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)
Laughin' Man
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They call him the laughin' man with the laughin' plan
He's got a laughin' place and a laughin' face.
If trouble tries to trouble in
And tries to snake its rattle in
The laughin' man begins to grin and trouble runs away.
And when the devil tries to creep
Into his dreams and tries to sleep
The laughin' man a dream away, a slack, a slack a day.
But the laughin' man uses his laughin' plan
He's got a laughin' place and a laughin' face.
So the laughin' man uses his laughin' plan
He just grins and smiles the laughin' man's way
Then he makes the devil curse and run away.
So when you're feelin' down or feelin' blue
Just think of what the laughin' man might do
Just draw yourself a nice and cosy bath
Then look in the mirror and laugh, laugh, laugh.
He is the laughin' man with the laughin' plan
He's got a laughin' place and a laughin' face.
The song "Laughin' Man" by Harry Nilsson is a cheerful tune about a man who is always happy and laughing, no matter what troubles or struggles come his way. The lyrics paint a picture of a person with a carefree attitude, a positive outlook on life, and a contagious laugh that can make even the devil run away. The Laughin' Man is described as someone who has a place for laughter and a face that always smiles, even when he's faced with danger or adversity. When trouble comes to try and cause him harm, the Laughin' Man responds with more laughter, and the trouble quickly disappears.
In the second verse, the lyrics suggest that the devil himself tries to creep into the Laughin' Man's dreams, but he is not deterred. He simply laughs the devil's attempts away and continues to dream. The song ends with a call to action for anyone feeling down or blue to think of what the Laughin' Man would do and draw themselves a nice, cozy bath and laugh, laugh, laugh.
The main theme of the song is the power of laughter and positivity in the face of adversity. The Laughin' Man is an example of a person who doesn't let anything get him down and always responds with laughter and happiness. The song is a reminder that even in the darkest of times, a good hearty laugh can make all the difference.
Line by Line Meaning
They call him the laughin' man with the laughin' plan
He's known as the man who smiles and laughs at everything, with a strategy to dispel negativity.
He's got a laughin' place and a laughin' face.
Wherever he goes he carries with him a cheerful disposition.
If trouble tries to trouble in
When he encounters challenges,
And tries to snake its rattle in
And difficulties start to nag,
The laughin' man begins to grin and trouble runs away.
He grins and laughs through the predicament, making the problem disappear.
And when the devil tries to creep
Even when Satan comes to haunt him,
Into his dreams and tries to sleep
Invading his dreams to sow distress,
The laughin' man a dream away, a slack, a slack a day.
The laughin' man wakes up safe and sound, unbothered by adversity.
But the laughin' man uses his laughin' plan
He always falls back to his coping mechanism,
He's got a laughin' place and a laughin' face.
His penchant for amusement helps him overcome any stressful situation.
So the laughin' man uses his laughin' plan
He consistently turns towards laughter to be able to deal with difficulties,
He just grins and smiles the laughin' man's way
He smiles and enjoys life, no matter what comes his way.
Then he makes the devil curse and run away.
His joyful demeanor is so infectious that even the devil runs away.
So when you're feelin' down or feelin' blue
When you're feeling sad or hopeless,
Just think of what the laughin' man might do
Take inspiration from the laughin' man,
Just draw yourself a nice and cosy bath
Relax, take some time for self-care,
Then look in the mirror and laugh, laugh, laugh.
And make an effort to find reasons to smile and laugh, even if it's just with yourself.
He is the laughin' man with the laughin' plan
The man whose humor keeps him going.
He's got a laughin' place and a laughin' face.
His joyful personality is his guiding light.
Contributed by Isabella N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.