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)
Poli High
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Poli-high, Poli-Technically High,
Valley Low, Valley Low, Valley so low
Valley Low, Valley Low, Valley High
Had a game, had a game, had a technical game,
By the name, by the name, called a technical game,
Valley High, Valley High, Valley High
Poli, Low
Then de whistle blow
Second half, second half, Poli come from behind.
Hold that line, Hold that line, Hold that line,
Far to go, going, slow, Poli come from behind.
Running out of the time.
Number Two, dressed in blue,
Make a run with the ball,
Hurry up Poli, pass Valley by
Then the rain start to fall,
Making fools of them all
And so it ends in a technical tie.
The song "Poli High" by Harry Nilsson tells the story of a high school football game between two rival schools - Poli-Technic and Valley High. The song begins with a repetition of the school names and the phrase "Poli-Technically High," perhaps emphasizing the technical aspect of the Poli-Technic team's play style. The repeated phrase "Valley Low, Valley High" establishes the opposing team as being from a lower location than Poli-Technic, perhaps suggesting that Poli-Technic is superior in some way.
As the game begins, the lyrics mention a "technical game" and the "whistle blow," indicating that the game is being played according to strict rules. Poli-Technic falls behind in the game, but the lyrics urge them to "hold that line" and keep playing hard.
The turning point in the game seems to come when "Number Two, dressed in blue" makes a run with the ball and helps Poli-Technic catch up. However, the game ends in a "technical tie," which leaves the outcome uncertain. Overall, the song seems to celebrate the excitement and drama of high school football, while also exploring themes of competition, teamwork, and perseverance.
Line by Line Meaning
Poli-high, Poli-Technic, Poli-Technically High,
Poli-Technic Institute is a high-level institution
Poli-high, Poli-Technically High,
Poli-Technic Institute is a technically-driven institution
Valley Low, Valley Low, Valley so low
The valley is a depressed area
Valley Low, Valley Low, Valley High
The valley has high points and low points
Had a game, had a game, had a technical game,
There was a game, and it was technically challenging
By the name, by the name, called a technical game,
It was referred to as a technical game
Valley High, Valley High, Valley High
The valley has high points as well
Poli, Low
Poli is currently in a low state
Then de whistle blow
The whistle blows
Then de whistle blow
The whistle blows again
Second half, second half, Poli come from behind.
It's the second half, and Poli makes a comeback
Hold that line, Hold that line, Hold that line,
Don't let Valley break through the defense
Far to go, going, slow, Poli come from behind.
Poli's comeback is slow but steady
Running out of the time.
Time is running out
Number Two, dressed in blue,
A player on Poli's team, wearing blue
Make a run with the ball,
Dribble the ball quickly
Hurry up Poli, pass Valley by
Please hurry, Poli needs to defeat Valley
Then the rain start to fall,
It starts to rain
Making fools of them all
Everyone looks foolish in the rain
And so it ends in a technical tie.
The game ends in a tie, with many technical challenges
Contributed by Lily O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@RobCLynch
Those backing singers - Harry, Harry and Harry are pretty good too!
@wonderrob3225
I don't know which one I like better Harry, Harry or Harry 😃
@briankehew579
It's Harry and Ted Templeman singing. Before he was a producer, Ted was the lead singer in Harper's Bizarre.
@donnoel7506
This truly is an EPIC CLASSIC
@crunks420
So epic. Love this whole album.
@joefitzgerald2762
the intro has some serious Mean Mr.Mustard tones
@jeannettejohnson2375
Him and John Lennon were drinking running buddies. So your right on with that observation.
@wonderrob3225
John Lennon produced this album😀
@robcarpenter1225
John and Paul both loved him so they were probably flattered. Such an amazing album.
@daniel.holbrook
@@wonderrob3225 Lennon produced Pussy Cats, not this. Nilsson produced this.