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)
I’d Rather Be Dead
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'd rather be dead than wet my bed
I'd rather be dead, I'd rather be dead
I said dead than wet my bed
Oh, I'd rather be gone,
Than carry on
I'd rather go away
Oh, I'd rather be there
Where you haven't got a care
And you're better off dead
Though it doesn't seem fair
Oh, I'd rather be dead
I'd rather be dead
I'd rather be dead than wet than wet my bed
I'd rather be dead, I'd rather be dead
I'd rather be dead than wet than wet my bed
I'd rather keep my health, and dress myself
But you're better off dead than sitting on a shelf
I'll tie my tie 'till the day I die
But if I have to be fed then I'd rather be dead
And when he takes my hand on the very last day
I will understand because it's better that way
Oh! It's nice to be alive
When the dream comes true
You'll be better off dead
It could happen to you
Oh! I'd rather be dead
I'd rather be dead
I'd rather be dead than wet my bed
I'd rather be dead, I'd rather be dead
I'd rather be dead than wet than wet my bed
(Alright! Give yourselves a big hand!)
The song "I'd Rather Be Dead" by Harry Nilsson features a jarring title that catches the listener's attention. It speaks about preferring death to a humiliating and helpless situation, which is wetting the bed. The lyrics are simple but deep and poignant. It conveys the character's extreme despair and the desire to escape from scenarios where they lack control.
The character in the song is not only talking about wetting the bed but also a more significant feeling of being trapped, helpless, and ashamed. The character prefers death than to live in such a state. The phrase "I'd rather be gone than carry on" exemplifies this feeling. The character imagines a place where there are no worries and wants to be "where you haven't got a care." The song ends with the idea that "it's nice to be alive when the dream comes true," but there is still the possibility of being "better off dead."
Overall, the song shows that despite being a simple refrain, it speaks deeply about how desperation can lead to thoughts of death. It's an intense expression of what can happen when a person feels out of control and helpless in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd rather be dead, I'd rather be dead
I would rather not exist at all, I would choose death over anything else.
I'd rather be dead than wet my bed
I would rather be lifeless than lose control of my bodily functions while sleeping.
Oh, I'd rather be gone,
I would prefer to vanish, cease to exist.
Than carry on
Continuing to live seems unbearable.
I'd rather go away
I would rather depart from this life, never to return.
Than feel this way
The current emotional state is unbearable.
Oh, I'd rather be there
Anywhere else, as long as it's not here.
Where you haven't got a care
A place without worries or troubles.
And you're better off dead
Even death is preferable to the current situation.
Though it doesn't seem fair
Despite the injustice of the situation, death is the better option.
Oh, I'd rather be dead
I would rather not exist, death would be preferable.
I'd rather keep my health, and dress myself
I want to maintain my independence and not rely on others for my basic needs.
But you're better off dead than sitting on a shelf
Being confined to a life of immobility and stagnation is worse than death.
I'll tie my tie 'till the day I die
I will continue to dress myself as long as I live.
But if I have to be fed then I'd rather be dead
If I lose my ability to eat on my own, I would rather die.
And when he takes my hand on the very last day
Referring to death, when it comes for me.
I will understand because it's better that way
I will accept my fate, as dying is better than living in such conditions.
Oh! It's nice to be alive
Life can be pleasant and enjoyable at times.
When the dream comes true
When aspirations are fulfilled.
You'll be better off dead
Ironically, even when wishes come true, death is still preferable to some.
It could happen to you
Anyone can end up feeling like death is the better option.
I'd rather be dead than wet my bed
I would prefer death over losing control of bladder or bowels while sleeping.
I'd rather be dead, I'd rather be dead
Death is the preferred choice over life.
I'd rather be dead than wet than wet my bed
Death is preferable over the potential humiliation of wetting the bed.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HARRY NILSSON, RICHARD PERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nunyanunya6398
i watched The Point over and over as a child.,strange..i kinda sound and look like him!
Hey ma! Was harry ever a milkman? Lol
My very first friend in life... his dad was rambkin frontman for a rocknroll band.,,
unrelated...yo 3 dog night! U for forgot something backstage in SLC bro
@HarryNilssonCatalogue
Only Nilsson would write a song about the one thing no one wants to write a song about.
@brendamoore3775
The group singing with him is the Senior Citizens of the Stepney & Pinner Choir Club No. 6, London, England. They are adorable!!!
@bobdudy7177
I remember hearing this in High School in the 70's and thinking, now "those are some Hip Oldsters." I miss Harry.
@johnnydepp3801
Theyre all dead
@Bogframe
Not to mention soused to the gills on brandy, G-d bless 'em!😀
@Nico-pl6sf
They ded
@LazyIRanch
Those three adorable ladies dancing in a circle together brought back memories of my mom and her two sisters. They loved to sing, and when they were together they constantly cut up and laughed. Their maiden name was "Cagle" but my dad called them the "Cackle Sisters". The older they got, the more they didn't give a crap what people thought.
They were cracking up at a restaurant so much once, the waiter came over, looking disturbed and asked, "Have you ladies been DRINKING!?" None of them drank, and my oldest aunt said, "Darling, we get this way from breathing AIR!"
@mikeohagan2206
these old folks lived through 2 world wars with a depression in between,, much tougher than we will ever be. break out the sherry dance and sing. while you still can.
@jeffryhammel3035
That's exactly what I thought. Perceptive comment!
@99madneon
😂😂😂tougher, you said. These are brainwashed by the government and they were scared of black people. Tougher my ass