Everybody's Talkin'

The original version of this, by Fred Neil, sounds a bit desolate, like he's feeling alone--everybody's talking, but he can't hear them; people are everywhere, but they can't see him and he can't see them.

Nilsson's version, with the orchestration, his rich voice, and some beautiful scatting, has a more a positive edge; to borrow a review, it's as if happiness is just around the corner; when he gets to "where the sun keeps shining through the pourin' rain", he'll be where he wants to be and life'll be better.

The lyrics of the song describe a first person account of one who is dying (i.e expiring) most likely amongst strangers. Our protagonist describes the literal fading of his senses; he is unable to see the faces of his audience but merely shadows, the ones who stop and stare as people are apt to do when happening upon someone who is dying, and he is unable to interpret what everybody's talkin at him this being represented by the wahhh, wahhh, gibberish.

However, internally his mind continues to function albeit in declining fashion as the song progresses.As one dies the objects of external sense are silenced first the internal voice remains to turn out the lights if you would. At its most lucid his internal voice describes where he is going: where the sun keeps shining through the pouring rain and where the weather suits his clothes etc; his mind is giving him a happy send off as a parting gift. In the final lyric his internal voice also succumbs as its language morphs into the unintelligible.

The song is a work of genius.

26 years as a search and rescue pilot... This is my favorite song when I am out over the water. "going where the sun keeps shining, in the pouring rain" taking off in the rain soaked fog, climeing up to the sun on top. "going where the weather suits my clothes" got my flight suit and can fly anywhere. "banking off the northeast wind" one hand on the throttles the other on the yolk in a turn. "sailing on summer breeze" clear day. "skip'n over the ocean like a stone" flying at 500 feet (or less) "Everybody's talking at me , I don't hear a word they are saying only the echo in my mind" Controlers and crew (till thay say something spoted) The thing I loved doing, tring to save someone, even when the odds were not in my favor, tring to find them anyway." I won't let you leave my love behind" This is what this song means to me!

My impression is that a guy has fallen for a girl and as each day goes by, he falls even harder. The people around him see this happening and realize how hopeless he is and they are all "talking at him", but he just ignores them and can "only hear the echoes in his mind".

He's basically consumed by this lover and it is the only thing that his mind will think about.

To me, this song is about a middle aged man who has made the decision to leave (run away from?) the love of his life.

He suffers from depression or bipolar and realizes, for both his love and himself, that he must leave.

Everybody's talkin "at' him because folks have noticed his behaviour and they all have advice and criticism. He can't here a word their sayin because he is not listening. Or, doesn't want to. The echo is the truth he won't face.

People stop and stare because from his perspective he is a strange outsider having a breakdown No one can resist gawking at an ongoing tragedy. He can't see their faces because he refuses to look in their eyes. The shadows of their eyes hold the truth, which he will not see.

He dreams of a place where he can be himself (going where the weather suits my clothes). Banking of of the north east wind.... Sailing across the ocean skipping like a stone.. freedom.

When he laments, I won't let you leave leave my love behind, he is letting his love know that, because he absolutely cannot bear the thought of her leaving him, he must go first.

Leaving is a gift to his love. Who, because she can no longer cope with his mental illness, will be leaving him soon.

This is a love song. Romantic love and self love.

[Edit: Spelling ]

Without overthinking and thinking outside the box, I'm interrupting this song how I read the lyrics. The song is about a man who has people trying to be social with him or try to dissuade him from pursuing his dream. The protagonist disregards those around him and ignores everything they throw at him, he just keeps on walking to reach his goal and determined to achieve it at all costs. Kind of like with protagonist from Midnight Cowboy, Joe Buck, he has dreams and has high hopes, only to have them dashed and reduced to homelessness and poverty, but at least he did what his heart told him.

This song plays through my mind sometimes when I've had enough of the civilized world we live in day to day....

I want to listen to this song when i feel disconcerted and the world is spinning madly around me. It makes me feel as though some-one out there is feeling the same

Did I imagine a comment where someone said it described their life when going through a depression? I went to log in and now it's gone. I feel the same way, but for me it's kind of a bittersweet or comforting melancholy feelings. Sad but in a happy, even nostalgic, way.

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.