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)
Put the Lime in the Coconut
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His sister had another one, she paid it for a lime
She put the lime in the coconut, she drank them both up
She put the lime in the coconut, she drank them both up
She put the lime in the coconut, she drank them both up
She put the lime in the coconut, she called the doctor, woke him up
And said, Doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take
I say, doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take
I say, doctor, to relieve this bellyache?
Now let me get this straight
You put the lime in the coconut, you drank them both up
You put the lime in the coconut, you drank them both up
Put the lime in the coconut, you drank them both up
Put the lime in the coconut, you called your doctor, woke him up
And said, Doctor, ain't there nothing I can take
I said, Doctor, to relieve this bellyache?
I said, Doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take
I said, Doctor, to relieve this bellyache?
You put the lime in the coconut, you drink 'em both together
Put the lime in the coconut, then you feel better
Put the lime in the coconut, drink 'em both up
Put the lime in the coconut, and call me in the morning
Whoo-whoo-whoo, whoo-ooh-ooh, whoo-ooh-ooh
Whoo-whoo-whoo, whoo-ooh-ooh, whoo-ooh-ooh
Whoo-whoo-whoo, whoo-ooh-ooh, whoo-ooh-ooh
Whoo-whoo-whoo, whoo-ooh-ooh, whoo-ooh-ooh
Brother bought a coconut, he bought it for a dime
His sister had another one, she paid it for a lime
She put the lime in the coconut, she drank them both up
And put the lime in the coconut, she called the doctor, woke him up
Said, Doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take
I said, Doctor, to relieve this bellyache?
I said, Doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take?
I said, Doctor
Now let me get this straight
You put the lime in the coconut, you drink 'em both up
Put the lime in the coconut, you drink 'em both up
Put a lime in the coconut, you drink 'em both up
Put the lime in the coconut, you such a silly woman
Put a lime in the coconut and drink 'em both together
Put the lime in the coconut, then you feel better
Put the lime in the coconut, drink 'em both down
Put the lime in the coconut, and call me in the morning
Whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo, ain't there nothin' you can take
I say, whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo, to relieve your bellyache
You say, well, whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo, ain't there nothing I can take
I say, whoo-whoo, to relieve your bellyache
You say, yeah, ain't there nothin' I can take
I say, waah waah, to relieve this bellyache
I say, Doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take?
I say, Doctor, ain't there nothing I can take?
I say, Doctor, ain't there nothing I can take?
I say, Doctor
You're such a silly woman
Put the lime in the coconut and drink them both together
Put the lime in the coconut, then you feel better
Put the lime in the coconut, drink 'em both up
Put the lime in the coconut, and call me in the mo-o-o-o-orning
Yes, you call me in the morning
If you call me in the morning, I'll tell you what to do
If you call me in the morning, I'll tell you what to do
If you call me in the morning, I'll tell you what to do
If you call me in the morning, I'll tell you what to do
Well, if you call me in the morning, I'll tell you what to do
The lyrics to Harry Nilsson's "Put the Lime in the Coconut" tell the story of a woman who is suffering from a bellyache and turns to a strange remedy. She puts a lime in a coconut and drinks both of them up. However, the combination only makes her stomach ache worse, so she calls the doctor and wakes him up. The doctor tells her there is nothing he can prescribe over the phone but the woman keeps insisting, repeating the chorus and the remedy until the doctor finally relents and tells her to put the lime in the coconut and drink them both together, just as she had already done.
While the lyrics themselves may seem nonsensical, the song is actually based on a real remedy used in Jamaican folk medicine. The combination of lime and coconut is thought to help with various ailments, from upset stomachs to hangovers. The song's catchy melody and humorous lyrics made it a hit and a staple of pop culture, appearing in movies and television shows.
Some interpretations of the lyrics suggest they are about the power of suggestion and the placebo effect, as the woman's stomachache may have been relieved by the doctor's suggestion rather than the actual remedy. Ultimately, the song is a lighthearted and enjoyable tune that continues to be popular decades after its release.
Line by Line Meaning
Brother bought a coconut, he bought it for a dime
A brother bought a coconut for a cheap price.
His sister had another one, she paid it for a lime
His sister paid a higher price for a lime.
She put the lime in the coconut, she drank them both up
The sister mixed the lime and coconut and drank both.
She put the lime in the coconut, she called the doctor, woke him up
The sister mixed the lime and coconut and called the doctor early in the morning.
And said, Doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take
The sister asked the doctor if there was anything she could take to ease her pain.
I say, doctor, to relieve this bellyache?
She repeats her request for the doctor to help her with her pain.
Now let me get this straight
The doctor is trying to clarify the situation.
You put the lime in the coconut, you drank them both up
The doctor repeats what the sister did with the lime and coconut.
Put the lime in the coconut, you called your doctor, woke him up
The doctor is clarifying that the sister called him after drinking the lime and coconut mixture.
Put the lime in the coconut, you drink 'em both together
The doctor advises the sister to mix the lime and coconut together and drink immediately.
Put the lime in the coconut, then you feel better
The doctor assures the sister that drinking the lime and coconut mixture will help her feel better.
Put the lime in the coconut, drink 'em both up
The doctor repeats his previous advice to drink the mixture.
Put the lime in the coconut, and call me in the morning
The doctor instructs the sister to call him the next morning.
Whoo-whoo-whoo, whoo-ooh-ooh, whoo-ooh-ooh
Non-lyrical sounds in the song.
You put the lime in the coconut, you such a silly woman
The doctor playfully teases the sister for her silly predicament.
Whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo, ain't there nothin' you can take
The doctor repeats the sister's question about whether there is anything else she can take.
I say, whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo, to relieve your bellyache
The doctor assures the sister that the lime and coconut mixture is the best remedy for her bellyache.
Yeah, ain't there nothin' I can take
The sister repeats her question for the doctor to give her something else to take for her pain.
I say, waah waah, to relieve this bellyache
The doctor playfully responds to the sister's repeated request.
You're such a silly woman
The doctor playfully teases the sister again.
If you call me in the morning, I'll tell you what to do
The doctor advises the sister to call him the next morning for further instructions.
Contributed by Anthony L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@dylanhigdon3571
#6 on the jukebox
@samuelsporto
Alan Wake reference. Amazing game!
@spawnlordgaming7826
Definitely, had forgotten how great this song was, until I walked into the dinner and was asked to put it on for that guy at the table. Laughed a bit when the brother commented that he was in hell.😂
@spawnlordgaming7826
Great game!
@SNEStalgia
" The Jukebox is out of order!
The poor old thing can only take so much of the SAME SONG being played over and over and over.
I'm as big a fan of "Cocounut" as the next person but COME ON!"
@jamespocelinko104
This always reminds me of Nigel Murray and Lance from Bones. RIP to both of them.
@ZyrelRohan
Saw this comment a while ago.. and yesterday I saw the episode where Sweets died (binge-watching Bones)... rough way they killed off his character T_T
@Jexxnjungkxxk1306
Samee
@melissaalbuquerquefreirema437
I miss them two. I'm listening now because of them
@isabellasiler7687
Agreed 😭