Nilsson wrote this song for the film "Midnight Cowboy". Director John Schlesinger had been using Nilsson's cover of Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin'" as an example of the kind of song he wanted on the final soundtrack but then decided not to replace it. If "I Guess the Lord ..." had been included, it would have been eligible for an Oscar, as it was an original song. Harry Nilsson did win a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Everybody's Talkin'", however. "I Guess the Lord ..." was used in a film – 1971's "La Mortadella" (US title: "Lady Liberty"), starring Sophia Loren.