Everything’s Got ‘Em (Harry Nilsson). 40 Songs for 40 Years, 1974

This song is from The Point!, which is by far the coolest record I listened to as a preschooler. I loved the story; I loved the melodies; I loved the lyrics. I even loved the cover art. I fervently wanted to have a triangle-shaped hat just like the main character, Oblio. When I rediscovered the music of Harry Nilsson many years later, I caught a lot more in the lyrics (some of which probably didn’t belong on a kids’ record in the first place), but I give Nilsson credit for not condescending to his audience; he made a great record for kids or otherwise. This song shows off Nilsson at his best: a catchy melody, an unconventional metric structure, and a fantastic arrangement by George Tipton. I think that the best songs on this record can easily hold their own with the best of Nilsson’s work.