Harry Edward Nilsson III (June 15, 1941 – January 15, 1994), sometimes cred… Read Full Bio ↴Harry Edward Nilsson III (June 15, 1941 – January 15, 1994), sometimes credited as Nilsson, was an American singer-songwriter who reached the peak of his success in the early 1970s. His work is characterized by pioneering vocal overdub experiments, a return to the Great American Songbook, and fusions of Caribbean sounds. Nilsson was one of the few major pop-rock recording artists to achieve significant commercial success without performing major public concerts or touring regularly.

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)

The Beehive State
Harry Nilsson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

"Since you're the delegate from Kansas
Will you kindly take the floor
And tell us what Kansas is thinking
And what is Kansas for?"

"Well Kansas is for the farmer
We stand behind the little man
And we need a firehouse in Topeka

So help us if you can"

"I see the gentleman from Utah
Our friendly Beehive State
How can we help you, Utah?
How can we make you great?"

"Well, we got to irrigate our deserts
We've got to get some things to grow

And we got to tell this country about Utah
'Cause nobody seems to know"

Overall Meaning

The opening lyrics of Harry Nilsson's 'The Beehive State' transports us to a scene at a congressional hearing. A delegate from Kansas is being asked to speak about the state and what they stand for. The delegate responds by stating that Kansas is a strong advocate of the farming community and will always stand behind the little man. They also mention a need for a firehouse in Topeka and are looking for help towards that cause.

The attention then shifts to the delegate from Utah, who is asked to speak about their state's needs. The delegate states that Utah needs to irrigate its deserts and grow more produce, and they also highlight the lack of awareness about the state's offerings.

The song is a commentary on the need for government officials to represent their states' interests and to work towards the betterment of their communities. It emphasizes the importance of the people elected to speak and act on behalf of the citizens they are representing.

Line by Line Meaning

Since you're the delegate from Kansas
Addressing the delegate from Kansas

Will you kindly take the floor
Asking the delegate to speak

And tell us what Kansas is thinking
Asking for the opinions of people from Kansas

And what is Kansas for?
Asking about Kansas' purpose as a state

Well Kansas is for the farmer
Kansas values and supports farmers

We stand behind the little man
Kansas supports the small business owner

And we need a firehouse in Topeka
Kansas requires a firehouse in Topeka

So help us if you can
Asking for assistance in getting a firehouse

I see the gentleman from Utah
Addressing the delegate from Utah

Our friendly Beehive State
Utah is a friendly state

How can we help you, Utah?
Asking how Kansas can assist Utah