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)
Livin' Without You
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the paper hits the door
The subway shakes my floor
And I think about you
Time to face the dawning gray
Of another lonely day
Baby, it's so hard
Living without you
It's so hard
Baby, it's so hard
Baby, it's so hard
Living without you
Ev'ryone's got something
And they're out tryin' to get some more
They got something to get up for
Well, I ain't about to
Nothing's gonna happen
Nothing's gonna change
Baby, it's so hard
Living without you
It's so hard
Baby, it's so hard
Baby, it's so hard
Living without you
The opening lines of "The milk truck hauls the sun up, And the paper hits the door, The subway shakes my floor" suggest the beginning of a new day, a fresh start. However, the singer seems disoriented and melancholic as he reflects on the void left by his lover's absence. The subway shaking the floor reminds him of the way life goes on without her, regardless of his feelings of emptiness. The repetition of the phrase "baby, it's so hard living without you" emphasizes the severity of his feelings.
The second verse starts with "Everyone's got something, and they're out tryin' to get some more, They got something to get up for, Well, I ain't about to." This line highlights the singer's detachment from society and his inability to find inspiration to move on without their loved one. There is no motivation, nothing to wake up for, and no reason to try. They seem content to stay in this state of grief but express intense sadness as they realize how hard it is to stay without them.
In conclusion, "Livin' Without You" is about the pain and longing felt by someone who has experienced love and loss. It focuses on the feeling of emptiness that comes with losing a loved one and the struggle to move on or find purpose in life. The song manages to express these feelings poetically and in a relatable way, which resonates with anyone who has experienced heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
The milk truck hauls the sun up
Every morning, the milk truck brings the sun up and starts a new day.
And the paper hits the door
The newspaper arrives and reminds me of the world I'm living in.
The subway shakes my floor
The subway trains run underneath my apartment and the vibrations echo through my home.
And I think about you
As I go about my daily routine, you're always on my mind.
Time to face the dawning gray
The sun's rising but it feels like another lonely day ahead.
Of another lonely day
I'm facing another day of being alone without you.
Baby, it's so hard
It's extremely difficult to live without you.
Living without you
Living without you is an ongoing struggle.
Everyone's got something
Other people have things in their lives that give them purpose or happiness.
And they're out tryin' to get some more
They're actively seeking more of these things.
They got something to get up for
They have reasons to get out of bed each day.
Well, I ain't about to
But I don't have anything that motivates me like that.
Nothing's gonna happen
Without you, I feel like nothing significant will ever happen in my life.
Nothing's gonna change
Living without you, everything seems stagnant and unchanging.
It's so hard
It's really tough to keep going without you.
Baby, it's so hard
I can't stress enough just how painful it is to be without you.
Living without you
Enduring life without you is a daily challenge.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Randall S Newman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@vipr1142
Not for me.
My two first exes cheated on me and I haven't been in love since.
This was 12 years ago.
I've "tried" to fall in love again but I just cant. I just feel nothing anymore.
I think it is because I repeated everyday for years that "I should not care", "humans are like animals, cheating is in our nature".
And it's a double edged sword.
At one point, I feel free from any emotional pain.
But at the same time, I want to have children, a wife.
But its too long time. I think I'll have to be alone.
Think about this, dont cheat. Be a better person and give the other one dignity and leave before you jump in bed with others.
It's not hard. It's only your ego and that you are afraid the new one will ditch you.
If you ever think about fooling around with someone else, leave your current partner because if you are attracted to someone else, then your love for your current love, is not love.
So save your own time too
@crism3lo
No, I can't forget this evening
Or your face as you were leaving
But I guess that's just the way the story goes
You always smile but in your eyes your sorrow shows
Yes, it shows
[Verse 2]
No, I can't forget tomorrow
When I think of all my sorrow
When I had you there but then I let you go
And now it's only fair that I should let you know
What you should know
[Chorus]
I can't live if living is without you
I can't live, I can't give anymore
I can't live if living is without you
I can't give, I can't give anymore
[Verse 1]
Well, I can't forget this evening
Or your face as you were leaving
But I guess that's just the way the story goes
You always smile but in your eyes your sorrow shows
Yes, it shows
[Chorus]
Can't live if living is without you
I can't live, I can't give anymore
I can't live if living is without you
I can't live, I can't give anymore
@oldskoolmusicforever0724
I'M A NEARLY 60 YEAR OLD BLACK MAN AND THIS IS STILL ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS.AND NO NEED TO THINK I'M YELLING AT YOU OR ANYONE ELSE READING THIS.I JUST PREFER TO TYPE IN BIG LETTERS.IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVE FROM ME TO YOU.
@PaddyO1958
You be you Old Skool.
@ucheuchema1081
Well, let me say We can tug on Nilsson. I LOVE the Point myself. P.S. I had no idea he did this song. Nilsson gave us so much.
@raeanderson4638
I'm 80 and love this song. I had a lot of fun romance when this was popular!
@PauloCezardaPaz
This song is really top although so sad...
@user-ep1sw6od3u
@@PaddyO1958 he be OLD SKOOL AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE indeed.
@barrysmith8193
I’m a Vietnam combat veteran. This song is very personal for me. I lost so many very close comrades. It happens all so fast. We never got to say goodbye to them nor was allowed time to grieve. I stand and salute my brothers in arms that have taken their place in history. Some day I’ll be joining them again.
@juliachernobieff6943
Thank you Barry.
@moodyscorpio11
Thank you for your service, and sorry for the loss of your brother in arms <3
@binkytheeimperfectunprofes6770
Thank you for your service & sorry for all your losses, cuts deep I am sure!!!