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)
miss butter’s lament
Harry Nilsson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nobody else seems to care
She waits patiently for the knowledge that she will
Have so much to give to someone
Waiting around for the knock at the door
Gentleman callers beware
Hoping to see all the flowers and candy he's offered her
In every dream she's ever had
She don't mind all the waiting around for someone to come along
Knows she's about to be found before too long
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba
She don't mind all the waiting around for someone to come along
Knows she's about to be found before too long
Waiting around for the first breath of spring
She never noticed the snow on the ground
Spring never made it
Somebody delayed it
For her again
And the year before
And the year before
And the year before
And the year before
And the year before
The song Miss Butter’s Lament is a melancholic portrayal of a woman who is patiently waiting for love. The lyrics depict the woman’s longing for a gentleman caller who will bring her flowers and candy, and the anticipation she feels when waiting for the knock at her door. The opening lines highlight the woman’s solitude as she waits for the first breath of spring, a symbolic representation of new beginnings and hope. She seems to be the only one who cares about the coming of spring, emphasizing her isolation and perhaps her feeling of being overlooked.
The woman’s hopefulness is conveyed in the line “she knows she’s about to be found before too long” and highlights her unwavering faith in finding true love. However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that spring never arrives for the woman, as it has been delayed for her year after year. This suggests a cycle of hopelessness and disappointment in the woman's life, and despite her positive outlook, it seems that the woman has been waiting for love for a long time.
Overall, Miss Butter’s Lament is a poignant portrayal of a woman who remains hopeful despite being repeatedly let down by life. The lyrics and melancholic melody showcase the woman’s resilience and her willingness to keep waiting for love, despite the odds being against her.
Line by Line Meaning
Waiting around for the first breath of spring
Miss Butter is eagerly waiting for spring to come.
Nobody else seems to care
Miss Butter feels like she's the only one who cares about the arrival of spring.
She waits patiently for the knowledge that she will
Miss Butter is waiting patiently, believing that she will eventually find someone to share her life with.
Have so much to give to someone
Miss Butter believes that she has a lot of love and affection to offer the right person.
Waiting around for the knock at the door
Miss Butter is waiting for a potential suitor to visit her.
Gentleman callers beware
Miss Butter is cautious and careful about who she lets into her life.
Hoping to see all the flowers and candy he's offered her
Miss Butter is hoping that the man who visits her will bring her gifts and show his affection.
In every dream she's ever had
Miss Butter has always imagined this kind of romantic scenario in her dreams.
Mmmmmmm
She don't mind all the waiting around for someone to come along
Miss Butter is okay with waiting for the right person to come into her life.
Knows she's about to be found before too long
Miss Butter is confident that she will find a partner soon.
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba
She don't mind all the waiting around for someone to come along
Miss Butter continues to be patient and positive about finding love.
Knows she's about to be found before too long
She trusts that someone will come into her life soon.
Waiting around for the first breath of spring
Miss Butter is still waiting for spring to come.
She never noticed the snow on the ground
Miss Butter is so focused on spring that she hasn't even noticed the snow on the ground.
Spring never made it
Spring has not yet arrived for Miss Butter.
Somebody delayed it
Miss Butter is blaming someone for the delay in the arrival of spring.
For her again
This is not the first time that Miss Butter has experienced a delay in the arrival of spring.
And the year before
Miss Butter has been waiting for spring for a while now.
And the year before
This has been a recurring disappointment for Miss Butter.
And the year before
She has been let down like this before.
And the year before
This has been happening for a while now.
And the year before
Miss Butter has been waiting for spring for multiple years now.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Segarini, Harry Nilsson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind