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 Made Me Love You
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I didn't wanna do it
I didn't wanna do it
You made me want you
And all the time you knew it
I guess you always knew it
You made me glad
But there were times, dear
You made me feel so bad
You made me sigh for
I didn't wanna tell you
I didn't wanna tell you
I want some love that's true
Yes I do indeed I do
You know that I do
Give me, give me, give me
What I cry for
You know you got the brand of kisses
That I'd die for
You know you made me love you
The song You Made Me Love You by Harry Nilsson is a heartfelt declaration of love and a song about falling in love despite not intending to. The singer sings about how the object of his affection has made him love and want them despite not wanting to initially. The emotions conveyed in the song are strong and relatable, as it's easy to relate to the sudden feeling of love that arises unexpectedly. It's almost as if the love was forced upon the singer by the object of his affection, yet the singer takes complete responsibility for his feelings, as no one can "make" someone fall in love.
The singer goes on to describe how his love makes him feel, from complete happiness and gladness to sadness and heartache. It seems like the subject of his love knows how the singer feels but is immune to his emotions. The singer wants love that is true and pure, and the subject of his love has the kind of kisses the singer would die for.
The song is a timeless classic, and the lyrics still ring true today. It's a gorgeous expression of love and the heart, which is why it's still so popular and relevant today.
Line by Line Meaning
You made me love you
The singer fell in love with the person they're addressing, and they take no responsibility for it.
I didn't wanna do it
The singer wants to point out that they were passive in the situation.
I didn't wanna do it
The singer is so bothered by their passivity that they repeat it here.
You made me want you
The singer became attracted to the person and knew deep down they were responsible.
And all the time you knew it
The person whom the singer is addressing was fully aware of their feelings.
I guess you always knew it
The singer wants to emphasize that the other person likely knew and did nothing about their feelings.
You made me happy sometimes
The singer felt joy and love from the relationship at times.
You made me glad
The singer wants to reiterate the happiness the other person brought them.
But there were times, dear
The singer wants to acknowledge that it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows.
You made me feel so bad
The other person caused the singer pain and sadness.
You made me sigh for
The singer yearned for something from the other person.
I didn't wanna tell you
The singer was guarded about their feelings or wants.
I didn't wanna tell you
The singer repeats their guardedness here as a form of emphasis.
I want some love that's true
The singer desires a genuine, authentic bond with someone.
Yes I do indeed I do
The singer wants to stress how much they crave true love.
You know that I do
The singer is pleading for the other person to take notice of how they feel.
Give me, give me, give me
The singer is expressing a sense of urgency and desperation for the other person's affection.
What I cry for
The singer wants the other person to give them what they've always asked for, but never received.
You know you got the brand of kisses
The singer acknowledges that the other person's kisses are really special to them.
That I'd die for
The singer is saying that the other person's kisses are so important to them, they'd go to great lengths to have them.
You know you made me love you
The singer wants to reiterate that the other person has complete control over their emotions and feelings.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Royalty Network, BROADWAY MUSIC CORPORATION, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Joseph Mccarthy, James Monaco
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind