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)
It Had to Be You
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wandered around and finally found the somebody who
Could make me be true, could make me feel blue,
And even be glad just to be sad thinkin' of you.
Some others I've seen might never be mean
Might never be cross or try to be boss,
But they wouldn't do.
With all your faults, I love you still,
It had to be you, wonderful you,
It had to be you.
It had to be you, it had to be you.
I wandered around and finally found somebody who
Could make me be true, could make me be blue,
And even be glad just to be sad thinkin' of you.
Some others I've seen might never be mean
Might never be cross or try to be boss,
But they wouldn't do.
For nobody else gave me a thrill.
With all your faults, I love you still.
It had to be you, wonderful you
It had to be you.
The lyrics to Harry Nilsson's song "It Had to Be You" express a deep, heartfelt longing for a special someone who can make the singer feel true emotions - both happy and sad - and who can provide a thrill like no other person can. The lyrics suggest that the singer has searched far and wide for a partner who could help them feel those things, but only found that person when they came across their beloved.
The repeated line "it had to be you" not only emphasizes the inevitability of the singer's love for this particular person, but also suggests that they feel as if they have finally found their soulmate. The lyrics also acknowledge the flaws and imperfections of this special someone - noting that they might not always be as kind, gentle or understanding as other people, but that those flaws are also part of what makes them so unique and irresistible to the singer.
Ultimately, the song conveys a sense of deep devotion and emotional vulnerability, as well as a recognition of the fact that true love isn't necessarily about finding someone who is perfect in every way, but rather someone who makes us feel the way that we were always meant to feel.
Line by Line Meaning
It had to be you, it had to be you.
Out of everyone, it had to be you. There's no doubt about it.
I wandered around and finally found the somebody who
I searched all over until I met the person who was right for me.
Could make me be true, could make me feel blue,
You inspire me to be honest and vulnerable, even when it's painful.
And even be glad just to be sad thinkin' of you.
You make me so happy that even thinking of you when I'm sad brings me joy.
Some others I've seen might never be mean
I've met other people who are never cruel or unkind.
Might never be cross or try to be boss,
They might never get angry or try to control me.
But they wouldn't do.
None of them would be right for me like you are.
For nobody else gave me a thrill.
No one else excited me the way you do.
With all your faults, I love you still,
Even though you're not perfect, I still love you completely.
It had to be you, wonderful you,
You're the one who was always meant to be in my life, amazing as you are.
It had to be you.
It could only ever be you.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Isham Jones, Gus Kahn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Zeidy Alfaro Cordero
A song to be danced with the loved one, cheek to cheek, heart to heart, soul to soul!!
Neil Kleinman
I first heard this album on a radio station in San Francisco. I was playing honkytonk piano at a Shakey's pizza parlor in Fairfield, CA, with a 63-year-old banjo player. We incorporated Harry's version of "It Had to be You" into our repetoir. The crowds loved it. Thanks Harry!
comactortony
Aww. That's a great memory. Thanks for sharing.
flossie Flossie
I watched this on UK television in the 1970's -and thought "He makes it look so easy".He sang effortlessly,and so well.I love the fact that every song has another intro: that belongs to another song.Such fun.The arrangements are wonderful on this album and this song has to be one of my favourites,if only because he sings it so straight,whilst being so obviously not.
Thelma Badenhorst
Such a beautiful voice.
Elizabeth Davis
I love, love, love Harry, he can play it all, classical, rock, blues, write music, and be funny all at the same time. I miss him, I want his music played at my funeral, not that I am planning on dying anytime soon. Just think it is a great way to say good-bye. Thank you Paul for sharing his music with me some 40 yrs ago.
Joan Deakin
Elizabeth Davis feel just the same. Love him.xxz
Carla DiCiaccio
Me too! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Clyde B
Who would give this a thumbs down? The Beatles revered him as one of the greatest of all time!
Jay Gamel
Me, too.