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)
Jump into the Fire
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can jump into the fire but you'll never be free
You can shake me up or I can break you down
Oh, oh
We can make each other happy
Oh, we can make each other happy
We can make each other happyOh, we can make each other happy
You can climb a mountain, you can swim the sea
You can jump into the fire but you'll never be free, no no
You can shake me up or I can break you down
Oh, oh
We can make each other happy
Oh, we can make each other happy
Oh, we can make each other happy
We can make each other happy, oh
You can climb a mountain, you can swim the sea
You can jump into the fire but you'll never be free, no no
You can shake me up, I can break you down
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
We can make each other happy
We can make each other happy
We can make each other happy
We can make each other happy
Aah
The opening line of Harry Nilsson's "Jump into the Fire" is a reference to the limitless possibilities life offers. It's a reminder that we have control over our lives and we can choose the path we take, but in the end, we can never escape the unpredictable nature of life. Jumping into the fire symbolizes taking risks and facing the unknown, but it also shows that freedom can come at a cost.
The lyrics suggest that there is a price to pay for the freedom we seek, whether it's shaking someone up or being broken down. The chorus emphasizes the power of relationships to make us happy, but it also hints at the potential for pain and heartbreak. The repetition of "we can make each other happy" implies that the quest for happiness is a collaborative effort, something we do together with others.
Line by Line Meaning
You can climb a mountain, you can swim the sea
You have the freedom to do anything and go anywhere
You can jump into the fire but you'll never be free
No matter how much you try, you cannot escape your problems
You can shake me up or I can break you down
Our relationship can either make us stronger or destroy us completely
We can make each other happy
Together, we have the ability to bring joy into each other's lives
Oh, we can make each other happy
Repetition of the previous statement, emphasizing its importance
You can climb a mountain, you can swim the sea
Reiteration of the idea that there's nothing you cannot achieve
You can jump into the fire but you'll never be free, no no
No matter how much you try, there's no running away from your problems
You can shake me up, I can break you down
Our relationship has the potential to lift us up or bring us down
Oh, oh
A moment of reflection or emphasis
We can make each other happy
Reiteration of the idea that we have the ability to bring joy to each other
We can make each other happy
Reiteration of the idea that we can bring happiness into each other's lives
We can make each other happy
Reiteration of the idea that together, we have the ability to bring joy into each other's lives
We can make each other happy, oh
Repetition of the previous statement, emphasizing its importance
You can climb a mountain, you can swim the sea
Reiteration that you have the freedom to do anything and go anywhere
You can jump into the fire but you'll never be free, no no
Emphasizing that there's no running away from your problems, no matter how hard you try
You can shake me up, I can break you down
Our relationship can either make us stronger or destroy us completely
Oh, oh
A moment of reflection or emphasis
Oh, oh
A moment of reflection or emphasis
Oh, oh
A moment of reflection or emphasis
We can make each other happy
The power of our relationship can bring us happiness
We can make each other happy
Together, we are capable of bringing joy into each other's lives
We can make each other happy
Reiteration that our relationship has the power to bring joy
We can make each other happy
Emphasizing that our relationship has the potential to bring happiness
Aah
An exclamation of realization or acceptance
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, C&C Digital Services OÜ (UniteSync)
Written by: Harry Nilsson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@beachykeenx
My dad loved this song and almost blew the speakers out when the drum solo came on. Today would have been his 68th birthday. A proud Marine and Vietnam Vet. I love and miss you more than words can say, dad.
@jogon7914
❤️👌🥂 To your Dad x
@beachykeenx
@@jogon7914 thank you 🥲❤️
@romeysiamese6662
Im sorry for your loss. He lived and died so we CAN be Free……💔❤️🔥❤️
@mroof6325
RIP, thank you for your service sir
@beachykeenx
@@romeysiamese6662 thank you, you’re so kind! It really means a lot!
@GeraldMack
Man, I was born in the greatest era!!!!😛😛😛😛 What a time to be alive!!!!!😮😮😮
@paulaadamson9401
Amen❣️
@johnfussell4870
Can't agree more, brother! 👍🔥☮️👍
Late sixties when I made the leap from AM bubblegum to FM. I knew I was home. All that incredible talent!!
@laurannehoffman9809
I tell my kids that all the time. They also listen to “our” music