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)
Spaceman
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bang, bang, shoot 'em up to the moon (bang, bang)
Bang, bang, shoot 'em up one, two, three (one, two, three, four)
I wanted to be a spaceman, that's what I wanted to be
But now that I am a spaceman
Nobody cares about me
Hey, Mother Earth, won't'cha bring me back down safely to the sea?
I wanted to make a good run, I wanted to go to the moon
I knew that it had to be fun
I told 'em to send me real soon
I wanted to be a spaceman, I wanted to be it so bad
But now that I am a spaceman I'd rather be back on the pad
Hey, Mother Earth, won't'cha bring me back down safely to the sea?
Around and around and around and around is just a lot of lunacy (yeah)
(Yeah)
'Round and around and around and around and around (so bring me back down)
'Round and around and around and around and around, safe on the ground
Hey, Mother Earth, better bring me back down safely to the sea
But around and around and around and around is all she ever say to me, yeah
You know I wanted to be a spaceman
That's awhat I wanted to be
But now that I am a spaceman nobody cares about me
Say hey, you Mother Earth, you better bring me back down
I've taken just as much as I can
Around and around and around and around is the problem of a spaceman
The lyrics of Harry Nilsson's song "Spaceman" portray the disillusionment and isolation that can result from achieving one's dreams. The opening verse consists of repetitive refrains of "bang, bang, shoot 'em up destiny / bang, bang, shoot 'em up to the moon / bang, bang, shoot 'em up one, two, three." This could be interpreted as the promise of excitement and adventure that accompanies space exploration. However, the following verse, "I wanted to be a spaceman, that's what I wanted to be / But now that I am a spaceman, nobody cares about me," suggests that the reality of being a spaceman is not as glamorous as the dream. The repetition of "around and around and around" spoken by Mother Earth implies that the spaceman is stuck in an endless cycle and cannot return to Earth, causing him to feel isolated and forgotten.
The chorus, "Hey, Mother Earth, won't'cha bring me back down safely to the sea? / Around and around and around and around is all she ever say to me," highlights the longing of the spaceman to return to Earth and escape the monotony of space travel. Despite the spaceman's yearning to come back to Earth, he feels disconnected from others and forgotten once he achieves his dream. The song can be interpreted as a commentary on the ups and downs of success, the disconnection that often comes with achieving one's goals, and the importance of staying grounded in reality.
Line by Line Meaning
Bang, bang, shoot 'em up destiny (bang, bang)
The danger and thrill of going to space and exploring the unknown is what was enticing Harry Nilsson to become a spaceman.
Bang, bang, shoot 'em up to the moon (bang, bang)
Going to the moon was a dream-come-true for Harry Nilsson and he was willing to take every risk to achieve this.
Bang, bang, shoot 'em up one, two, three (one, two, three, four)
The numbers are a subtle reminder that time is running out for Harry to achieve his dream of going to the moon.
I wanted to be a spaceman, that's what I wanted to be
Harry aspired to become a spaceman, which was his ultimate ambition in life.
But now that I am a spaceman
Despite achieving his dream of going to space, Harry realized that it wasn't as great as he had imagined it to be.
Nobody cares about me
Harry feels lonely and isolated in space, and acknowledges that he misses human connection.
Hey, Mother Earth, won't'cha bring me back down safely to the sea?
Harry is pleading mother earth to take him back home safely since he misses the familiarities of earth.
Around and around and around and around is all she ever say to me
Mother earth seems distant to Harry as he orbits around her and her response to his pleas is nothing but monotonous.
I wanted to make a good run, I wanted to go to the moon
Harry's aim is to make a scientific achievement and he sees landing on the moon as the ultimate accomplishment.
I knew that it had to be fun
Despite the scientific goal, Harry expected it to be a fun experience that he would enjoy.
I told 'em to send me real soon
Harry has been eagerly waiting to fulfill his dream and has been communicating that to those who are responsible for his launch date.
But now that I am a spaceman I'd rather be back on the pad
Harry's current experience of being a spaceman has made him realize that he'd rather be safe and grounded instead of risking his life in space.
Around and around and around and around is just a lot of lunacy (yeah)
Harry is frustrated with the monotony of being in space and he finds it crazy to keep going around and around without any real purpose.
'Round and around and around and around and around (so bring me back down)
Harry circles back to his plea of being brought back down to earth safely, as he has had enough of orbiting around earth aimlessly.
'Round and around and around and around and around, safe on the ground
Harry's ultimate desire is to be safely back on earth, grounded and surrounded by people who care for him.
Hey, Mother Earth, better bring me back down safely to the sea
Harry reiterates his plea for Mother Earth to bring him back safely to the sea, as a last request before he loses all hope.
But around and around and around and around is all she ever say to me, yeah
Harry feels helpless and hopeless as Mother Earth's response remains the same, without any hope of changing.
You know I wanted to be a spaceman
Harry wants to remind people that his childhood dream of being a spaceman was still what he wanted, even if reality is different.
That's awhat I wanted to be
Harry wanted to follow his passion and dream of becoming a spaceman, which was what he had always aspired for.
Say hey, you Mother Earth, you better bring me back down
Harry's plea to Mother Earth continues, but this time it is more forceful and desperate.
I've taken just as much as I can
Harry has reached his limits of being in space and he cannot take it anymore.
Around and around and around and around is the problem of a spaceman
Harry highlights the biggest challenge of being a spaceman, the sheer monotony and emptiness of space travel.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HARRY NILSSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@smokinjz
Bang, bang, shoot 'em up destiny (bang, bang)
Bang, bang, shoot 'em up to the moon (bang, bang)
Bang, bang, shoot 'em up one, two, three (one, two, three, four)
I wanted to be a spaceman, that's what I wanted to be
But now that I am a spaceman
Nobody cares about me
Hey, Mother Earth, won't'cha bring me back down safely to the sea?
Around and around and around and around is all she ever say to me
I wanted to make a good run, I wanted to go to the moon
I knew that it had to be fun
I told 'em to send me real soon
I wanted to be a spaceman, I wanted to be it so bad
But now that I am a spaceman I'd rather be back on the pad
Hey, Mother Earth, won't'cha bring me back down safely to the sea?
Around and around and around and around is just a lot of lunacy (yeah)
(Yeah)
'Round and around and around and around and around (so bring me back down)
'Round and around and around and around and around, safe on the ground
Hey, Mother Earth, better bring me back down safely to the sea
But around and around and around and around is all she ever say to me, yeah
You know I wanted to be a spaceman
That's awhat I wanted to be
But now that I am a spaceman nobody cares about me
Say hey, you Mother Earth, you better bring me back down
I've taken just as much as I can
Around and around and around and around is the problem of a spaceman
@yaeshogun69
Bang, bang, shoot em' up, destiny
Bang, bang, shoot em' up to the moon
Bang, bang, shoot em' up one, two, three
(One, two, three, four!)
I wanted to be a spaceman
That's what I wanted to be
But now that I am a spaceman
Nobody cares about me
Hey Mother Earth
Won't 'cha bring me back down
Safely to the sea
But 'round and around and around and around
Is all she ever say to me
I wanted to make a good run
I wanted to go to the moon
I knew that it had to be fun
I told 'em to send me real soon
I wanted to be a spaceman
I wanted to be it so bad
But now that I am a spaceman
I'd rather be back on the pad
Hey Mother Earth
Won't 'cha bring me back down
Safely to the sea
'round and around and around and around
Is just a lot of lunacy
(Yeah!)
'round and around and around and around and around
(So bring me back down)
'round and around and around and around and around
Safe on the ground
Hey Mother Earth
Better bring me back down
Safely to the sea
But around and around and around and around
Is all she ever say to me, yeah
You know I wanted to be a spaceman
That's what I wanted to be
But now that I am a spaceman
Nobody cares about me
Say, hey, you Mother Earth
You better bring me back down
I've taken just as much as I can
But around and around and around and around
Is the problem of a spaceman
@Noah-jb9om
Space force brought me here lol
@Nomad327
Same
@torshachatterjee8617
Same
@morosesourpatch8165
Yurd
@yeet2396
Bruh me too
@notbrennan4735
Same lol
@elgato49
It's good to be black on the moon...
GODDAMMIT!
@Toostew
She had... one job
@wartrix6046
That tik tok reference isn't going to age well.
@phyxkes4636
farid knows what good is