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)
City Life
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gonna grab me a plane that'll take me back home to my folks.
Maybe real soon.
Just as soon as I get a few dollars ahead well you'll see,
Gonna show up in person instead of those letters I never write,
How does that sound
You joke that I got a deal that's gonna make me a million tomorrow
If I just hang around for a little while
Just temporarily
City life
Oh city life
Oh city life
City life
City life
The lyrics of Harry Nilsson's song "City Life" speak to a person's frustration and dissatisfaction with the fast-paced and often superficial lifestyle of urban living. The singer expresses a desire to leave the city and return to the simpler life of their family and old friends. They are tired of the constant hustle and bustle, the lack of genuine connection, and the materialistic values that dominate city life. The singer dreams of a more authentic and meaningful existence, one where they can reconnect with their roots and rejuvenate their spirit.
At the same time, the lyrics suggest a hint of uncertainty and ambivalence about returning home. The singer acknowledges that they need to get a few dollars ahead before they can make the trip, and they worry about the perception that they are lazy or unreliable for not visiting in person. They also make reference to a vague deal that they might be passing up by leaving the city, adding another layer of complexity to their decision. The repetition of the phrase "City Life" throughout the song emphasizes the theme of contrast and the tension between the allure and the drawbacks of urban living.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I'm down and I'm out and I've had it to here with the city life.
I am feeling very low and sad, and I am tired of living in the city.
Gonna grab me a plane that'll take me back home to my folks.
I am going to take a flight to go back home to my family.
Maybe real soon.
Hopefully, I will go back home soon.
Just as soon as I get a few dollars ahead well you'll see,
I will return home as soon as I have saved some money.
Gonna show up in person instead of those letters I never write,
Instead of writing letters, I am going to visit my family in person.
How does that sound
Is that idea good for you?
You joke that I got a deal that's gonna make me a million tomorrow
You said jokingly that I will get a deal tomorrow that will make me rich.
Can't? to let it come through
I cannot wait for the deal to happen.
If I just hang around for a little while
If I wait patiently for a bit more time.
Just temporarily
Only for a short period of time.
City life
The lifestyle of the city.
Oh city life
Oh, how difficult it is to live in the city.
Oh city life
Oh, how much I dislike the city life.
City life
The lifestyle of the city.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDY LATIMER, SUSAN HOOVER LATIMER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind