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)

Lazy Moon
Harry Nilsson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You must remember this
A kiss is still a kiss
A sigh's just a sigh
The fundamental things apply

Lazy moon, come out soon
Make my poor heart beat warmer
Light the way

Bright as day
For my sweet little charmer

She's to meet me in the lane tonight
If the sky is bright and clear
Oh moon, don't keep me waiting here tonight
Watching and waiting, heart a palpitatin'
Longing for my lady love so dear

Lazy moon, lazy moon
Why don't you show your face above the hill
Lazy moon, come out soon
You can make me happy if you will

Now when my lady sees your face a peepin'
That's when I know her promise, she'll be keepin'

Tell me what's the matter, are you sleepin'?
Lazy moon

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Harry Nilsson's song "Lazy Moon" speak of a man who awaits the arrival of his lady love, hoping to catch a glimpse of her under the moonlight. The opening lines state a simple truth - that despite the passage of time, certain things remain unchanged. A kiss will always be a kiss, and a sigh will always be just that, regardless of the time or place. These lines indicate the singer's desire for something stable and constant in his life, a reassurance that the fundamental things of life will always endure.

The rest of the song is addressed to the moon, which the singer implores to show its face and light up the night sky. The moon is personified as lazy and uncooperative, as it teasingly hides behind the hill, leaving the waiting lover in frustration. The lyrics reflect the singer's hopes and fears, as he awaits his love in the lane, his heart beating with longing and anticipation.

Overall, "Lazy Moon" is a song about the human desire for love, companionship, and steadfastness in an ever-changing world. The longing, optimism, and anticipation in the lyrics are captured beautifully in Nilsson's distinctive voice and the gentle sway of the music.

Line by Line Meaning

You must remember this
Memories are important

A kiss is still a kiss
Romance is timeless

A sigh is just a sigh
Expressions of emotions reveal human nature

The fundamental things apply
Basic values and principles remain relevant

Lazy moon, lazy moon
Addressing the moon as a being with personality to express a feeling of familiarity and closeness

Why don't you show your face above the hill
Wishing for the moon to appear on the horizon

Lazy moon, come out soon
Expressing eagerness for the moon to appear

You can make me happy if you will
The moon's appearance can bring joy

When my lady sees your face a peeping
Anticipating a romantic moment with a loved one

And I know I promise you be keeping
Making a commitment to keep a promise

Tell me what's the matter are you sleeping
Asking why the moon has not yet appeared