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)
Down
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To the bottom
Hello
Is there anybody else here?
It's cold
And I'm so lonely
Hello
Hello
Can you throw me down a life-line
I'm so afarid of darkness
And down here it's just like night-time
(blblblblblblblbl)...
And there isn't any hope for me
Unless this dream that seems so real
Is just a fantasy.
The lyrics to Harry Nilsson's song "Down" speak of a feeling of isolation and despair. The opening lines of the song suggest that the singer has descended to a very low place both physically and emotionally. The repeated use of the word "hello" serves as a desperate plea for connection, in hopes that there is someone else around to help pull the singer out of his loneliness. As the song continues, the singer's desperation becomes more acute, asking for a lifeline to be thrown down to him. The sense of hopelessness is palpable, with the singer acknowledging that there is no hope for him unless he is able to awaken from this "dream", which he is not sure is real or just a fantasy.
The lyrics to "Down" are haunting in their simplicity and honesty. The song is an exploration of what it means to feel lost and alone, and the chorus serves as a cry for help, both to the listener and to whatever higher power may be listening. The song speaks to a universal experience of darkness and hopelessness that can be felt by anyone who has ever hit rock bottom.
Line by Line Meaning
Down
I am feeling down.
To the bottom
I am feeling down to the very bottom.
Hello
Is there someone out there who can hear me?
Is there anybody else here?
Is there anyone else feeling down like I am?
It's cold
The feeling of being down is like a cold breeze that never ends.
And I'm so lonely
I feel alone in my sadness.
Hello
I'm still looking for someone to connect with.
Can you throw me down a life-line
Can you help me out of this feeling of despair?
I'm so afraid of darkness
I fear the depths of my sadness.
And down here it's just like night-time
I feel like I am in the darkness of night, even in the daytime.
(blblblblblblblbl)...
I am unable to articulate my feelings any further.
And there isn't any hope for me
I feel hopeless and lost.
Unless this dream that seems so real
I hold onto hope that this feeling will pass like a dream.
Is just a fantasy.
I hope that the possibility of feeling better is not just a fantasy.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NOEL PASTOR MADUENO, JORGE ANTONIO HIDALGO DIAZ, JAN ERIK NILSSON, LUIS MIGUEZ RAMBAUD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ucmh
Holy shit, all the pieces of this song just go so well together...! I only started listening to Harry a week ago or so, and I'm becoming a fan.
Habitual Line Stepper
I love this entire album. I was raised on it.Listening to it on 8 track.
BIZPRO100
Harry Nilsson was a very talented man. His contribution to music was incredible. Ive always loved The Point!!
folly5girl
Same here friend💛💛
Ray McCraine
Obviously he can sing anything. One of a kind talent.
Dirk Gibbens
I remember buying the Nilsson Schmilsson and Son of Schmilsson cassettes from the Columbia record and tape club when I was 13 (1973). Great stuff!
petey twofinger
my fathers favorite arists so we were too !
supersonic key lime pie
This whole album...fantastic! 💥🤩
Naqoyqatsi L.A.W
This is a masterpiece
Larry Wildes
Amazing and unappreciated talent