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)
Rock around the Clock
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Five six seven o'clock, eight o'clock rock
Nine ten eleven o'clock, twelve o'clock rock
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight.
So put your glad rags on and join me hon'
We're gonna have some fun when the clock strikes one.
We're gonna rock rock rock till the broad daylight
We're gonna rock, gonna rock around the clock tonight.
When the clock strikes two, three and four
When the dance slows down, we're gonna yell for more.
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight
We're gonna rock rock rock till the broad daylight
We're gonna rock, gonna rock around the clock tonight.
When the chimes ring five, six and seven
Oh we'll be dancing in seventh heaven.
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight
We're gonna rock rock rock till the broad daylight
We're gonna rock, gonna rock around the clock tonight.
When it's eight, nine, ten, eleven too
I'll be going strong so will you.
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight
We're gonna rock rock rock till the broad daylight
We're gonna rock, gonna rock around the clock tonight.
When the clock strikes twelve and it's time to end
We'll start to rockin' round the clock again.
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight
We're gonna rock, gonna rock around the clock tonight.
The lyrics to Harry Nilsson's song "Rock Around the Clock" describe a night out with friends and the excitement that builds as the evening progresses. The song details the hours of the night, starting with one o'clock and counting up until midnight. The chorus repeats the phrase "we're gonna rock around the clock tonight," emphasizing the energy and enthusiasm of the group.
As the night goes on, the song describes the increasing intensity of the group's dancing and the desire for more. When the clock strikes two, three, and four, the group is still going strong, yelling for more dance opportunities. When the chimes ring five, six, and seven, the group is in "seventh heaven," completely lost in the moment. As the night wears on, the singer assures the listener that they will keep going strong until the very end, with the promise of starting all over again once the clock strikes midnight.
Line by Line Meaning
One two three o'clock, four o'clock rock
We'll start dancing at one, two, three and four o'clock
Five six seven o'clock, eight o'clock rock
We'll keep dancing throughout five, six, seven and eight o'clock
Nine ten eleven o'clock, twelve o'clock rock
Our party will continue till late as we'll still be dancing through nine, ten, eleven and twelve o'clock
We're gonna rock around the clock tonight.
Tonight is the night where we'll have an unforgettable party and dance all night long
So put your glad rags on and join me hon'
Get dressed up and let's party together
We're gonna have some fun when the clock strikes one.
Our fun-filled night will begin as soon as the clock strikes one
We're gonna rock rock rock till the broad daylight
We'll dance vigorously till the break of dawn
When the clock strikes two, three and four
As the night progresses, we'll continue to dance through two, three and four
When the dance slows down, we're gonna yell for more.
If the pace slows down, we'll urge the DJ/performer for more to keep the party going
When the chimes ring five, six and seven
As the morning gets closer, we'll still be dancing through five, six and seven
Oh we'll be dancing in seventh heaven.
We're going to be so happy and exuberant while dancing that it'll feel like we're in seventh heaven
When it's eight, nine, ten, eleven too
Even though it's getting late, we'll still be dancing through eight, nine, ten and eleven too
I'll be going strong so will you.
We'll both have the stamina and zeal to keep dancing and partying
When the clock strikes twelve and it's time to end
As the clock strikes twelve, it'll be the end of our party
We'll start to rockin' round the clock again.
But we'll start planning the next party to dance and have fun again very soon
We're gonna rock, gonna rock around the clock tonight.
We'll dance and enjoy ourselves to the fullest tonight
Contributed by Mason J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.