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’m Always Chasing Rainbows
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watching clouds drifting by
My schemes are just like all my dreams
Ending in the sky
Some fellows look and find the sunshine
I always look and find the rain
Some fellows make a winning sometimes
I never even make a gain
Waiting to find a little bluebird in vain
I'm always chasing rainbows
Watching clouds drifting by
My schemes are just like all my dreams
Ending in the sky
Some fellows look and find the sunshine
I always look and find the rain
Some fellows make a winning sometimes
I never even make a gain
Believe me, I'm always chasing rainbows
The lyrics to Harry Nilsson's "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" are about the singer's persistent pursuit of happiness and success, despite their repeated failures. The imagery of rainbows and clouds suggests a sense of fleeting beauty, and the notion that the singer's dreams and schemes are ephemeral, always disappearing just out of reach. This is reinforced by the repeated refrain, "ending in the sky," which suggests that the singer's aspirations are always just above them, but never attainable.
The second half of each verse highlights the contrast between the singer's experience and that of others: while some people can find happiness and success, the singer never does. They are always chasing rainbows, hoping to find a little bluebird (a symbol of happiness) but perpetually disappointed. This creates a sense of longing and melancholy in the song, as we see the singer's persistent effort to achieve their goals, despite the inevitable disappointment that comes with each attempt.
Overall, "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" is a poignant and relatable song about the struggle to find fulfillment and happiness in life. It speaks to the universal experience of longing for something more, and the sense that no matter how hard we try, there is always something just out of reach.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm always chasing rainbows
I am always pursuing the unattainable.
Watching clouds drifting by
Observing the beauty of the world, but not actively engaged with it.
My schemes are just like all my dreams
My plans are unrealistic, like my aspirations.
Ending in the sky
Falling short of reality or never coming to fruition.
Some fellows look and find the sunshine
Some people are content and happy with their lives.
I always look and find the rain
I am constantly focused on the negative aspects of life.
Some fellows make a winning sometimes
Sometimes people succeed in their endeavors.
I never even make a gain
I never succeed in achieving my goals.
Believe me, I'm always chasing rainbows
Trust me, I am constantly in pursuit of unachievable goals.
Waiting to find a little bluebird in vain
Hopelessly waiting for something that will never come to pass.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HARRY CARROLL, JOSEPH JOE MC CARTHY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind