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)
What'll I Do
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'tis broken and cannot be mended.
You must go your way,
And I must go mine.
But now that our love dreams have ended...
What'll I do
When you are far away
What'll I do?
What'll I do?
When I am wond'ring who
Is kissing you
What'll I do?
What'll I do with just a photograph
To tell my troubles to?
When I'm alone
With only dreams of you
That won't come true
What'll I do?
What'll I do with just a photograph
To tell my troubles to?
When I'm alone
With only dreams of you
That won't come true
What'll I do?
The lyrics of Harry Nilsson's song "What'll I Do" are about lost love and the pain that comes with it. The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the song, with the singer lamenting the loss of the romance that once existed between them and their lover. They recognize that the relationship is irreparably broken and that they must go their separate ways. However, the singer is left with the question of what to do now that their love has ended.
The chorus is a repetition of the central question of the song: "What'll I do?" The singer is asking how they will cope with the pain of being separated from their lover, and the uncertainty of not knowing who else their lover might be with. They're left to grapple with the photographs and memories that are all they have left of their relationship. The final line of the song sums up the sense of loss and longing that runs throughout: "What'll I do?"
Overall, the lyrics of "What'll I Do" paint a picture of heartbreak and longing, capturing the pain and confusion that can accompany the end of a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Gone is the romance that was so divine.
Our once-perfect relationship has come to an end, and it cannot be fixed.
You must go your way, And I must go mine.
We have to move on from each other since we are not destined to be together.
But now that our love dreams have ended...
Even though our hopes for a future together have been crushed, what will be my state when you are gone?
What'll I do When you are far away And I am blue What'll I do?
When distance comes between us and I miss you, what shall I do now, being in pain?
What'll I do? When I am wond'ring who Is kissing you What'll I do?
I feel jealous thinking you may kiss someone else, and unable to bear, what do you want me to do?
What'll I do with just a photograph To tell my troubles to?
When I want to share my feelings of missing you, I have your photograph only, and nothing else.
When I'm alone With only dreams of you That won't come true What'll I do?
When I lie alone thinking about you, hoping our lost relationship would come to life once again, and this dream will only remain a dream, what can I do?
What'll I do with just a photograph To tell my troubles to?
Again, I keep seeing you in just this photograph and have no way to discuss my agony.
When I'm alone With only dreams of you That won't come true What'll I do?
Here, in my own world, where the dreams I have of us can't become a reality, what should I do now?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Irving Berlin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DocChoas
Harry's sincerity makes listening to this almost like eavesdropping on a prayer. I mourn for an artist who, had he lived, would have been as famous as anyone in history. In a way that's ok, those of us who know his music would almost feel exposed by our love of it. How it seems to hit all of us so personally speaks albums and volumes. Goodbye Harry, you have all our hearts and that means you're with us still.
mike young
Superb! Such a soothing voice, such a loss RIP Harry.
Tita Evans-Santini
Tender, moving, endearing, heartbreaking. RIP Harry. I loved your voice and music.
frances mcbride
Wonderful, beautiful, love it!!!!
Cathye Graham
Thanks for posting this. Harry was so talented. Very nice.
R.E.
What a beautiful song of I think the 1920's,and sung by Harry Nilsson is pure magic.Thanks a lot.
traylorvh
His voice is magic.
Mary Waterson
I have got goose bumps listening to this, it is so beautiful. It was one of my mum and dad's songs 74 years ago, God Bless them x
jim van hooser
Absolutely beautiful!!! A terrific song and vocals!!!!
joel trevino
Tears well up in my eyes for loves and friends departed. I miss you all. Mr. Berlin, you sir, are a genius.