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)
Makin' Whoopee!
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Another sunny honeymoon
Another season, another reason
For makin' whoopee
A lot of shoes, a lot of rice
The groom is nervous, he answers twice
Its really killin' that he's so willin'
Picture a little love nest
Down where the roses cling
Picture the same sweet love nest
Think what a year can bring
He's washin dishes and baby clothes
He's so ambitious he even sews
But don't forget folks,
That's what you get folks, for makin' whoopee
He doesn't make much money
Five thousand dollars per;
Some judge who thinks he's funny
Says, "You pay six to her."
He says, "Now judge, suppose I fail?"
The judge says, "Budge, right into jail.
You'd better keep her
I think it's cheaper
Than making whoopee."
The lyrics to Harry Nilsson's song "Makin' Whoopee!" tell the story of a couple's marriage, from the excitement of the honeymoon to the mundanity of daily life. The first verse sets the scene of another wedding in June, suggesting that this is an annual event for the couple. The second verse highlights the groom's nervousness, and the recurring theme of "making whoopee" is introduced. This theme is continued in the chorus, emphasizing the idea of sex as the motivation behind the couple's wedding.
The third verse takes a sharp turn from the honeymoon phase, detailing the domestic responsibilities of the husband. Rather than the romantic images of the first two verses, we are now presented with the less glamorous realities of married life. The final verse provides a grim conclusion to the story. The couple is in court, and the judge orders the husband to pay more money than he can afford in alimony. The husband asks if he can avoid paying by going to jail, but the judge recommends he keep his wife, as it would be cheaper than "making whoopee".
Overall, the song presents a cynical view of marriage, suggesting that it is nothing more than a socially-sanctioned means of satisfying sexual desires. The wedding and honeymoon are depicted as a facade, hiding the true nature of the relationship. The mundane day-to-day realities of married life are contrasted with the more exciting images of courtship, emphasizing the disappointment of unfulfilled expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
Another bride, another June
It seems like every month there's a new bride getting married.
Another sunny honeymoon
There are always people taking sunny vacations right after they get married.
Another season, another reason
There's always a new season bringing a new reason for people to get married.
For makin' whoopee
Which means they're going to have sex.
A lot of shoes, a lot of rice
At weddings, people throw lots of shoes and lots of rice at the couple.
The groom is nervous, he answers twice
The groom is so nervous that he accidentally says 'I do' twice.
Its really killin' that he's so willin'
It's ironic that he's willing to get married even though it's causing him so much stress.
To make whoopee
Again, this means they're planning on having sex.
Picture a little love nest
Imagine a cozy home for the newlyweds.
Down where the roses cling
Surrounded by beautiful roses.
Think what a year can bring
It's amazing what can happen in a year of marriage.
He's washin dishes and baby clothes
The husband is doing chores to help out around the house.
He's so ambitious he even sews
He's so committed to being a good husband that he's willing to do anything, even sew.
But don't forget folks,
The following statement is important, so pay attention.
That's what you get folks, for makin' whoopee
All the challenges of marriage are the result of choosing to have sex and get married.
He doesn't make much money
The husband doesn't have a lot of income.
Five thousand dollars per;
He only makes five thousand dollars a year.
Some judge who thinks he's funny
The judge in their divorce case has a sense of humor about the situation.
Says, 'You pay six to her.'
The judge orders the husband to pay six thousand dollars to his soon-to-be-ex-wife.
He says, 'Now judge, suppose I fail?'
The husband asks the judge what will happen if he's unable to pay the money.
The judge says, 'Budge, right into jail.
The judge tells him he'll go to jail if he can't pay.
You'd better keep her
The judge thinks the husband should have just stayed married because it would have been cheaper.
I think it's cheaper
The judge believes it would have been less expensive for the husband to stay married instead of getting divorced.
Lyrics © DONALDSON PUBLISHING CO, TOBAGO MUSIC COMPANY, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Walter Donaldson, Gus Kahn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind