The Harry Nilson version of this song is the only one that I've really listened to and to me it has always represented someone who has just died, maybe unexpectedly in a public setting, and people are standing around talking about it and wondering what to do (Everybody's talkin' at me, I can't hear a word they're saying....) but the deceased person is now going to a better place and had no concerns for what is going on the world around him. This song is very emotional to me and has always brought up feelings a sadness but at the same time it has a fantastic harmony and melody. It had a very profound effect on me when I lost my father. The lyrics of the whole song really related to the situation. The verse at the end "I won't let you leave my love behind" represents me saying my last goodbye to him as he goes to better place and out of my life.
@ajmakria Thank you for saying this. My parents were both huge Harry Nilsson fans and my sister suggested picking a Nilsson song for my Dad's funeral. I remembered this one, listened to it afresh for the first time and just backed away from picking it because I knew it would make me bawl my eyes out. It had never occurred to me that it might be about death before, but it felt crystal clear at that point.
@ajmakria Thank you for saying this. My parents were both huge Harry Nilsson fans and my sister suggested picking a Nilsson song for my Dad's funeral. I remembered this one, listened to it afresh for the first time and just backed away from picking it because I knew it would make me bawl my eyes out. It had never occurred to me that it might be about death before, but it felt crystal clear at that point.
It's possible that I'm wrong, but it will always be about that to me now.
It's possible that I'm wrong, but it will always be about that to me now.
The Harry Nilson version of this song is the only one that I've really listened to and to me it has always represented someone who has just died, maybe unexpectedly in a public setting, and people are standing around talking about it and wondering what to do (Everybody's talkin' at me, I can't hear a word they're saying....) but the deceased person is now going to a better place and had no concerns for what is going on the world around him. This song is very emotional to me and has always brought up feelings a sadness but at the same time it has a fantastic harmony and melody. It had a very profound effect on me when I lost my father. The lyrics of the whole song really related to the situation. The verse at the end "I won't let you leave my love behind" represents me saying my last goodbye to him as he goes to better place and out of my life.
@ajmakria Thank you for saying this. My parents were both huge Harry Nilsson fans and my sister suggested picking a Nilsson song for my Dad's funeral. I remembered this one, listened to it afresh for the first time and just backed away from picking it because I knew it would make me bawl my eyes out. It had never occurred to me that it might be about death before, but it felt crystal clear at that point.
@ajmakria Thank you for saying this. My parents were both huge Harry Nilsson fans and my sister suggested picking a Nilsson song for my Dad's funeral. I remembered this one, listened to it afresh for the first time and just backed away from picking it because I knew it would make me bawl my eyes out. It had never occurred to me that it might be about death before, but it felt crystal clear at that point.
It's possible that I'm wrong, but it will always be about that to me now.
It's possible that I'm wrong, but it will always be about that to me now.