Harry Nilsson performed "How About You" for the soundtrack of Terry Gilliam's The Fisher King.

 

Ralph Freed wrote the lyrics of "How About You." The music was composed by Burton Lane. The song was written for the 1941 film Babes on Broadway. It was performed in the movie by Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. The song was nominated for the "Achievement in Music" Academy Award in 1942. It lost to "White Christmas."

 

Director Terry Gilliam describes how he met Harry Nilsson in the commentary on the "special-edition" DVD of the film Monty Python's The Meaning of Life. The film is preceded by a short film (The Crimson Chartered Accountant) directed by Gilliam - "The great thing for me about this short was it led to meeting Harry Nilsson. He wanted to know who the guy was that made this thing. Harry eventually made his way to London. He was a friend of Graham's and then he became a friend of mine. And he wrote some of the great songs and sang them. And then, like most of us, went out and died. He just beat us ... to the punch."

 

How About You