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)
Turn On Your Radio
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now that I am gone
I hope the wind that's blowin'
Helps me carry on
Turn on your radio, baby
Listen to my song
Turn on your night light baby
Baby I'm gone
Now that I am gone
I hope I never hear it baby
Just in case I'm wrong
Turn on your record player
Listen to my song
Turn on your night light baby
Baby I'm gone
I don't know where life's goin'
But soon it will be gone
I hope the wind that's blowin'
Helps me carry on
Turn on your radio baby
Baby, listen to my song
And turn on your night light baby
Baby I'm gone
The lyrics to Harry Nilsson's song "Turn on Your Radio" seem to be a heartfelt message from the perspective of someone who is leaving behind a person they care about deeply. The singer is unsure where they are going, but they hope that the gust of wind blowing will aid them in moving on. The singer expresses a deep desire for their loved one to listen to their song on the radio and turn on their night light, perhaps indicating a sense of longing and hope that their partner will think of them even when they are no longer there.
The final stanza of the song suggests that the singer is uncertain about the future's path, yet still hopes to find a way to persevere. This last line emphasizes just how unknown our life paths can be and highlights the importance of human connection during these uncertain times. Overall, the lyrics seem to be an emotional farewell to a significant other, expressing hope for the future while also acknowledging the painful reality of separation.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know where I'm goin'
I am uncertain about my destination
Now that I am gone
Now that I have left
I hope the wind that's blowin'
I hope the current circumstances
Helps me carry on
Can help me to persevere
Turn on your radio, baby
Please listen to me through the media
Listen to my song
Hear my words, listen to my music
Turn on your night light baby
Leave the light on for me
Baby I'm gone
I have left, and won't return soon
I don't know how it happened
I am unclear on the situation that occurred
I hope I never hear it baby
I hope to never receive bad news
Just in case I'm wrong
Out of caution or doubt
Turn on your record player
Listen to my music
I don't know where life's goin'
I am uncertain about the future
But soon it will be gone
The future will soon be the present
Baby, listen to my song
Please pay attention to what I have to say
And turn on your night light baby
Leave the light on for me
Baby I'm gone
I have left, and won't return soon
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HARRY NILSSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Raok Blee
Nilsson was brilliant. I hope a new generation can dig his music.
in just ice
19 and tuned in 👍
Justin A
24 and Nilsson is one of my favorite artists ever. Own all of his albums 😎
Butt Kid
I'm fortunate to have discovered his music, and have it in my life. As a kid I loved the Popeye movie's soundtrack. It was many years later that I found out it was music by Harry Nilsson. Found out a ton of songs I loved were attributed to Harry. Almost like he was following me. Got bless Harry Nilsson.
bluntnfrank
@Justin A I'm 50 and I wasn't even born until almost after a decade he made it . He was somethin else and such an incredible life from bein so poor he n his mom ate dog food at times and his dad split at age 2 . Then he n his mom moved in with his uncle until when at age 15 he was fired and his uncle said they could no longer feed him so at 15 he hitch hiked from NY to LA and even worked as an executive inside a bank computer center . His documentary is free on YouTube and I've watched it 3 times already its amazing . You'll see his first born Zak interviewed who also died last year from colon cancer.
Justin A
@bluntnfrank That documentary was actually my introduction to Nilsson! And I'm glad that it was because it left a big impact on me. I bought two or three of his albums the next day and haven't looked back. Now he is easily one of my favorite artists of all time! What a crazy life
Cloudy
it is really sad that Nilsson has not gotten as much hype as other musicians from this era
Jeremy M. Thompson
He was against commercialism and only focused on artistry. He basically refused to perform or go on tv except a few times. But John Lennon knew and this website knows as well. https://ultimateclassicrock.com/nilsson-songs/
Laura ok
Nope... We know what a great guy he was.
Bonnie Drouillard
Cloudy I love him and appreciate his talent all these years later!