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)
You Can't Do That
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How can you laugh when you know I'm down?
Beep-beep, beep-beep, yeah
I got something to say that might cause you pain
If I catch you talking to that boy again
Gonna let you down (yes, yes, you're gonna lose that girl)
And leave you flat (gonna let you down and leave you flat)
You can't do that (it's been a hard day's night)
It's the second time I caught you talking to him (I wanna hold your hand)
I got to tell you one more time I think it's a sin
Gonna let you down (yes, yes, you're gonna lose that girl)
And leave you flat (gonna let you down and leave you flat)
Because I told you before (good day sunshine)
You can't do that (day tripper, yeah)
Paperback writer, yeah
Everybody's green, sha, la, la, ooh
'Cause I'm the one who stole your love
But if they'd seen, sha, la, la, ooo
Me talking that way
They'd laugh in my face, so
Please listen to me if you want to stay mine (would you like to know a secret?)
I can't help this feeling, I'll go out of my mind
Gonna let you down (yes, yes, I'm gonna leave you flat)
And leave you flat (gonna let you down and leave you flat)
Because I told you before
You can't believe in yesterday
My babe don't buy me presents (how can you laugh when you know I'm down)
(Beep-beep, beep-beep, yeah) strawberry Beatles forever
The lyrics to Harry Nilsson's song, "You Can't Do That," are about a jealous lover who is hurt because his girlfriend is talking to another man. The song opens with the statement, "My babe don't buy me presents," suggesting that the singer may feel neglected or unloved. He then accuses his girlfriend of betraying him by talking to another guy and warns her that if she continues to do so, he'll break up with her. The lines "How can you laugh when you know I'm down?" and "I got something to say that might cause you pain" show the bitterness and frustration of the singer's emotions.
The Beatles heavily influenced the lyrics of the song. In fact, Nilsson references several Beatles songs throughout the lyrics, including "A Hard Day's Night," "Good Day Sunshine," "Day Tripper," "I Wanna Hold Your Hand," "Yesterday," and "Would You Like to Know a Secret?" These cultural references are likely an ode to the Beatles' popularity at the time the song was recorded. Nilsson also pays tribute to the band by adding the line "strawberry Beatles forever" at the end of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
My babe don't buy me presents
My significant other doesn't express their love for me through material possessions
How can you laugh when you know I'm down?
Why would you find humor in my suffering?
Beep-beep, beep-beep, yeah
Sound effect with no clear meaning
I got something to say that might cause you pain
I'm about to confront you with something that could hurt you
If I catch you talking to that boy again
If I see you conversing with that guy, who I presume is a romantic interest, again
Gonna let you down (yes, yes, you're gonna lose that girl)
I'm going to disappoint you and potentially cause you to lose your female companion
And leave you flat (gonna let you down and leave you flat)
I'm going to abandon you after disappointing you
Because I told you before (good day sunshine)
I've warned you previously (a reference to The Beatles' song 'Good Day Sunshine')
You can't do that (it's been a hard day's night)
You can't continue to pursue the other guy (a reference to The Beatles' song 'It's Been a Hard Day's Night')
It's the second time I caught you talking to him (I wanna hold your hand)
This is the second instance in which I've observed you conversing with him (a reference to The Beatles' song 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand')
I got to tell you one more time I think it's a sin
I need to reiterate that I consider your actions morally wrong
Paperback writer, yeah
Phrase with no clear meaning, but a reference to The Beatles' song 'Paperback Writer'
Everybody's green, sha, la, la, ooh
Everyone is envious (vocalizations with no clear meaning)
'Cause I'm the one who stole your love
I am the person responsible for stealing your affections
But if they'd seen, sha, la, la, ooo
If those around us knew the true nature of our interactions (vocalizations with no clear meaning)
Me talking that way
If I spoke openly about my feelings
They'd laugh in my face, so
They would mock me if they knew the truth
Please listen to me if you want to stay mine (would you like to know a secret?)
If you want to maintain our relationship, please hear me out (a reference to The Beatles' song 'Would You Like to Know a Secret?')
I can't help this feeling, I'll go out of my mind
I cannot control my emotions and it is driving me crazy
Gonna let you down (yes, yes, I'm gonna leave you flat)
I am going to disappoint you and abandon you
Because I told you before
A repeated phrase from an earlier verse
You can't believe in yesterday
You cannot dwell on the past (a reference to The Beatles' song 'Yesterday')
My babe don't buy me presents (how can you laugh when you know I'm down)
A repetition of the first verse
(Beep-beep, beep-beep, yeah) strawberry Beatles forever
A closing sound effect with a reference to The Beatles (a popular band Harry Nilsson admired)
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Randy Man
When his first albums came out, the critics raved but chastised Harry for not crediting his backup singers, they thought they were really implemental in his sound and the quality of the albums production. Well, he did credit them, they were him.
Alberto Olivieri
Yes i beliieve he was the best ever in doing that!
Janet Gall
😅
Harry Nilsson Catalogue
We can thank Nilsson for the first mashup song, releasing the first remix album, defying the odds by not performing live to promote his music, and of course, being his own backup singer. Definitely the closest thing to an American Beatle
allismile0
The first mashup song was Just A Gigalo/I Ain’t Got Nobody by Louis Prima
Dakota Steinmeier
This is absolutely amazing. Wow.
Guillermo Gitz
A beautiful Beatles' tribute. Who else could have done it so cleverly but Harry Nilsson. Yeah!!!
flamencoprof
Found this by wondering if anyone had done a version. Amazing. I'm still learning after all these years!
Roger Gros
First mashup mix. So far ahead of his time.
Mike Mangan
Played this on Progressive Rock FM when originally released in 1967, still Great Today, Nilsson was an ultra talent!