“Everybody’s Talkin’” is a folk song written and first recorded by the American singer-songwriter Fred Neil in 1966. Neil, a reclusive figure who longed to be back home in Florida, is said to have written the song quickly while finishing an album, and it appeared on his self-titled record that year.
The song found its audience through a cover. Harry Nilsson recorded a soaring version for his 1968 album “Aerial Ballet,” and when director John Schlesinger used it in the 1969 film “Midnight Cowboy” it became a major hit, climbing high on the pop chart and winning a Grammy Award. Its lyric of escape — a weary narrator dreaming of sun, sea, and a place beyond the reach of other people’s voices — matched the film’s restless mood.
Though it began well outside the bluegrass world, the song’s gentle melody and yearning have drawn many acoustic performers to it.
