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)
Snow
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the little park where we would go
Sleeps far below in the snow.
Gone, it's all over and you're gone
But the memory lives on
Although on dreams lie buried in the snow.
And I think I hear you calling me
But all I see is ..
Snow everywhere I go
As the cold winter sun sinks low
I walk alone through the snow.
The lyrics of Harry Nilsson's song Snow describe a scene of deep winter reminiscences with a melancholic note. It talks about how snow fills the fields where they used to go and the little park where they used to play. All that is left beneath the snow is the memory of the past. The song is an emotional narrative of how things have changed with time, and the memories remain only to be buried beneath the snow. The line, "Gone, it's all over and you're gone, but the memory lives on," is a testament to this sentiment of the song. The winter wind adds its own eerie nature to the lyrics as there are sounds that seem like someone is calling out. In reality, the only thing that remains is the snow, its coldness, its starkness.
The song's depth is in its eloquent simplicity as it captures the reality of loss, that even once vibrant and lively fields and parks can become cold and quiet graves covered in snow. As the singer is walking through the snow, sinking deeper and deeper, they find that they are walking all alone. Nilsson's Snow is a reflection of reconnecting with our past when everything else is frozen to a halt. The music and style of the song perfectly matches the sombre mood of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Snow fills the fields we used to know
The winter season has arrived and covered the familiar fields with snow.
And the little park where we would go
The park that was a regular spot for both of us is now buried under the snow.
Sleeps far below in the snow.
The park is now out of sight, way below the snowdrifts.
Gone, it's all over and you're gone
The relationship and companionship we shared are no more, and you're no longer here with me.
But the memory lives on
Despite the end of our relationship, the memories of us together will always stay alive in my heart.
Although on dreams lie buried in the snow.
Although our expectations and plans for the future were crushed by parting away, they remain intact in my mind.
Sometimes the wind blows through the trees
At times, when the icy wind passes through the woods,
And I think I hear you calling me
I mistakenly hear your voice calling for me in the gust of the blowing wind.
But all I see is ..
But everything in front of me is just a vast expanse of white snow, and there is no sign of you.
Snow everywhere I go
The snow has taken over every visible corner of my perspective.
As the cold winter sun sinks low
As the sun sets early during winters, the chilling temperature aggravates the situation.
I walk alone through the snow.
I now have to walk through the snow alone without you, but I still carry you my heart.
Contributed by Adeline J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@larryshackley8074
This is a gorgeous Randy Newman song which unfortunately was left off of Harry‘s album. I’m glad the track has finally surfaced after all these years.
@tednugent1100
It's a bonus track on the CD version of the album actually, I actually have it in my car right now lol
@larryshackley8074
@Alexander Connolly - I was so glad when that CD came out! I only knew this song in a version by Claudine Longet.
@tednugent1100
@Larry Shackley Yup, I listen to it all the time haha. Just gorgeous.
@dennytoby
Claudine Longet had this out in 1967. She did a very good job on this song. It was out during Christmas that year. Great Song!!
@IDLERACER
I've always liked this tune. It was also recorded by Harper's Bizarre and Claudine Longet.
@larryshackley8074
Our Chicago easy listening station played two cuts from Claudine's 1968 LOVE IS BLUE album - "Snow" and the Bee Gees' "Holiday." Her versions were my introduction to these songs, and it was a long time before I discovered who the artist was.
@imdanhoover
great album..one of the best..headphone music..
@WorkingPoorFilms
A favorite, thanks for posting.
@JakeKniest
Harry singing Randy is about all you need on a snowy, icy January 1, 2021in Jiffytown, USA.