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 lyrics to Harry Nilsson's song "I'd Rather Be Dead" may seem straightforward at first, as the title is repeated throughout the song. However, the song delves deeper into the idea of preferring death over certain circumstances, specifically wetting the bed. The theme of death is used as hyperbole to express the extreme embarrassment and shame that comes with bedwetting.
Nilsson's use of the phrase "you're better off dead" is also interesting to analyze. He suggests that it would be better to be deceased than to live with the humiliation of wetting the bed. The lyrics convey a sense of hopelessness and despair, with lines like "I'd rather go away, than feel this way" emphasizing the burden of this condition.
Overall, the song may be interpreted as a commentary on societal expectations and shame. Bedwetting is often stigmatized and seen as a sign of weakness or lack of control, and Nilsson's lyrics highlight the intense shame and embarrassment that can accompany it. The use of death as a preferable option may be seen as a commentary on the extreme measures that people may resort to in order to avoid this stigma.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd rather be dead, I'd rather be dead
The singer emphasizes how strongly they feel about the following statement.
I'd rather be dead than wet my bed
The singer prefers death over experiencing the shame and embarrassment of wetting the bed.
Oh, I'd rather be gone,
The singer would rather not exist at all than continue living in their current situation.
Than carry on
The artist doesn't want to endure any more pain or suffering and would prefer to leave this life.
I'd rather go away
The artist wants to physically leave a situation or place that is causing them emotional pain.
Than feel this way
The singer is experiencing such intense feelings of sadness and despair that they would rather not feel anything at all.
Oh, I'd rather be there
The singer would prefer to be in a place where they can find peace and be free from pain and suffering.
Where you haven't got a care
The artist wants to be in a place where all their worries and concerns disappear.
And you're better off dead
The artist believes that being dead is ultimately preferable to living a life filled with pain and suffering.
Though it doesn't seem fair
The artist acknowledges that life isn't always fair, and sometimes death may seem like the only solution.
I'd rather keep my health, and dress myself
The singer values their independence and would prefer to maintain control of their own life.
But you're better off dead than sitting on a shelf
The artist believes that being forgotten and neglected is worse than dying.
I'll tie my tie 'till the day I die
The singer is determined to maintain their dignity and self-respect until the end.
But if I have to be fed then I'd rather be dead
The singer would rather die than be in a situation where they are completely helpless and dependent on others for their basic needs.
And when he takes my hand on the very last day
The singer is referring to death as a personified figure that will come for them someday.
I will understand because it's better that way
The artist has come to terms with the inevitability of death and believes that it's ultimately better for them.
Oh! It's nice to be alive
The artist acknowledges that life can be good and enjoyable at times.
When the dream comes true
The singer is referring to achieving or attaining something they've been striving for.
You'll be better off dead
The singer implies that even when you achieve your goals, life can still be unbearable, and death is still preferable.
It could happen to you
The artist warns the audience that experiencing intense suffering is a possibility for anyone.
Alright! Give yourselves a big hand!
The artist ends with an ironic statement, congratulating the audience for listening to a song about preferring death over life.
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