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)
So Long Dad
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the quaint old south side scenery
Is quaint no more
Just older than before
Go up the stairs and down the hallway
To my daddy's door
Your son is home, Dad, and he's found a girl
I think you'll like her, Dad, I hope you do
But if you don't that's alright, too
What's new? Do you still work at the drugstore?
Is that true? Still polishing the same floor?
I missed my good, old Dad
My but I'm glad to see you
Come and see us, Poppa, when you can
There'll always be a place for my old man
Just drop by when it's convenient to
Be sure and call before you do
So long Dad
I Think It's Going To Rain Today
Broken windows and empty hallways
A pale dead moon in the sky streaked with gray
Human kindness is overflowing
And I think it's going to rain today
Scarecrows dressed in the latest styles
With frozen smiles to chase love away
Human kindness is overflowing
And I think it's going to rain today
Lonely, lonely
Tin can at my feet
Think I'll kick it down the street
That's the way to treat a friend
Bright before me the signs implore me
Help the needy and show them the way
Human kindness is overflowing
And I think it's going to rain today
The song "So Long Dad" by Harry Nilsson is a nostalgic piece about a son returning home to visit his father after finding the love of his life. The lyrics paint a picture of a town that has aged and lost its charm. The once "quaint old south side scenery" is now just "older than before." The son goes up to his father's door and reminisces about the past, asking whether his father still works at the drugstore and polishes the same floors. He expresses his delight in seeing his "good, old Dad" and invites him to come visit and see his new love. He bids his father farewell with a simple "So long, Dad."
The second half of the song shifts to a darker, more introspective tone, with Nilsson singing "I Think It's Going To Rain Today." The lyrics describe broken windows, empty hallways, and a pale, dead moon in the sky, setting a bleak scene. The scarecrows dressed in the latest styles have "frozen smiles to chase love away." Despite this, Nilsson sings about the overflowing human kindness that he sees, which leads him to believe that it's going to rain.
Line by Line Meaning
Home again and the streets are not much cleaner
I have returned home, but the streets still appear to be as dirty as they were before.
And the quaint old south side scenery
The previous charming appearance of the south side is no longer existing.
Is quaint no more
The area is now no longer having any charm.
Just older than before
The place has aged worsely as compared to earlier.
Go up the stairs and down the hallway
I take the stairs up and go along the hallway.
To my daddy's door
My father's door is my destination and I reach it after passing through a hallway.
Your son is home, Dad, and he's found a girl
Dad, I am back and I am accompanied by the greatest girl in the world.
And she's the greatest girl in all the world
The girl accompanying me is the best girl in the whole world.
I think you'll like her, Dad, I hope you do
I believe you will admire her, Dad. I hope you do.
But if you don't that's alright, too
However, if you don't, it's perfectly fine too.
What's new? Do you still work at the drugstore?
What is new? Do you still work in a drugstore?
Is that true? Still polishing the same floor?
Is it true that you still wipe the same floor?
I missed my good, old Dad
I missed you, my good, old father.
My but I'm glad to see you
I am more than pleased to see you after a long time.
Come and see us, Poppa, when you can
Poppa, please come to see us whenever you can.
There'll always be a place for my old man
There will always be a place for my old man at our home.
Just drop by when it's convenient to
Just come by whenever it is appropriate for you.
Be sure and call before you do
Make sure you inform me before coming.
So long Dad
So Long, Dad.
I Think It's Going To Rain Today
I suspect it might rain today.
Broken windows and empty hallways
Windows are damaged and the halls are empty with no people around.
A pale dead moon in the sky streaked with gray
The moon looks pale and is surrounded by grey skies.
Human kindness is overflowing
People are kind and ready to help others.
And I think it's going to rain today
As usually people feel more empathetic during rains and I believe it's going to rain today.
Scarecrows dressed in the latest styles
Scarecrows are beautifully dressed in the latest skin-hugging outfits.
With frozen smiles to chase love away
Despite the warm activewear, the smiles of the Scarecrows are still cold and unfriendly.
Lonely, lonely
I am alone without any company.
Tin can at my feet
There is an empty and useless metallic can lying on the ground near my feet.
Think I'll kick it down the street
I think it would be better if I kick it down the street.
That's the way to treat a friend
This is the way one loses a friend not how one treats one.
Bright before me the signs implore me
The signs in front of me are urging me strongly.
Help the needy and show them the way
The signs suggest helping those who require unequivocally and helping them recognize the right way forward.
Human kindness is overflowing
There is an abundance of good-heartedness present among humans.
And I think it's going to rain today
People are usually more giving during rains and I believe it's going to rain today.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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