Billy Preston (2 September 1946 - 6 June 2006) was an American soul and roc… Read Full Bio ↴Billy Preston (2 September 1946 - 6 June 2006) was an American soul and rock singer, famously known as a child prodigy pianist before releasing several rnb hits (including #1 smashes "Will It Go 'Round in Circles" and "Nothing From Nothing") and working with classic artists such as Aretha Franklin and The Beatles. He notably performed with Mahalia Jackson at the age of 16 and appeared as a young W.C. Handy in a 1958 biopic. His first solo record was a gospel album called '16 Year Old Soul'.

Preston first came to widespread attention of a U.S. mainstream audience as the organist (and sometimes vocalist) in the house band on the television show 'Shindig,' popular during 1964-66. On tour backing stars Little Richard and Sam Cooke, he met the Beatles (early in their career) in Hamburg, Germany in 1962. He was later invited by George Harrison to join The Beatles in the studio for the filming/recording of 'Let It Be' (1970). Preston's most memorable performance with the Beatles is on the track "Get Back".

The apparent reason for the collaboration was that the project was being done live— without overdubs— and the Beatles wanted a second keyboardist. Preston's soulful style was to compliment the rhythm and blues approach the Beatles had for this album. His was a genre they'd grown up listening to and were reaching back to as well as paying tribute to.

Another apparent reason for Preston's involvement was to buffer the growing tensions between the members of the band (that had started around the time of filming). Everyone set aside their differences to make Preston feel welcome at the sessions. Members of the band have later commented on their joy with working with Preston, whom they respected as a talented musician.

While Preston was never considered for permanent membership in the Beatles (despite stories to the contrary), he did continue working with them through to the end of the 60s: releasing two solo albums on Apple Records (the Beatles' label), collaborating with George Harrison on 'All Things Must Pass', and joining in on the Concert for Bangladesh— one of the first significant benefit concerts of its kind (at Madison Square Garden in 1972). Preston also later made an appearance in the infamous Beatles tribute film 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' (1978), as the title character— Sgt. Pepper. He's sometimes been referred to as a 'Fifth Beatle'.

In addition to work with said group, Preston also played and toured with The Rolling Stones, playing on significant albums such as 'Sticky Fingers' and 'Exile on Main St.' In the 70s, Preston also worked with Bob Dylan, playing as an accompanist on ' Blood on the Tracks', and Aretha Franklin, on her record 'Young, Gifted and Black'. As the years went on, Preston collaborated with numerous other artists including Barbra Streisand and Miles Davis, also notable touring with Sly and the Family Stone for a time. He also played organ with the Ray Charles big band on tour in the late 60s.

In terms of his solo career, Preston's hit tracks "Will It Go 'Round in Circles" and "Nothing From Nothing" both reached all the way to number one in the U.S. and still remain staples of oldies stations. He won a Grammy Award for best pop instrumental performance for "Outa Space" in 1971, and he received an invitation to the White House no less in 1974. Though perhaps overshadowed by his collaborative work, he devolved a strong and devoted fan-base as album after album made it into the Billboard top 200 album chart.

Preston was also the music director and band leader for the Garry Shandling show in the 80s, returning to the TV work that had given him his start. Yet, in the 80s and 90s, Preston sadly suffered substance abuse and financial issues. He spent three years in prison in 1997 for a drugs possession charge handed out earlier that year (cocaine possession and assault).

His last recordings were on the Red Hot Chili Peppers' album 'Stadium Arcadium' and with Neil Diamond for his "12 songs" record, both produced by Rick Rubin.

A U.S. musical legend, Preston passed away at the age of 59 in a hospital in Scottsdale, Arizona, as a result of "malignant hypertension that resulted in kidney failure and other complications".

01 Day Tripper
Billy Preston Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Got a good reason
For taking the easy way out
Got a good reason
For taking the easy way out now
She was a day tripper
One way ticket, yeah
It took me so long to find out
And I found out

She's a big teaser
She took me half the way there
She's a big teaser
She took me half the way there, now
She was a day tripper
One way ticket, yeah
It took me so long to find out
And I found out
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

Tried to please her
She only played one night stand
Tried to please her
She only played one night stand, now
She was a day tripper
Sunday driver, yeah
It took me so long to find out
And I found out

Day tripper, day tripper, yeah

Day tripper, day tripper, yeah
Day tripper, day tripper, yeah

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Billy Preston's song Day Tripper describe the singer's relationship with a woman who is a day tripper, someone who enjoys taking short trips just for the day. The singer suggests that the woman takes the easy way out when it comes to commitment and relationships, which he interprets as her being a big teaser who only takes him halfway. The singer admits to trying to please her by playing along with her one-night stand mentality, but eventually realizes that it took him a long time to see through her façade.

In essence, the song describes the frustration of the singer who is trying to make a meaningful connection with someone who is not interested in anything long-term. The repetition of the phrase "day tripper" serves as a metaphor for the woman's approach to relationships, indicating that she is unwilling to commit to anything more significant than a fleeting day trip. The lyrics suggest that the singer is disappointed with this lack of commitment and has come to realize that he needs more from a partner than just a passing acquaintance.

Line by Line Meaning

Got a good reason
I have a legitimate reason

For taking the easy way out
for avoiding a difficult choice

Got a good reason
I have a legitimate reason

For taking the easy way out now
for opting for the more convenient path

She was a day tripper
she was someone who visits places for a day

One way ticket, yeah
only interested in one direction in the relationship

It took me so long to find out
it took me a while to understand her true intentions

And I found out
and I eventually discovered

She's a big teaser
she was very playful with my emotions

She took me half the way there
I was halfway into the relationship before I realized

She was a day tripper
she only wants to spend a day with me