Last night I listened to, “Nilsson – Greatest Hits” which was released in 1978. There are a plethora of awesome tracks on this, which is to be expected. So many I forgot were his. At least a few (Without Her and One) sounded different by Harry as I was used to the cover version. Excellent album of one hit after another. It was a treat to hear songs that were new to me. 21 tracks total.

per wikipedia:
“Spaceman” is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson, released on his 1972 album, Son of Schmilsson. Son of Schmilsson is the eighth album by American singer Harry Nilsson. Nilsson was being pressured to produce a follow-up album similar to his 1971 breakthrough, Nilsson Schmilsson, but instead, he created a more eccentric work.

One of the highlights on Son of Schmilsson, with its dramatic opening fanfare and a cross between folk with a heavy R&B rhythm, the song explains the desire and downfall of the narrator, who wished to be a spaceman and now wants to go back to Earth but is stuck in space.

The song was one of the three Nilsson’s songs that became a hit of the year, the other two being “Remember (Christmas)” and “You’re Breaking My Heart”.

The song was covered by the American band The Roches on the 1995 tribute album For the Love of Harry: Everybody Sings Nilsson.

DOES THIS SONG KICK BUTT OR WHAT? 

Bang, bang, shoot ’em up destiny (bang, bang)
Bang, bang, shoot ’em up to the moon (bang, bang)
Bang, bang, shoot ’em up one, two, three (one, two, three, four)
I wanted to be a spaceman, that’s what I wanted to be
But now that I am a spaceman
Nobody cares about me
Hey, Mother Earth, won’t’cha bring me back down safely to the sea?
Around and around and around and around is all she ever say to me
I wanted to make a good run, I wanted to go to the moon
I knew that it had to be fun
I told ’em to send me real soon
I wanted to be a spaceman, I wanted to be it so bad
But now that I am a spaceman I’d rather be back on the pad
Hey, Mother Earth, won’t’cha bring me back down safely to the sea?
Around and around and around and around is just a lot of lunacy (yeah)
(Yeah)
‘Round and around and around and around and around (so bring me back down)
‘Round and around and around and around and around, safe on the ground

Hey, Mother Earth, better bring me back down safely to the sea
But around and around and around and around is all she ever say to me, yeah
You know I wanted to be a spaceman
That’s awhat I wanted to be
But now that I am a spaceman nobody cares about me
Say hey, you Mother Earth, you better bring me back down
I’ve taken just as much as I can
Around and around and around and around is the problem of a spaceman
Songwriters: Harry Nilsson