Harry Edward Nilsson III (June 15, 1941 – January 15, 1994), sometimes cred… Read Full Bio ↴Harry Edward Nilsson III (June 15, 1941 – January 15, 1994), sometimes credited as Nilsson, was an American singer-songwriter who reached the peak of his success in the early 1970s. His work is characterized by pioneering vocal overdub experiments, a return to the Great American Songbook, and fusions of Caribbean sounds. Nilsson was one of the few major pop-rock recording artists to achieve significant commercial success without performing major public concerts or touring regularly.

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 Popeye the Sailor Man
Harry Nilsson Lyrics

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I'm Popeye the Sailor Man,
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.
I'm strong to the finich
Cause I eats me spinach.
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.

I'm one tough Gazookus
Which hates all Palookas

Wot ain't on the up and square.
I biffs 'em and buffs 'em
And always out roughs 'em
But none of 'em gets nowhere.

If anyone dares to risk my "Fisk",
It's "Boff" an' it's "Wham" un'erstan'?
So keep "Good Be-hav-or"
That's your one life saver
With Popeye the Sailor Man.

I'm Popeye the Sailor Man,
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.
I'm strong to the finich

Cause I eats me spinach.
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.

Overall Meaning

The iconic theme song of the cartoon series of the same name, "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man," is a character introduction of the titular character of the series. The opening lines emphasize Popeye's physical prowess, declaring his strength that comes from his particular diet of spinach. The song makes sure to tell the listeners that Popeye is "strong to the finich," and this physical strength is an essential quality of the character.

The subsequent verses of the song introduce another important aspect of Popeye's character, his toughness. He is described as a "tough Gazookus," and he hates all "Palookas," which can be interpreted as people who are not trustworthy, or less than honorable. It is implied that Popeye has to deal with such crooks frequently, as he is always out to "biffs 'em and buffs 'em" and out roughs them. The song then is dedicated to encouraging the listeners to "keep Good Behav-ior," implying that if they don't, they will face the wrath of Popeye.

Overall, the song is an interesting exploration of Popeye's character traits. It emphasizes his physical strength, his strict code of honor, and his no-nonsense attitude towards the wicked. It is a sort of anthem that sets the tone for the action-packed episodes that follow.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm Popeye the Sailor Man,
I am a sailor named Popeye.

I'm strong to the finich
I am very strong.

Cause I eats me spinach.
I become stronger by eating spinach.

I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.
I am still Popeye.

I'm one tough Gazookus
I am very tough.

Which hates all Palookas
And I dislike anyone who is not honest.

Wot ain't on the up and square.
I do not like people who do not play fairly.

I biffs 'em and buffs 'em
I hit and knock them around.

And always out roughs 'em
I always win in fights.

But none of 'em gets nowhere.
But no one can beat me.

If anyone dares to risk my "Fisk",
If anyone tries to harm me,