little skipper with his worn and tattered coat
You see the law of the ocean
Days you shall never fail
Use your heart as a rudder
And a blanket for a sail
Sleep for the weary
Dreams for us all
Rest your head on a pillow
And I'll tell you a tale
Use your heart as a blanket
And a blanket for a sail
Row, row, row your boat gently through a dream
Way out on the ocean
Far beyond the seven seas
There's a tiny little boat
Faith is keeping her afloat
And a tiny little skipper with his worn and tattered coat
You see the law of the ocean
Days you shall never fail
Use your heart as a rudder
Faith as a compass
And a blanket for a sail
The lyrics to Harry Nilsson's song Blanket for a Sail seems to be a lullaby that tells a story of a tiny boat on the ocean and the little skipper with his worn and tattered coat who keeps it afloat with the help of faith. The law of the ocean says that the days will never fail, and the key to navigating it is by using your heart as a rudder and faith as a compass, as well as a blanket for a sail. The latter seems to represent the comforting and protective covering that keeps the boat and its passengers safe as they navigate the rough seas.
The song is quite metaphorical and has a dreamy quality that is well-suited for a lullaby. The lyrics suggest that life can be like a vast and sometimes treacherous ocean, and that we can navigate it by finding our own faith and using our hearts to guide us. The blanket as a sail is a poignant image, as it suggests that we can find comfort and shelter even in the midst of turbulence and upheaval. Overall, the song is a comforting and reassuring message that we can all find our way, even when the journey seems daunting.
Line by Line Meaning
Way out on the ocean
The boat is far away from civilization
Far beyond the seven seas
It is in a place that is distant even from the farthest reaches of the sea
There's a tiny little boat
The boat is small
Faith is keeping her afloat
The boat is staying afloat due to the belief and trust of the skipper
And a tiny little skipper with his worn and tattered coat
The skipper is small and his coat is old and in poor condition
You see the law of the ocean
There is a rule about the way things work in the ocean
Days you shall never fail
If you follow this rule, you will never fail
Use your heart as a rudder
Use your feelings to steer your life in the right direction
Faith as a compass
Believe in yourself and have trust in your abilities
And a blanket for a sail
Use simple things in life to help you move forward and make progress
Sleep for the weary
Rest is important when you are feeling tired
Dreams for us all
Everyone has the ability to pursue their dreams
Rest your head on a pillow
Comfort is important when trying to rest
And I'll tell you a tale
Narratives can be soothing and help us fall asleep
Use your heart as a blanket
Be compassionate in your actions towards others
And a blanket for a sail
Simple things like blankets can help propel us forward in life
Row, row, row your boat gently through a dream
Life is like rowing a boat, and you should gently guide it towards your dreams
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HARRY NILSSON, HARRY EDWARD NILSSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind